Morning Bell: The Road to Single Payer Goes Through the Public Plan

Conn Carroll / June 24, 2009

President Barack Obama came a long way towards acknowledging the ultimate consequences of his health care plan yesterday. But he still has a long way to go before he comes clean with the American people. First, President Obama acknowledged that, contrary to his repeated earlier promises, his health care plan will force millions of Americans out of their current health care. Obama said: “When I say if you have your plan and you like it, and your doctor has a plan — or you have a doctor and you like your doctor, that you don’t have to change plans, what I’m saying is the government is not going to make you change plans under health reform.”

That is a distinction without a difference. If the government creates financial incentives that cause 119 million Americans to be placed in government care, then they are culpable whether they specifically forced Americans or not. After all, Obama’s cap and trade plan does not force energy companies to raise energy prices, but Obama has, to his credit, admitted: “Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” Americans deserve this same frankness on health care. (more…)