Deseret News | Utah lawmakers dislike Reid's public-option proposal

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Utah lawmakers dislike Reid's public-option proposal

Utah Democrats? | 7:15 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Are there Democrats in Utah to react to this development? Why doesn't the Deseret News ever try to balance its sources?

C. Brant | 7:43 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

If Utah Republicans want to be so innovative in health care reform, then do it. Go for it. The Republicans had control of the White House and Congress for years and accomplished nothing. Health insurance and health care costs skyrocketed under their watch. Now is the time to show what you've got. Utah Republicans, show us your stuff.

ojf64 | 7:58 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Again.....Take all health care benefits away from all the goverment officials and see how fast they come up with a plan when they have to live by the same rules the general public does!!

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 9:16 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Utah is only good for skiing...fly in fly out...hope you dont get injured...

Hmm | 9:23 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Maybe nobody likes Reid anymore. What a disappointment.

brody | 9:29 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

I don't understand, aren't the 10th amendment and legal, peaceful secession already opt-out clauses?

Roundy | 9:41 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

I hate that my state will be able to make such a personal decision for me. Why should my residence in Utah determine whether I have an opportunity to participate in the federal public option? I've spent the last five years using military health care and I think it provides far better care than the private insurance I held before that. For all those nay-sayers about government insurance, join the National Guard and fill out the paperwork to enroll your family. Are you in the military? Check. Are these your dependents? Check. and that's pretty much it. When my husband retires out, I would love it to be so simple again. Are you a citizen? Check.

Spoc | 9:42 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Notice that this is not an option of not buying into their plan. It is the option of inventing a state run equivalent or letting the feds run it. In either case the feds will tax you to pay for your neighbors checkups. But if you choose the state option, the state will also tax you to pay for your neighbor’s checkups and the Feds will tax you to pay for checkups in Nevada while getting nothing back in return.

That is the same kind of "opt out" they are proposing for anyone who does not want to bow down before the POTUS and buy his policy, to levy a fine against you for your disobedience, to try and make you buy into their redistribution scheme.

Is this closer to the definition of robbery or of slavery?

Anonymous | 9:59 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

"In either case the feds will tax you to pay for your neighbors checkups." Your neighbor will be paying in as much as you. This just creates a larger risk pool. It's like car insurance. We pay hoping we never total our car, but we cover the risk just in case we do. It you total your car, others pay for you to get a check to cover your lost.

to Roundy | 10:58 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Of course you like it. Someone else is paying for you!

Also, I was an intern at the capitol for several years, where do people get the idea that state legislators get free health care? FACT: they dont. They pay a premium just like you do at your work. Several hundred dollars per year in fact.

Now I am sure there will be those who dont believe this, it does not matter what you believe, because facts are facts and this is a fact. So go ahead and scream and moan all you want, but if you think the state legislators get free health care you are one thing: WRONG. Sorry. it's just a FACT

Tab L. Uno | 12:34 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Some private insurers may be afraid of the possibility of lower profits having to compete with a public option that focuses on providing low-cost medical care and having their near monopoly over health care threatened that has been in existence since 1945 when an antitrust law exemption for health insurers was put into place allowing for regional insurance companies to dominant the market.

@10:58 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

why would anyone doubt you that Utah would charge a premium for legislators to for healthcare the only thing that shocks me is that it is not several thousand dollars. The Utah government is nothing but a puppet organization anyway anyone that does not realize that is a true fool.

Experts | 6:44 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Amazing how many experts there are for a bill that has not yet been written. Brother Harry sent his kids to BYU. He is not a bad guy, let's give him a chance.

I would just like to be able to buy into the healthcare plan that Orrin and Bob Bennett have. That is not too much to ask, is it?

Anonymous | 7:27 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

It is pretty sad when Gov. Herbert is the voice of reason in all this. Who cares one bit what any Utah Republican says or thinks. Hatch deliberately walked away from being part of this months ago. No one else has any clout or influence in Washington, due to Utah marginalizing itself politically. My knock on the proposal is that there might be an opt-out. It should be a national system.

Joe | 8:52 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

This is a very miss leading article. And old news. This was news two weeks ago. However
PricewaterhouseCoopers says AHIP instructed it to analyze only "four components" of the bill. Its own admission in the study states this.

