When competing on a level playing field, the public option offers no silver bullet for reducing health-care costs. So why is the left so enamored of it?
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The left’s favorite idea for reforming Obamacare is a government-sponsored plan — a “public option” — that would compete against private insurers. Lawmakers introduced several public option bills earlier this year, and presidential candidate Joe Biden has embraced the concept.
Proponents claim that government-sponsored plans will charge lower premiums than private insurers. Yet, experience shows that, when competing on a level playing field, they don’t.
About the Author
About the Author
John C. Goodman is the president of the Goodman Institute for Public Policy Research and a senior fellow at the Independent Institute. His latest book is New Way to Care: Social Protections that Put Families First.
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The left’s favorite idea for reforming Obamacare is a government-sponsored plan — a “public option” — that would compete against private insurers. Lawmakers introduced several public option bills earlier this year, and presidential candidate Joe Biden has embraced the concept.
Proponents claim that government-sponsored plans will charge lower premiums than private insurers. Yet, experience shows that, when competing on a level playing field, they don’t.
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About the Author
About the Author
John C. Goodman is the president of the Goodman Institute for Public Policy Research and a senior fellow at the Independent Institute. His latest book is New Way to Care: Social Protections that Put Families First.
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