For those of you closely following the health care debates in both houses of Congress, the phrase "public option" is undoubtedly a familiar one. It is utterly misleading, however. Buried on page 16 of the 1,018 page House version of the health care legislation is a provision innocuously headed "Protection The Choice To Keep Current Coverage" is a provision prohibiting any insurance company from selling new individual health insurance policies after the bill becomes law. So, if this measure passes, everyone will be required to purchase health insurance, but health insurance will only be available by means of a group policy through your employer, or through Medicare, Medicaid, or the so called "public option" plan run by the federal government. No matter what your situation, you are prohibited from getting health insurance by means of an individual policy.
This law will be a disaster for the construction industry. How many construction companies are there out there where the owner is the only non-union employee? The owner covers his tradespeople through a union health and welfare plan, which provides them with solid gold Cadillac benefits, but he will no longer be able to buy comparable coverage for himself, because the "public option" benefit levels will never be as generous as union health and welfare plans, and private sector insurers will be prohibited by law from selling a policy to the owner. If you fall into this situation, you need to get on the phone to your Congressman right now and get this horrible provision stricken from the bill before you are forced into the government monopoly "public option" health insurance.
This law will be a disaster for the construction industry. How many construction companies are there out there where the owner is the only non-union employee? The owner covers his tradespeople through a union health and welfare plan, which provides them with solid gold Cadillac benefits, but he will no longer be able to buy comparable coverage for himself, because the "public option" benefit levels will never be as generous as union health and welfare plans, and private sector insurers will be prohibited by law from selling a policy to the owner. If you fall into this situation, you need to get on the phone to your Congressman right now and get this horrible provision stricken from the bill before you are forced into the government monopoly "public option" health insurance.
