By Todd Smyth:
The “Public Option” for healthcare insurance was a distraction, promoted several years ago by the insurance industry, to keep people from supporting a single-payer system. Pres. Barack Obama actually dropped his support for a public option in February 2010 and throughout the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Wendell Potter was vice president of corporate communications for CIGNA until he resigned in 2008 and began speaking out against his former industry’s practices. While at CIGNA, he helped craft the propaganda around “socialized medicine” and “government-run health care” to scare people away from supporting a single-payer system. They also used frames like “public option,” “choice” and “competition” to protect the status quo but would never have allowed a public option to pass. Potter later wrote “Deadly Spin – How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans.”
Linked here is a more recent and short 18 minute video interview, audio podcast and transcript of Potter explaining why a “Public Option” or fixing ACA or “Medicare for All Who Want It,” will not work, because the system it would be connected to, is already collapsing. Democratic presidential candidates, like Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, who are pushing a public option are repeating a fraud created by the insurance industry.
“What Biden is doing is showing that at least the establishment Democrats are still very much beholden to Wall Street and to big corporate interests.” — Wendell Potter
Yes, many people are scared by the fear mongering around “Medicare for All” but too many people already understand that fear mongering, comes from the insurance industry. We cannot beat Donald Trump with a fraud. Please watch, listen and/or read a dose of reality about the debate over healthcare and please stop repeating the propaganda.
Without Medicare for All, the Healthcare System Will Collapse
Todd Smyth canvasses regularly as a precinct captain and member of Lee District Democratic Committee. He is an instructional designer and e-learning specialist.
Main image: The USA spends more on healthcare and has worse outcomes than any other industrialized country, according to OECD data
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