The study that they mention here was funded by the insurance industry. Come on Deseret News. Try and keep up.

Anonymous | 10:34 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Won't we pay for it anyway through federal taxes? Why not opt in?

Mowgli | 10:52 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

This is such exciting news. To think we are one step closer to having the federal government take over our health care. I can't wait until my health care is paid for by an organization which is over $10 trillion in debt and is running annual deficits of $1.5 trillion. I am quite sure that everything will be so much better when the incorruptible federal government takes over health care in the United States.

Reading is fundamental | 11:22 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

I love how these guys are reacting to a plan they haven't even seen yet. The bill has not been presented. So how can they hate it?

You Trust Reid, Obama, Pelosi? | 11:59 a.m. Oct. 27, 2009

The premise of the article is flawed. It is exceedingly clear that when Reid, Obama, Pelosi et. al. speak they are merely using words to get what they want. What happens later is unrelated to the words.

The term "public option" is just as Orwellian as Pelosi's "competitive option." Those paying attention realize that the entire purpose of such language is to get some kind of bill passed that will eventually lead to health care fully run by the government (with no other options) because it will be structured to drive out any competition.

Look at the health care shortages and low quality found in countries with government run programs. In fact, look at the shortages of swine flue vaccines distributed by this government during the current "emergency." Quick, pass health care reform today because we are in crisis, but then wait until after the 2012 election to implement it. Then its effects will not be understood until after our "Dear Leader" is re-elected.

wallofvoodoo | 12:25 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Of course they don't like it. They have their mostly government funded health plan, why sould they care if anybody else has a health plan period?

Re: Reading is Fundamental | 12:35 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

How long should the senators or representatives be given to read the bill before it is voted on? If it looks like anything like the 1,000 page document that was written by the Senate Finance comittee then it might take several days. If the final draft is ready the day before it is voted on, who is going to be able to read the bill? I suspect that most of the senators and representatives will never read the bill before they vote. Do you think this is by design? Post the bill on the internet so the people of the United States can read it. What are they afraid of?

What a joke | 12:39 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Sure you may be able to opt out but I guarantee THE FEDS WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY TO PAY FOR THE ILLEGALS AND FREELOADERS who won't do anything to pay for their own health insurance.

Just more of the government "help" nobody wants..except for the freeloaders and illegals that is.

Almost everyone wants reforms but this is trash!!!

The government is designing this reform bill so that it will cause the current private insurance system to collapse. That is their plan.

When it does the DEMOCRATS will be there waiting with the full SINGLEPAYOR SYSTEM THEY HAVE ALL WANTED ALL ALONG.

Nobama said in 2003 "a single payor system is what I want..we just may take a few steps to get there".

What a deceptive charade this is.

Our government just views us as pawns to be pushed around and used to get them more power and control over peoples lives.

I was a canadian. Been there done that. Became a citizen here just last fall. Unfortunately now this country is on its way to becoming a similar SOCIALIST CESSPOOL THAT CANADA WAS WHEN I LIVED THERE.

Very disheartening.

Health reform | 1:20 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

With such a significant impact on ALL taxpayers and health services users, the whole thing should go to the people for a vote in the form of a referendum - let the people decide. How can we trust the DC crowd when they donlt have a dog in this fight except for special interest money. I bet if they were forced to deal with health costs and insurance like the average citizen, they would do things differently, but no they have a special health plan that they get. Please don't let them take away our freedoms and dismantle our country. It's obvious that having more government control is at the top of this administration's agenda - we the people aren't smart enough to make the proper dicisions.

vote it down | 1:49 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

This Public option health care plan proposed by Reed and the Democrats will force all private plans out of business, (More job losses). Why world anyone with a private plan want to pay for his own plan plus some one else's plan which he would be doing because of the rise of his taxes. to pay for Reeds plan. Most of the American people are smarter than that. Hope its voted down.

No surprise. | 2:51 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

In further news, the sky is blue, and water is wet. Is it any surprise Utah lawmakers are complaining about a Democratic plan?

Hippocrates | 4:04 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Both senators Hatch and Bennett oppose any public option - government run insurance program - for everyone but themselves. They both are on the government run insurance program MEDICARE. What hypocrites!

Why don't they come clean and immediately give up their Medicare coverage?

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