Health Care Reform

I've been trying to go somewhat cold turkey from politics, so it wouldn't completely take over my life. I do need to get other things done. This is why I haven't written in quite some time. I wrote the following letter to my local paper on the topic of health care policy. It didn't get published there, so I figured I might as well publish it here.

Many Republicans have announced that they cannot support President Obama’s health care plan if it includes a public alternative, on the grounds that this will bankrupt the health insurance industry. This may or may not be true, but it is not something we should be afraid of. If those who believe health care can be most efficiently provided by the private market are right, a public alternative will not bankrupt them. They will respond to the public competition by providing even better quality, more cost-effective coverage, and people will choose them over the public option. If they cannot compete, it will have proven that those who believed health care could be most efficiently provided by a public, single-payer, not for profit system were right. Either way, the people get the best quality health care, which is what the goal of health care policy should be.