The thing that some people fail to see is that a Public option would not STRIP you of your private health care. It would provide an option for you if you weren't happy with your current healthcare or couldn't afford healthcare to begin with. It would be paid for by people buying into the system primarily. It would be almost budget neutral save the government subsidies provided to people who couldn't otherwise afford the premiums (which would be marginally less due to lack of having to pay for advertising and overhead). Subsidies are provided to farmers, to the oil industry, to banks, to insurance companies, but not the american public for providing for their well being. OKAY RIGHT.
Besides, if you pay for private insurance now you're actually OVERPAYING for people who don't have insurance. Doctors have to treat people who come into the ER whether or not they have insurance (federal law). What this means for you and others is that they insert their additional costs into bills for other people. The money has to come from somewhere, and it comes from people with insurance.
Also, there are studies that support preventative care saving money in the long run. The preventative care provided by an affordible public option or by a single-payor system would actually end up saving americans money as a whole, and making the public healthier as a result.
I can't afford health care myself, I'm one of the 30 million in the same situation. I'm pretty much banking on the fact I'm 23 and have the fortitude of an ox. Do you know what would happen if I got sick at all? I would be slapped with a bill that I would be unable to pay and end up homeless. This means that besides the fact that IBIS would lose an admin (most major thing, really), I would be fucked for the rest of my life. Because I can't afford private health insurance. Bump that shit.
Also -- do you pay for police protection? Do you pay for fire protection? Not directly, but you do. These are basic things that should always be provided to you, and something that shouldn't NOT be provided if you can't afford it.
Yes. I'm liberal.
Yeah. I'm an admin. What of it?