re: #171 greygandalf

It really doesn’t frighten you that instead of dealing with insurance companies that can go out of business if run badly. That we all have to deal with government or nothing for health insurance.

No it actually doesn’t because in principle, the gov’t program is there to serve me, while the private corp is there to serve itself at my expense.

I am not trying to argue that the gov’t would do it better necessarily, and I am not in support of a bill that I have not read, and that has yet to actually materialize.

However, I know from plenty of family experience (many of my relatives are MDs) that the insurance companies are not anyone’s friends.

It is very possible that the gov’t program would be worse - when we know what it is.

However, in principle, a system run by people who get thrown out of office regularly if they f” this up and by it’s nature a perk for me as a citizen and not for profit, is much more likely to be looking out for me.

I grant that this assumes that it gets run properly and is properly funded. I grant that there are many ways it could be a problem. This is also why I am not so worried. There will always be private insurance. They will just have to compete and make a better product.

The bottom line is that wealthier people will still buy the better product, those in the middle will likely see little difference in their coverage, and those who have no insurance now will at least have something. So no, I am not afraid of it - assuming it is run well. I accept that is a big assumption. And I am not arguing it must be so. I am arguing that to be opposed in principle to the idea seems off to me.