Lost in the hype of Waxman's deal with the Blue Dogs is the sad reality that the "public option" that was "saved" has been gutted.


What is left is a "public option" in name only:


But it no longer offers a route for Americans to buy in to a system based upon fair MEDICARE PRICING, and it no longer can be a force which will force insurance companies to lower prices.


The now gutted "public option", rather than forcing insurance companies to be competitive, now serves to create the OPPOSITE effect: Since the deal with Blue Dogs forces the "public option" to ABANDON Medicare pricing, and instead use higher rates based on what insurance companies "can compete with" the "public option" (coupled with the mandate to purchase) now serves to SOLIDIFY THE INSURANCE CABAL, not to force insurance companies to become competitive.


MEDICARE RATES in the pricing of services was quite simply the economic heart of the issue.


The fact that until NOW (Waxman's cave-in to the Blue Dogs) the "public option" has been based on Medicare rates is what gave it the power to force the insurance/medical complex to become more efficient instead of steadily eating up an ever increasing % of our GDP.


And the fact that until now, the "public option" was based on MEDICARE RATES was the only thing that qualified it as REAL REFORM, according to the simple and valid definition given by none other than Howard Dean.


Several months ago, Dean made this simple statement:






Until Waxman caved & allowed the Blue Dogs to gut the public option on the alter of Big Insurance, the "public option" would have given every American the right to buy in to a plan BASED UPON FAIR (MEDICARE) RATES. The fact that the "public option" would not have been called "Medicare" is irrelevant because it would have allowed every American to opt in to MEDICARE PRICING: specifically, to purchase insurance with low administrative overhead at prices based on reasonable & customary Medicare fees.


All this is now gone.


Stripping the Medicare fee schedule out of the so-called "public option" is not a minor technical detail. Rather, as Rep. Lynn Woolsey points out, it rips out the public plan's economic heart.










"Public Option" R.I.P.








Shame on you, Henry Waxman! The "progressive backlash" you are now seeing, is not something to be mollified. You need to listen, to look into your heart for your own values, and you need to restore Medicare pricing.


Healthcare "reform" with a toothless, token "public option" forced to play by rules designed, not to address our problems but to protect the insurance cabal, is not worthy of the name "reform", and not worthy of the support of our party and our nation.


Restore a real Public Option now, Henry Waxman!!!