Grayson Introduces Public Option Act

Image via Wikipedia

Credit where credit is due,

Congressman Alan Grayson, (D-Orlando), today introduced a bill (H.R. 4789) which would give the option to buy into Medicare to every citizen of the United States.  The “Public Option Act,” also known as the “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act,” would open up the Medicare network to anyone who can pay for it.

Congressman Grayson said, “Obviously, America wants and needs more competition in health coverage, and a public option offers that.  But it’s just as important that we offer people not just another choice, but another kind of choice.   A lot of people don’t want to be at the mercy of greedy insurance companies that will make money by denying them the care that they need to stay healthy, or to stay alive.  We deserve to have a real alternative.”

I was pretty incredulous about Grayson’s “Republicans want you to die quickly” comments last year in that I thought they were incendiary and wound up dragging Democrats down to the Republicans’ “death panels!” level. But this move strikes me the kind of bold step that Democrats could really use right now.

Whether you agree with the idea of public optin or not, I think its fair to say that the tepid approach has not been fairing well for Democrats to date.   And for those who think that Grayson’s move is all hat no cattle, it is worth noting, if only anecdotally, that having seen all we’ve seen through the health care reform debate, were I in a position where I had to choose between a private and pubicly funded plan I would without question opt for the public plan and would be pissed if I didn’t have that option.