Luntz Makes DeMint All Twitter-pated
Sen. DeMint: "I'm working on a bill to give *every* American access to health care they can control, without forcing them into a government rationed plan" [Twitter, 6/10/09; emphasis added]
Luntz Memo, Page 8: "It could lead to the government rationing care, making people stand in line and denying treatment like they do in other countries with national healthcare." [The Language of Healthcare 2009, by Frank Luntz, accessed 6/2/09; emphasis added]
In Reality, A Public Option Will Simply Give Americans A Choice Between Plans
Sen. Baucus: The Reformed Health Care System "Will Be A Public/Private Hybrid." The American Prospect published a quote of Senator Baucus saying: "We need health insurer reform to get rid of preexisting conditions and other ways insurers discriminate. That's part of our plan here, and the CEOs of many larger insurance companies are on board. They know this change is coming. They may lose the current model but they pick up on volume with 46 million people coming into the system...And that will be a public/private hybrid. There may come a time when we can push for single payer. But that time is not yet, and so I'm not going to waste my time." [The American Prospect, accessed 3/6/09, emphasis added]
House Democrats Are Committed To A Public Health Care Option Which Will "Spur Competition Within The Insurance Industry." The Hill reported: "[Majority Leader] Hoyer indicated that House Democrats are committed to including a public plan option in their bill. 'We believe that a public option clearly is going to be necessary' to provide consumers with an alternative to private insurance and to spur competition within the insurance industry, Hoyer said." [The Hill, 3/26/09]
AMA President Nancy Nielson: "Health Care Reform Should Include A Public And Private Mix." According to the New America Foundation: "Health care reform should include a public and private mix of insurance. The private insurance market must be improved for patients and health care professionals, and the public safety net must be preserved for those in need." [New America Foundation, 3/10/09, emphasis added]