Well if you're talking about creating a "Public Option" to "compete" (unfairly) against private insurance, then the "out of control costs" will get even farther out of control, and quickly.
I'm watching C-Span right now and (D) Jim Moran is speaking at a townhall in Virginia. Representative Moran explained the "Public Option" as an expansion of Medicare/Medicaid programs. If you think modeling our National HC plan after those bankrupt programs constitutes "reform" which is an "attempt to rein in the out of control costs", then we have an irreconcilable disagreement on appropriate reform and on what constitutes a redistribution of wealth.
Do you think that is moral? I don't. Those who think they have a "moral obligation" to pay for other people to receive goods and services - at no charge - should be free to choose to donate to charities that perform these functions while those who do not feel it's their moral obligation to do so should be free to choose not to donate to such charity.
The same is true for HC insurance. If you think providing others with HC ins. is a moral obligation, then dig deep into your own wallet and make it happen by your own free will and by your own choice. What you should not do is utilize the governments monopoly on force to eliminate the free will and freedom of choice for others in order to force your morality onto them.
Depends on who's reform you're looking at, doesn't it? The Progressive's proposed system of expanding Medicare/Medicaid is an expansion of the welfare state and an expansion of the redistributive philosophy that's bankrupting the country (fiscally and morally).
That "patchwork" system was designed, implemented and is currently administrated by the government.
Why do you have faith that the same government who created the mess can effectively reform it? I'd rather have government get out of the HC business and let the free market work:
1. Remove gov. mandates on Ins. Companies that prevent them from offering affordable options, such as Catastrophic care.
2. Remove the burdensome regulations that prevent Ins. Companies from competing over state lines (the "public option" would "compete" with the Ins. Co. over state lines and not be held to the same rules and standards as the private Ins. Co.s.).
3. Tort Reform is also a badly needed reform but seeing as the trial lawyer lobby is currently the number one lobby group in Washington and they came in #2 in the 2008 election cycle (with 85% of their quarter Billion dollars worth of contributions going to Democrats), I don't see tort reform happening with the Democrats in control of Washington.
There are more but those are the top 3 reforms I'd suggest.
Capitalism too, look at how many of the small minded have drool running down their chin while blaming "unregulated" capitalism for our problems.
BTW, a "mixed" economy (our system) is a Fascist design, its the "third way" between Lassez Faire Capitalism and a Communist/Socialist style Command Economy. Under our system, the means of production are (for the most part, save some banks, ins. companies and auto makers) owned privately but regulated by the Gov. That is a Fascist economic model, adopted over a century ago before terms like Fascist and Dictator were seen in a negative light, and it was instituted by Progressives at the turn of the century.
Cmon... You can't be
that misinformed... That's a leftist talking point, pure propaganda, and not based on actual facts.
You should watch more C-Span:
Republicans Have Offered Three Alternative Health Care Reform Bills
I won't pretend to agree with all their ideas for reform but its a better direction than what the Democrats are offering.
If we allow the typical unprincipled approach of pragmatism to guide the reforms, we will find yet another square on the patchwork quilt that will require more patches to cover the holes it creates.
Blaming Ideology? I just don't get that... Do you have any principles? Are those principles worth fighting for or do you just discard, or compromise, them when faced with opposition?
So you're totally misinformed... your news source didn't inform you that the Republicans have offered 3 HC alternatives since May and that same source is leading you to believe that the opposition that gets the most media coverage constitutes "the" opposition. (Spotlight fallacy)