For those of you wondering who Kathleen Sebelius is, she is the current Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration.
(I tell you this because most people couldn't name the HHS Secretary if they had to. Her previous job garnered her equal notoriety: she is also the former Democrat governor of the Great State of Kansas.)
Secretary Sebelius appeared this weekend on CNN's "State of the Union with John King" and has caught some attention for the comments she made.
Essentially, Sebelius (which I mistype every time and have to go back and correct) echoed recent comments by President Obama and stated that insurance co-ops might be a workable solution in place of the "public option." (That is to say, "a Government health plan.")
While she's gained a lot of attention for that statement--and the White House has since distanced themselves from that comment--that isn't the most interesting or important part of what Secretary Sebelius said.
Let's see if you can parse through what she says and pick it out:
(If you are unable to view the YouTube clip embedded above, please click here.)
Sebelius shows us some of what she believes in her first answer. Here's the transcript (emphasis added):
KING: Now, some, Madam Secretary, take that as a simple statement of fact, because you don't have the votes right now in the Senate for the public option. But some in this town in Washington, especially House Democrats, more liberal Democrats who have said that is critical. That they will not support health care without a public option. They take that as a message from the president that the votes aren't there, it's time to come up with a plan B.
SEBELIUS: Well, I think, John, that the president is absolutely right. This piece of the puzzle has had enormous focus and the president continues to believe that it's good to have consumer choice, let people choose an option in the new marketplace. And it's good to have competition for the private insurers who will inherit a lot of new customers and without competition, costs could skyrocket.In a monopoly system, it's not a great way to hold down costs. So he continues to be very supportive of some options for consumers. What we don't know is exactly what the Senate Finance Committee is likely to come up. They've been more focused on a co-op, not-for- profit co- op as a competitor as opposed to a straight government-run program.And I think what's important is choice and competition. And I'm convinced at the end of the day, the plan will have both of those. But that is not the essential element.
Secretary Sebelius believes that it's "good to have competition for the private insurers" which she believes have created a "monopoly system" where there is no competition presently.
Think about that...
She believes that private businesses in competition with each other in a free market create a monopoly in health care insurance.
Who does she think they've created a monopoly against? The Federal Government.
The notion that multiple private insurance companies have a monopoly on health care insurance is ludicrous. It's a condition that, by definition, cannot exist. That's not my opinion or "spin," that's an undeniable fact. There is no "Standard Oil" of insurance companies.
But the Secretary believes that in order for the marketplace to be fair and equitable, Government needs to be in the health care business. That, in her mind, would provide choice to consumers.
The fact is, there isn't a business that can compete with the power of the Federal Government of the United States. They have an unlimited reach, an unlimited revenue stream and the power to legislate any competition out of existence. The Government could (and would) crush any private business that tried to compete with it. After all, why would someone pay for insurance when they can get it from the Government for "free."
There's a word for that kind of specific infringement on a free market business. You know what it is. Sebelius reveals something of herself and even more about the Obama Administration's position with these comments.
Don't be fooled--Obama isn't pulling anything off the table. There is no white flag and there is no trial balloon. This is nothing more than a different shade of lipstick on the same barnyard pig. They're repackaging the same plan with nothing more than spin.
Don't believe for a second that the "public option" is dead and don't let up now.
Leave a comment