Ouch: Even the NYTimes Pans Senate "New Public Option" Plan

Noteworthy because not only do they not like it, but they run "experts" who also don't. Maybe they're a little buttsore from shilling for the old public option and want a break?

Senate Democrats have provided few details about their latest health care proposal, but this much seems clear: Anyone who wants to buy the same health benefits as members of Congress, or to buy coverage through Medicare, should be prepared to fork over a large chunk of cash.

[...]

But Mr. Francis warned against the Medicare buy-in proposal, which he said would undermine the new national plans and would leave people nearing retirement with insufficient coverage.

“Medicare is not a good health plan,” Mr. Francis said. Even with coverage of prescription drugs, he said, “it still doesn’t have catastrophic protection.”

If you're a Democrat and the NYTimes is giving you less than full-throated support, you have a serious problem.

Oh yeah, remember how I said the New Public Option would lead to single payer (just like the Old Public Option)? Exit quote:

“Extending this successful program to those between 55 and 64 would be the largest expansion of Medicare in 44 years and would perhaps get us on the path to a single-payer model,” said Representative Anthony Weiner, Democrat of New York.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 09:52 AM

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