Government-Run Health Plans: Big Bucks for Union Bosses
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According to John Vandeventer on the SEIU’s blog, it is imperative that we have a new "public" (read: government-run) health plan in order to reform the health care system. To demonstrate this, Vendeventer makes two points:
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Senator Chuck Schumer says it’s a good idea and it will be a fair competitor, so surely it is a good idea and will be a fair competitor.
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Everyone who doesn’t want a new government-run plan is a money-grubbing lobbyist, a paid shill for the private insurance industry, or a profiteer looking to deny treatments and scam the system. (Far left groups are increasingly resorting to demonizing individuals and industries rather than making strong policy arguments about health reform.)
Obviously these "points" are not worth responding to; ChamberPost readers will already be aware that a new Medicare-like government-run plan is a bad idea for many reasons: it will underpay doctors, cost-shift to private plans, and take more than 130 million people out of the private market and on to the government dole.
That’s the real problem for those of us who are not "lobbyists that are working around the clock to protect the status quo" with a new government-run plan; we are advocating for health reform that does not include a massive new entitlement plan because we know that taking 130 million people out of the private sector will result in the government-run plan eventually being the only option. How’s that for choice and competition, Senator Schumer?
Unions like the SEIU are giddy about the opportunity to create a massive new government program – remember that private sector union membership is at an all-time low (thus why they are trying to take away your right to a secret ballot), but government employees are easy to unionize. SEIU sees dollar signs when they see new government health programs – lots of new members to pay union dues!
Don’t buy the talking points that just because you don’t support their far-left plan to have the government take over healthcare, you are in favor of "the status quo." We know that real reform can be achieved, that we can get better, cheaper health insurance available to every American, as long as we first pledge to "do no harm."
