INSTITUTE INDEX: The public support for the public option

Early this morning, the Senate Finance Committee completed its work on a health insurance reform bill, which now heads to the Senate floor. President Obama called the occasion a "milestone in our effort to pass health insurance reform."

The final measure approved by the committee does not include a public health insurance option -- but that does not mean the public option is dead.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the majority leader, said yesterday that there would be a public option in whatever health insurance reform bill comes out of Congress, calling it "so vitally important to create a level playing field and prevent the insurance companies from taking advantage of us."

Despite the assertion of House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) that it's "about as unpopular as a garlic milkshake," the public option is supported by the majority of the American people and by doctors, as we detail in our latest by-the-numbers look at a pressing public policy issue. Click on the figure to go to the original source.

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Percent of Americans who favor creating a public health insurance option to complete with private insurance plans: 59

Percent of Americans who in September said that tackling health reform is more important than ever: 57

Percent who said that in August: 53

Percent of Americans who in the past year put off health care or had someone in their household put it off because of cost: 56

Percent of Americans who say Congress pays too little attention to ordinary Americans in the health reform debate: 71

Percent of physicians in a recent New England Journal of Medicine poll who favored a public health insurance option: 62.9

Percent who back a private health insurance system alone: 27.3

Percent of doctors in the South who supported the public option: 58.9

Percent in the Northeast: 69.7

Percent of physicians who are practice owners who support a public option: 59.7

Percent of American Medical Association members who support a public option: 62.2

Month when the AMA submitted comments to Congress opposing the public option: 6/2009

Amount the AMA's political action committee has contributed to Congressional candidates since the 2000 election cycle: $9.8 million

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re: INSTITUTE INDEX: The public support for the public option

"Sen. Reid believes that health insurance reform must include a mechanism to keep insurers honest, create competition and keep costs down"

How can any normal person refute that desire? We know why teabaggers refute it....health insurance has at a MINIMUM paid 50,000 liars to attend these parties.

Why not? Insurance is protecting their 20% take off our growing $2,500,000,000,000 health insurance scam! Meanwhile they laugh all the way to the bank -- denying coverage, encouraging disease over prevention, forcing someone into bankruptcy every 30 seconds.... It's an amazing racket. Problem is, millions are sick and dying needlessly, and we are 37th in world quality.

I really wonder what motivates anti-healthcare advocates who are NOT being paid by insurance? Why do they want the country to be milked by insurance so bad. Are they really just using this as an excuse to weaken the president himself for some reason? If I give teabaggers any benefit of the doubt it would have to be because they are simply trying to weaken the president, they could NOT be FOR corporation greed on this massive scale unless they were really really stupid.

re: INSTITUTE INDEX: The public support for the public option

Rockefeller and Schumer YOUR FANTASTIC! :-)

ATTENTION!! Congress Has The Votes Needed To Pass A Public Option - TODAY http://bit.ly/TCq7O

Why A Strong Public Option Is Essential - By jacksmith - Working Class

Robert Reich explains the pubic option: http://bit.ly/dDYSJ http://robertreich.blogspot.com/

Hollywood Supports The Public Option :-) http://bit.ly/3XLwPi

It's not just because more than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% republicans). Basically everyone.

It's not just because according to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. With 79% of seniors supporting creating a new strong Government-run public option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!!

It's not just because it will lower cost. Because a strong public option will dramatically lower cost for everyone. And dramatically improved the quality of care everyone receives in America and around the World. Rich, middle class, and poor a like.

It's not just because it will save trillions of dollars and prevent the needless deaths of millions more of YOU, caused by a rush to profit by the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!

It's not just because every expert in every field, including economist, and Nobel laureates all agree that free market based healthcare systems don't work. Never have and never will. The US has the only truly free market based healthcare system in the World. And as you all know now, IT IS A DISASTER!

It's not just because providing or denying medically necessary care for profit motivations is wrong. Because it is WRONG! It's professionally, ethically, and morally REPUGNANT!, Animalistic, VILE and EVIL.

THE REASON THE PUBLIC OPTION IS ESSENTIAL:

The public option is ESSENTIAL because over 200 million of you are trapped in the forest of the wolves. Which is the forest of the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! With no way out except through needless inhumane suffering, and DEATH. While the wolves tear at your flesh, and rip you limb from lib. Then feast on your lifeless bodies like a dead carcase for transplant parts.

At the most vulnerable times of your lives (when you were sick and hurting), millions of you have had to fight and loose cruel, but heroic battles. Fighting against the big guns of the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! in the forest of the wolves. All because you have no place else to go. You have no other CHOICE!

But the PUBLIC OPTION will give you someplace safe to go. And it will give us someplace safe to take you. The public option will be your refugium (your refuge). Where the wolves cannot get at you when your down, hurting, and vulnerable. Where everyone who needs it can find rest, security, comfort and the care they need. Protected by the BIG GUNS of We The People Of The United States. THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE AND COUNTRY ON EARTH.

This is why it is so critical that we do not lead another 50 million vulnerable, uninsured Americans into the forest of the wolves, without the protections of a Strong Government-run public option. We The People Of The United States MUST NOT LET THAT HAPPEN to any more of our fellow Americans. If healthcare reform does not contain a strong public option on day one. YOU MUST! KILL IT. Or you will do far more harm than good. And millions more will die needlessly. Rich, middle class, and poor a like.

To those who would continue to obstruct good and true healthcare reform for the American people, and who seek to trap millions more vulnerable Americans in the forest of the wolves. We will continue to fight you. We are prepared to wage all out war against you, and will eagerly DESTROY! you. Time...is...UP! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! No Co-op's! No Triggers! NO INDIVIDUAL MANDATES! without a Strong public option on day one.

Healthcare reform can be the GREATEST! Accomplishment of our time and century. A time when future generations may say of us, that we were all, AMERICAS GREATEST GENERATIONS.

BUT WE MUST ACT!

I therefore call on all my fellow Americans and the peoples of the World. To join us in this fight so that we may finish becoming the better America that we aspire to be for everyone.

SPREAD THE WORD!

I have been privileged to be witness as many of you fought, and struggled to take your first breath, and your last breath on this earth. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Life is precious.

Whatever the cost. WE! MUST SUCCEED.

God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings

jacksmith - Working Class

Things You Can Do To Help NOW! http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/09/tired_of_watching_people_die_n.html

No Triggers! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-rosenbaum/a-trigger-for-the-public_b_277910.html

Triggers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/weve-seen-these-triggers_b_283583.html

Krugman on heathcare (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-health...)

Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)

John Garamendi on the Public Option and the Grassroots: http://bit.ly/TJMty

Howard Dean on the Public Option http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKfW2dUnow&feature=player_embedded

We're Number 37! in quality of health care http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVgOl3cETb4&feature=player_embedded

Twitter search (#welovethenhs #NHS #hc09 #hcr #healthcar #obama #p2 #topprog #) Check it out.