The Choice of Public Health Insurance Plan
FAQs
What Comprehensive Reform Means for You
How will reform increase consumer choice?
Why do we need the choice of a public health insurance plan?
How will we pay for health care reform?
On this page:
How will reform increase consumer choice?
Why do we need the choice of a public health insurance plan?
- What is a public health insurance plan?
- Why do we need the choice of a public health insurance plan?
- Who supports the choice of a public health insurance plan?
- Why not a single-payer health care system?
How will reform increase consumer choice?
Will reform increase the choices we get to make as consumers?
Yes. For far too long, insurance company bureaucrats have made decisions about our health care that only a patient and his or her doctor should make. HCAN believes consumers should be able to make the most important choices about their care, including whether to participate in a private or public health insurance plan.
Why the choice of a public health insurance plan?
What is a public health insurance plan?
A public health insurance plan would be available to everyone in the United States. The plan would be managed by the federal government and pay private health care providers (doctors, hospitals, etc) to provide health care to patients. Medicare is a public health insurance plan for America’s seniors and people with disabilities.
Why do we need the choice of a public health insurance plan?
HCAN supports the choice of a public health insurance plan as part of comprehensive health care reform to bring down costs, make coverage affordable, force private health insurance companies to compete, and guarantee that quality, affordable coverage will be there for people no matter what happens. Unlike private health insurers that pay high executive salaries and maximize shareholder profits, a public health insurance plan’s purpose is to pay for people’s health care needs.
Who supports the choice of a public health insurance plan?
Nearly three out of four voters want everyone to have the choice of a public health insurance plan. HCAN recently commissioned a national survey to find out how the public views the choice of a public health insurance plan. We found intense and widespread voter support for the choice of a public health insurance plan. The public health insurance plan is supported by 73% of voters. This includes Democrats (77%), Independents (79%), and Republicans (63%). To read more about the poll, please visit the HCAN website.
Why not a single-payer health care system?
A single-payer system would put everyone in a public health insurance plan. HCAN wants to give people a choice of regulated private health insurance or public health insurance. Many of the organizations that belong to HCAN support a single-payer system. In joining HCAN, they also support giving people a choice of a private or public health insurance plan and recognize that the major focus in 2009 needs to be on winning quality, affordable health care for all that meets the HCAN principles rather than advocating for a single approach to achieving that goal.
