Health Care Experts Discuss the Costs and Consequences of a “Public Plan”
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Health Care Experts Discuss the Costs and Consequences of a “Public Plan”
Launch of “Hands Off My Health” Spotlights Risks of Government-run Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 24, 2009) - Health care experts joined with the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest-Advance (CMPI-Advance) today to launch the “Hands Off My Health” campaign to better inform Americans about the potential ramifications of government-run health care. “Hands Off My Health” will emphasize that the goal of health care reform should be better health, not the creation of a government run health plan. “We have forgotten that health care is our children and our families’ well-being, not about who wins or loses inside the Beltway.” said Dr. Robert Goldberg, President of CMPI-Advance. “Over 80 percent of Americans are happy with their health care. The goal of reform should be to give people affordable choices of coverage that reward doctors, individuals and plans for promoting health and preventing disease. Government run health plans don’t control costs, they just ration care. It would be wrong to limit the choices and innovations that reduce the incidence of disease to pay for a government run plan.
The goal of “Hands Off My Health” is to go beyond the rhetoric surrounding the public plan and shift focus to promoting choices and innovations that encourage prevention and wellness. While advocates claim that a government-run health plan will promote competition and save money, it could also lead to the loss of private coverage for over 119 million Americans, and will still cost taxpayers $2 trillion over ten years. Meanwhile, private plans that encourage personalized medicine, prevention and consumer responsibility are investing in long term health instead of short term savings that leave people sicker and more expensive to treat.
To learn more about the Hands Off My Health campaign, please visit www.handsoffmyhealth.org. Additional information on the pitfalls of government-run health care, including restricted patient choice, inferior quality of care and stifling innovation, please visit www.publicplanfacts.org and www.biggovhealth.org.
Stay Informed
Dear Congress members,
Like so many Americans, I’m worried about my health care. My gravest concern is the so-called public plan “option.” Government intervention doesn’t create competition, it kills it. I don’t want the longer waits, rationed care, and higher costs that accompany government-run plans. Everyone agrees that reform is needed. What we don’t need is a massive $1 trillion government program that co-opts our health care and leaves us with fewer choices
The cost of the public plan is high
Watch our video to learn more about the dangers of the public plan option.
