Day: September 21, 2009

The Real Public Option Story

By now we all have heard all the stuff about the proposed public option….you know the stuff about it being too costly…or it is a government takeover….or that it was “creeping” socialism…..and my favorite…it will pull the plug on poor old grannie….all the fun stuff that talk radio is buzzing about.

All that aside…what is the real story on the public option?

First of all…. researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that about 45,000 people die because they have NO insurance coverage each year.  Overall, researchers said American adults age 64 and younger who lack health insurance have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those who have coverage.  An similar study in 1993 found those without insurance had a 25 percent greater risk of death, according to the Harvard group. The Institute of Medicine later used that data in its 2002 estimate showing about 18,000 people a year died because they lacked coverage.  A helluva increase in 16 years and the ranks are growing thanks to the economy.

Forty percent of employers surveyed said they are likely to increase the amount their workers pay out of pocket for doctor visits. Almost as many said they are likely to raise annual deductibles and the amount workers pay for prescription drugs.

Nine percent said they plan to tighten eligibility for health benefits; 8 percent said they plan to drop coverage entirely. Forty-one percent of employers said they are “somewhat” or “very” likely to increase the amount employees pay in premiums — though that would not necessarily mean employees would pay a higher percentage of the premiums. Employers could simply be passing along the same share of the overall increase that they are doing this year.

There is a way to fight these increases……

The public option has many friends……A New England Journal of Medicine survey released yesterday reveals that 73 percent of doctors favor a public option as a component of health care reform.  Sixty-three percent favored a public option as part of a public-private mix of insurance options, while another 10 percent favored a single-payer system.

What about the public and its desire for the public option?

  • 76 percent of respondents in a poll conducted by NBC and The Wall Street Journal stated that creating a public plan was important, and 71 percent of respondents in the same poll self-identified as either moderate or conservative.
  • A Lake Research Poll in January found that 73% of voters want the choice of a public health insurance option, even when they hear the sharpest insurance industry attacks, such as claims that a public health insurance plan would lead to lower quality health care, more expensive health care, or big government. Those favoring the plan include Democrats (77%), Independents (79%) and Republicans (63%).
  • 71 percent of rural voters in a poll conducted by Lake Research favored the choice of a public plan, a figure nearly identical to the level of support found in urban areas.
  • Rural voters believe in competition. According to these voters, if private insurers are really more efficient than government, they won’t have trouble competing effectively with a public health plan option. In rural areas, voters hold this view more strongly (62%) than in cities (57%). Only 23% of rural voters say a public health insurance plan will have an unfair advantage over private plans.

Now you have the basics of what is thought about the public option…now ask if that many doctors, who are experts in the medical industry, want the public option and if that many people in the population are wanting it….then why is it such a heated debate in Washington?

First of all, it is playing politics…….second, it is playing it with the health of the entire population…..and finally, with that much support in the country why is it that so many politicians are against it?  If these people are elected to do the bidding of the people, why are they not doing so?

Easy answer….MONEY speaks LOUDLY in Washington and the insurance industry has enough money to speak very loudly.

Is There A Future For Electric Cars?

Business Week is reporting:

But beyond the hip music and snazzy displays, electric cars face some sobering realities that make them vehicles of the future rather than of the present. The biggest issues are price and usability. Costly batteries put these cars out of reach for most consumers, and infrastructure isn’t currently in place to allow owners to plug in and charge up cars when they’re away from home. Add to that speed and range limitations with electric technology, and it’s clear the electric future won’t come overnight.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for excitement about electric cars, which offer the possibility of zero-emissions driving for a potentially large number of city dwellers. It does mean, though, that consumers will have to be patient.

Will VW have the answer?

VW has been talking for a long time about their L1 concept, so called because it uses a measly 1 liter of gasoline to go 100 km. For us Americans, that translates to about 230 miles per gallon. Of course, the amazing mileage comes at a price. The car is tiny, more of a tobaggon than a car. The single passenger actually sits behind the driver, like in a small airplane.

The tiny engine will only get the car up to about 75 mph and, as such, VW doesn’t expect to sell a lot of them. Safety concerns might also keep the car from being a best seller. But, since it does have four wheels, it will have to meet all of the normal safety regulations for cars.

Sorry….I digress…..back to electric cars…may I see a show of hands that think electric cars will become the norm in the future?  (lengthy pause for thought)

I say there is NO future for electric cars as we are today…..why do I say such a thing?  Look around the next time you are driving in traffic…….the answer should be obvious.