Politics, Semantics and Medicare for Everyone
During the course of the heath reform debate raging on Capitol Hill, some supporters of the public option have conceded that the very nomenclature adopted to
Jul 31, 2020148.4K Shares5.3M Views
During the course of the heath reform debate raging on Capitol Hill, some supporters of the public option have conceded that the very nomenclature adopted to describe the public plan — why not just say socialized medicine? — has threatened the push to create such an option to compete with private insurers.
“We’re talking about a private plan that is started by the government,” Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said last monthduring the Senate Finance Committee debate. “I think the public plan … is the wrong name for this.”
Well, some House Democrats think so too. And they’ve proposed to change the labeling. From The Hill:
“„House Democrats are looking at re-branding the public health insurance option as Medicare, an established government healthcare program that is better known than the public option….
“„While much of the public is foggy on what a public option actually is, people understand Medicare. It also would place the new public option within the rubric of a familiar system rather than something new and unknown.
This strategy could also act as a response to the persistent GOP criticisms that the Democrats’ health reforms would dismantle Medicare at the expense of patient care. Of course, the parallels run only so far. For one thing, Medicare is a single-payer system, while the public option would merely exist side-by-side in competition with a host of private insurance plans. Also, Medicare is heavily subsidized by taxpayers, while the public option, after its initial launch, would be self-sustaining, its revenue generated by patient premiums just like a private company. In fact, unlike some insurance companies, the public plan would be ineligible for government bailouts.
The question is, have Democrats waited too long to launch their re-branding effort?
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
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