The PO (public option) - which was created solely to appease Republicans & the corporate lobbyists - has failed. Despite the President's best efforts, all Republican and several Blue Dog Democrats still oppose the PO as well as its sister appeasement: co-ops.
Since the PO has failed in it's primary goal - politics - it's time to end appeasement politics and focus instead on the best solution for the nation's health. Implementing the best healthcare solution which makes our country healthier will also yield political dividends whereas half-measures will be less effective and open to more political criticism.
The purpose of healthcare reform should to provide lifelong coverage for everyone at a reasonable cost to the nation. Allow me to break it down:
- Coverage for Everyone: Care, not insurance, should be guaranteed to every citizen regardless of their economic or other status. It should be an automatic benefit of citizenship, much like it is a benefit of employment at many government and corporate jobs.
- Lifelong: Care should be available throughout our lives and not jeopardized by illness, pre-existing conditions, job changes, job loss, premium hikes, etc.
- Reasonable Cost to Nation: Care should be managed by, or at least purchased by, a large organization with buying power to control costs, like Medicare.
Most rational people agree that a single-payer Medicare-for-All plan is far better at meeting these goals than a PO. It's also easier for seniors to support (politically), since they don't want Medicare to be cut. Further, it probably makes sense to streamline the funding of the costs through taxes, so each employer doesn't have to negotiate the care separately.
So, let's pass Medicare-for-All with or without the Republicans; its finally time to do what's right instead of doing what the right wants.