Public Option

Our health care system is plagued my monopoly profits. Without competitive discipline, that you have in most businesses, profits are bound to rise, sometimes to great heights. Also, efficiencies become slack. That may explain why hospitals get into trouble with staph infections, surgical errors etc.

  Much of the health care dispute has revolved around the “public option.” The public option would provide an insurance source for purchasers, other than a private carrier. Opponents to the public option say they will be driven out of business by the unfair advantages of the government insurance. There are doubters to their position.

  I would perfer an option that did not involve the government, if one can be found. However, monopolies cannot be tolerated. monopolies choke off our free enterprise system.

  Local and regional power companies are monopolies. Yet, they are operated and regulated by governments. Although they have private owners or investors, each community has a board to set policy. Of course, this does not work as efficiently as a true competitive system. Electrical power is what is deemed a “natural monopoly”. A true competitive system for electric power generation is logistically unworkable!

  During the depression the Tennessee Valley Authority, a government owned power enity, covering parts of 7 states was created by Congress. People in our region justified the socialistic TVA for flood control, as well as economic development.  A less recognized selling point for Congress was that TVA would provide a “measuring stick” to find out the true cost of electric power generation. President Roosevelt distrusted the charges that private monopoly power companies were inflicting on their customers.

  Does health care, a functional monopoly, not need a “measuring stick? ”

  Currently, in our health care debate, the health providers are pouring money into legislative-writing committees. Committees, such as the Senate Finance are deluged with lobby’s and money, to head off  a meaningful solution.

  If politicians allow insurance companies and health providers to write the health legislation, prepare for an unaffordable mess. A mess that will have to be scrapped, maybe in short order.