Insurance - The public health insurance option is a proposed government-run health insurance agency which competes with other health insurance companies. It is not the same as Publicly-funded health care. Called the public insurance option or public option, for short, it is a proposed health insurance plan that could be offered by the federal government of the United States. It has been featured in two bills considered by the U.S. House of Representatives: the proposed Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), passed by the House in 2009, and its predecessor the proposed America's Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200). Another bill, the Public Option Act, also referred to as the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act, (H.R. 4789), would allow all citizens and permanent residents to buy into a public option by participating in the public Medicare program.
In those bills the public option takes the form of a Qualified Health Benefit Plan competing with similar private insurance plans in an internet based exchange or market place, enabling citizens and small businesses to purchase health insurance meeting the minimum federal standard. Persons covered by other employer plans or by state insurance plans such as Medicare would not be eligible to obtain coverage from the exchange and therefore could not obtain this form of federal health insurance. The federal government's health insurance plan would be financed entirely by premiums without subsidy from the Federal government.[1] The plans stated in the Senate HLP Committee and H.R. 3962, the two that contain clauses establishing a public insurance option, require the repayment of "seed money" to the Treasury over a ten year period.[2]
President Barack Obama promoted the idea of the public option while running for election.[3] Since becoming President, Obama has downplayed the need for a public health insurance option including calling it a "sliver" of health care reform,[4] but has still not given up pursuing the idea.[5] Congressional Democrats have tended to support this idea, stating that it would drive down premiums and provide choice where few options exist. Congressional Republicans have opposed the idea, stating that it would cause the private health insurance industry to collapse.[3] Since the public option in H.R. 3962 would initially keep rates for services between Medicare and most private insurers, private <>binsurers have complained that this will result in cost-shifting to them.[3]
From: Wikipedia.Org
In those bills the public option takes the form of a Qualified Health Benefit Plan competing with similar private insurance plans in an internet based exchange or market place, enabling citizens and small businesses to purchase health insurance meeting the minimum federal standard. Persons covered by other employer plans or by state insurance plans such as Medicare would not be eligible to obtain coverage from the exchange and therefore could not obtain this form of federal health insurance. The federal government's health insurance plan would be financed entirely by premiums without subsidy from the Federal government.[1] The plans stated in the Senate HLP Committee and H.R. 3962, the two that contain clauses establishing a public insurance option, require the repayment of "seed money" to the Treasury over a ten year period.[2]
President Barack Obama promoted the idea of the public option while running for election.[3] Since becoming President, Obama has downplayed the need for a public health insurance option including calling it a "sliver" of health care reform,[4] but has still not given up pursuing the idea.[5] Congressional Democrats have tended to support this idea, stating that it would drive down premiums and provide choice where few options exist. Congressional Republicans have opposed the idea, stating that it would cause the private health insurance industry to collapse.[3] Since the public option in H.R. 3962 would initially keep rates for services between Medicare and most private insurers, private <>binsurers have complained that this will result in cost-shifting to them.[3]
From: Wikipedia.Org
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