AFL-CIO Chief: Public Option ‘Essential’ to Health Care Reform
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Amid reports that the White House may drop its insistence on a “public option” that would compete with private health insurers, the incoming president of the AFL-CIO said today that his organization continues to view the concept as “essential” to health care reform. “If you’re interested in health insurance reform, the public option can’t go away — it’s essential,” Richard Trumka, the AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer, told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. Trumka is expected to be elected the organization’s new president later this month. Trumka said creating a public option for health insurance is “essential to break the stranglehold” of private insurance companies, and would drive down costs. “It can’t be done without the public option. And that’s why we’ve staked out the ground so clearly,” he said. Trumka is also threatening to campaign against Democrats who stand opposed to a public option — notwithstanding hints from the White House that such a provision could be sacrificed in the name of getting a bill through Congress. He said Democrats would be making a mistake if they back off of a public option in the name of bipartisanship. “It’s time for them to look at what works — that’s what works,” he said. At the same meeting with reporters, outgoing AFL-CIO President John Sweeney predicted that the controversial labor-backed Employee Free Choice Act will be signed into law “before the end of the year.” President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have made clear they’ll press for the law shortly after health care reform passes, Sweeney said. “They made no bones about it, that once they get health care, they’re going to go out there and promote the Employee Free Choice Act,” Sweeney said. But Trumka said that one particularly controversial part of the bill — known as card-check, allowing workers to unionize by signing authorization cards — is not critical to passing an effective bill. Card-check “may, it may not be” part of the final bill, he said.
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It is ironic that union bosses at the AFL-CIO and SEIU are pushing for a public option when their members currently have the best health care. I think the membership should question why? A public option will eventually suck in all of America. Unions should stand for employees having individual freedoms not subserviency to an almighty government. Who do these union bosses really represent? How much money do they make? Why did SEIU employees picket the SEIU? Be careful what you wish for.
Posted by: Downwithsocialism | September 2, 2009, 11:16 am 11:16 am
Keep private insurance companies out of my health care. As a cancer survivor lucky enough to have employee provided government protected insurance I know full well the pain of fighting with insurance companies to get them to do the job they received our money to do.
People shouting about this should stop and think – most of you won’t come to a terrible situation where you need your insurance company to perform. Stop and talk to the people who are living with a serious diagnosis and ask them how they feel about the fact that private insurance often routinely DENIES your claim forcing you to fight for your coverage.
It’s easy to say what we have now is great when you don’t need your insurance, you don’t want to wait until it happens to you to come to realize how sloppy our process is. The administrative processes used by private insurance companies are careless and expensive. Mistakes are common.
It’s shameful that the US lets all the other industrialized nations show us up as careless and uninformed about health care. We pay more and receive less. And worse – in the richest country on the planet 20,000 people die every year from treatable illness.
Posted by: trueblue | September 2, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
We aren’t the richest country – we’re bankrupt.
Posted by: Nancy | September 2, 2009, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
Richard Trumka is CORRECT. Give ‘em unholy HELL, Rich!
Posted by: Health Care for All --NOW!!! | September 2, 2009, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
If the AFL-CIO Chief is for the public option that’s a good reason to be against it!
Posted by: Ed Taylor | September 2, 2009, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
Liberals will not oppose health care reform on any grounds, public option or not.
Posted by: matt | September 2, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
anyone and any organization looking at the interest of the working class agrees with a public option.
Who would be against it?
…the industry magnants profiting significantly from the current system of ‘illness care for profit’, the GOP who support/are bought by them, and the poor sods in the base Republican minority that defend the wealthy at their own expense.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 2, 2009, 1:23 pm 1:23 pm
Posted by: gus amaral | Sep 2, 2009 1:23:18 PM
You have this backwards, you should look who of the democrats benefits from legislation on tort reform which is not included in the so-called health care reform. First the democrats blamed the republicans, when that did not work they blame the insurance companies,now they blame the american public for being un-american, mobs etc. and when you look at videos who is disrupting the meetings its the unions and the SEIU
Posted by: Lizzie | September 2, 2009, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm
Organized labor is no longer a sound voice for the people of this country. They are no more interested in what’s good for the country, than the 2 political parties are.
