Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

So, given that the country needs healthcare reform and must do something, but that we really won't know what "something" is until long after the legislation is passed, I pose this question...

Which of the following choices would you endorse as the basis of healthcare insurance crafted by Congress?

1. Continuation of the Medicare program. But in addition, the creation of a "government option" insurance policy that citizens could choose at their option in place of any private insurance they currently have, or might buy instead of the new option. Citizens who could not afford insurance would be required to take the government option. The government would pay the premiums for insurance for all those who could not afford to pay them.
   
2. Medicare would be discontinued. No "government option" would be offered to insure those Americans that are not currently insured. Private, for-profit insurance companies would be required to design insurance policies to offer to all citizens. To the extent that some people could not afford to buy the private insurance, the government would pay the premiums to the private insurers. If you have Medicare now, it would be discontinued and replaced with private insurance whose coverages, terms and cost would be determined later.

Neither of these options is going to happen, of course. But I pose the question to determine how many of us would really be willing to give up government insurance in the form of Medicare or Medicaid and place the decision for what their healthcare will be and what it will cost in the hands of the private sector.

Where do you stand?