According to this poll, which was sponsored by several businesses which you wouldn't think of as being the ones doing the study, finds that 83% want a public option.
The list of businesses are a diverse group including insurance companies, telecommunication companies, oil companies and others. Here is the list from the site.
This survey was made possible with support from AARP, American Express, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Buck Consultants, Chevron, Deere & Company, IBM, Mercer, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Principal Financial Group, Schering-Plough Corp., Shell Oil Company, The Commonwealth Fund, and Towers Perrin.
Not exactly who you would think of when you think of someone supporting the option the President wants for all Americans now is it. And not exactly what I would call a "Liberal" group.
Here are the numbers for your perusal:
Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the following:
Creating a new public health insurance plan that anyone can purchase:
• Strongly support—53 percent
• Somewhat support—30 percent
• Somewhat oppose—5 percent
• Strongly oppose—9 percent
Having national rules requiring insurance companies to cover all people, regardless of their health problems:
• Strongly support—55 percent
• Somewhat support—25 percent
• Somewhat oppose—9 percent
• Strongly oppose—9 percent
Expanding government programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid:
• Strongly support—45 percent
• Somewhat support—30 percent
• Somewhat oppose—9 percent
• Strongly oppose—12 percent
Requiring all employers to pay toward subsidized health insurance for employees:
• Strongly support—42 percent
• Somewhat support—33 percent
• Somewhat oppose—10 percent
• Strongly oppose—12 percent
Requiring everyone to participate in some kind of health insurance plan:
• Strongly support—38 percent
• Somewhat support—30 percent
• Somewhat oppose—13 percent
• Strongly oppose—16 percent
Once again, it is amazing to me how our representatives in Congress can ignore the will and the voices of the people. Yet they are. But, with the amount of money that flows from the insurance companies to our representatives it is not really a surprise, because they don't want anything that might interrupt that cash flow.
So it is up to you, you have to let your voices be heard. Remind your Congress person who they work for.. not the insurance company, but you, you pay their salary, you vote them into office and you can vote them out.
Most of us want this and we need to remind them we do. It is time to let Congress know where we stand.
h/t Bob Cesca
3 comments:
A public option makes total sense. It would not only give those who may be difficult to insure privately a more viable option, but because the government could bargain better with medical providers the costs would be lower and would likely drive costs down for private insurers as well. You're not going to tell me those insurers aren't making a handy profit on the fees they charge - I'm sure they could cut them and still do well.
I simply don't trust insurance companies. Reform without a public option is not reform.
Here's an idea: print off a copy of the poll and send it to your congresscritters!
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