It is time for the citizens to step up and make their position the law.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 2, 2009, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
@ Posted by: Lizzie | Sep 2, 2009 1:34:15 PM
_________
Explain how ‘tort reform’ will satisfy:
premiums doubling every nine years? …the out-of-pocket co pays and expenses that are skyrocketing? … that small businesses are dropping their coverage? …that every day 14,000 Americans wake up and find themselves without health insurance coverage?
the “American public’ is suffering, at the expense of capitalistic gain by for profit illness care of the American people.
Corporate giants have typically hated unions, as unions function to protect the interests of their working people, at the expense of less huge profits for the corporation.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 2, 2009, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
private insurers and illness care profiters have no interest in your well-being. Why would they want to compromise their profits?
Get your head right.
We don’t allow free-agent firefighters to charge any amount they want to fight your fires. Or free-market teachers charging you any amount they decide on to teach your children.
Public services that ensure the welfare of the public should not be in the hands of private profiteers.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 2, 2009, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
Who really cares what the AFL-CIO thinks?
Posted by: lfrichar | September 2, 2009, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
this is the white house and pelosi asking for union help as they helped the unions. a little strong arming.
Posted by: catman | September 2, 2009, 2:18 pm 2:18 pm
Oh I see where this is going….another huge giveaway to the Unions.
Funny, the union members already have healthcare, so why would they care if we enact health care reform or not. Clearly they are trying to skirt the unaffordable promises they have made to their members for lifetime healthcare…when those members retire at 50 years old! Then the rest of us can keep on working to pay for their benefits. There public option can also be used to create strong unions in healthcare.
Unions in healthcare, government in health care, these two organizations are true monopolies that would be outlawed in any other context. You are G%D damn right I am angry, watch as the unions and the government divvy up our premiums and explain to us why the health care I pay for needs to be rationed.
Posted by: ELF | September 2, 2009, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
It sickens me to see ignorant “working class” folks fighting against health care reform while private providers like BCBS rob americans blind. I’m insured by these bozos and every year my out of pocket cost jumps up. I recently went to the ER after cutting my thumb sharpening a lawnmower blade. The total cost for 7 stitches, ointment, gauze and a bandade came to $1800.00 dollars and I had to pay a $200.00 co-pay up front. My policy is 80/20 so I expect to be billed for another $300.00 bucks. For a family of three I pay $400/monthly which comes close to $5000 a year. Between regular visits to doctor and prescriptions I’m certain that we have spent over $2000.00 in co-pays. By the end of the year we expect to owe medical/dental bills that exceed another $1000 and this is what I get for being insured. WE CAN DO BETTER AND A PUBLIC OPTION IS THE ONLY WAY TO BRING THE COST DOWN! People on the right, wake up! You’re shooting yourself in the foot by opposing President Obama. Just maybe, maybe….a black president has YOUR best interest a heart. Stop feeding into the hate before it’s too late.
Posted by: the_peoples_prez | September 2, 2009, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
“WE CAN DO BETTER AND A PUBLIC OPTION IS THE ONLY WAY TO BRING THE COST DOWN!”
???
Are you kidding me??? Let’s see how well the government has done running businesses, e.g., Medicaid is Bankrupt, Medicare is Bankrupt, Social Security is Bankrupt, Amtrac is constantly in the Red, The United States Post Office is closing 413 branches this year and will finish the year $7 Billion in the hole (after rates hikes), the VA sends out letters mistaken telling Vets that they are going to die, and “cash-for-clunkers” has reimbursed less than 10% of the cars that were sold under there initial $1Billion program that was to run out in November.
These are the folks you trust to do it right for 1/6 of our economy. No wonder you believe in “The Union Way,” just another big lie that’s been “oversold.”
Posted by: Jim | September 2, 2009, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Many, many articles I read from the British press state their people suffer under socialized care. There’s no perfect solution. Personal responsibility builds strong nations, strong economies and better lives for everyone. More govt involvement…no matter what it’s called or how warm and fuzzy it looks…spreads the misery, not the wealth. Look at govt manipulation of the housing market. Looked like a “moral” thing to do, but the blow back from that agenda crippled the world’s economies. Pass consumer protection laws, but don’t legislate a health catastrophe for this nation.
Posted by: pam | September 2, 2009, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
What makes anyone here believe that govt health care would pay all the necessary costs of a serious illness? Why do Canadians who can afford it come to America for care if they become seriously ill? Because their system suffers from wide gaps in available care. Sure, it’s paid for…if the patient can wait…and wait…and wait.
Posted by: pam | September 2, 2009, 5:54 pm 5:54 pm
New England Journal Of Medicine:
A random sample of 2314 bankruptcy filers in 2007: 62% were medical. 92%of these had debts over $5K, the rest were due to income loss due to illness, and mortgaing of their home to pay medical bills. three quarters had health insurance. Most owned home & had middle class occupations. Using identical definitions in 2001 and 2007, the share of bankruptcies rose by 49%.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 2, 2009, 8:47 pm 8:47 pm
Pam, you are highly misinformed. or you are a conservative backed propoganda vehicle.
Your ‘big government’ statements are ridiculous. Your Anti-federalism supports free-market corporate control of the people AND government [see how many Senators are paid off] and the sad truth is that corporate America runs and buys the political arm. The housing problem was created by free-market enterprising by lenders who profited from middle class workers.
The healthcare reform proposals are not socialized medicine, so comparison with Great Britain is a moot point.
Illness care rationing for profit by the Healthcare industry ensures rates and coverage set at any rate the company decides to charge you.
Become ill, and you’ll find out how supportive your insurer will be.
Posted by: gus amaral | September 2, 2009, 9:01 pm 9:01 pm
The current “reform” bills contain huge direct payoffs to the unions. Then when the money has been completly sucked out, these unions will abdicate their responsability for pension health care to the government single payer plan. We’re talking hundreds of billions of cost to taxpayers directly benefiting unions. Of course they are for it.
Posted by: lakelevel | September 3, 2009, 10:32 am 10:32 am
….”one small step for Healthcare Reform,one big step for “Employee Choice” to be resuscitated.” It is sooo cute how this White House will sell anything…including their souls…to keep Obama above water. We are getting wise to it, gang.
Posted by: justj joey | September 3, 2009, 11:48 am 11:48 am
Americans live in two different worlds. Some of us live in a country where facts matter and informs how we think about issues. Others, like some on this comment line, don’t care what the truth is.
The public option is the only proven way to reduce costs and cover all Americans. Why? Because where the government involves itself in health care, it puts access and the health of the patient first. Private insurers, and frankly, for profit health care providers, only exist to make money. Period. If they can’t make profits, they’ll close. Our economic system is based on this, right?
So, how should the gov’t involve itself? If we had “socialized” medicine for everyone, we would give all americans the health care that veterans receive, through the VA hospitals. Let’s be clear, the government provides the health care through gov’t owned hospitals and gov’t paid doctors, nurses, and medical staff. Guess what? Veterans love it!
The other option is to keep private healh care providers but get rid of the insurance companies and replace it by one single insurance provider, namely, the U.S. gov’t. This is called Single payer. Under single payer, the health care industry remains private, but is reimbursed by a single payer-the gov’. We definitely would keep costs down because why? Because the insurance industry would disappear along with their crazy profits and CEO salaries. This is Medicare. Medicare covers americans 65 and older. Ask any Medicare recipient what they think of the program. Even the wing nuts at the town halls say “keep the gov’t off my medicare”. These folks are confused.
But these options are not even being considered, even though they should. What the AFL-CIO is asking for is to keep everything the way it is now. Private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, etc. AND private health insurance. Except add a public option on insurance. That is it. Remember, it is a public OPTION, NOT MANDATORY.
Why is the right wing freaking out about this? Because the public option would force private companies to find ways to keep their costs and premiums down, otherwise, individuals and employers would abandon the private companies and choose the PUBLIC OPTION. This would help keep prices down. This is easy to understand.
Who would have thunk it-in the center of world-wide capitalist hell, the country, whose capitol is named after an extreme free market ideology, The Washington Consensus, which by the way, is the cause of our current world economic disaster, is afraid of competition.
So yes, I support Richard Trumka’s statement that the public option is essential. If you want real health care reform, at least we should give all americans the choice to excercise the a public option.
Posted by: Eddie | September 3, 2009, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm