Would the Co-Op Wyden-Bennett Health Reform Plan Work in Place of the Pubic Option?

Dr. Howard Dean said many times on cable channels except FOX that we had experience with co-ops and they don't work because their cost structure is very similar to our current Healthcare system because the same monopolistic Healthcare corporations are involved. Even when the co-ops become non-profit as Blue Cross Blue Shield tried but got eaten alive by the for profit companies. Remember non-profits have the same management structure with highly paid executives.

A better option is government Medicare option including bargaining for drugs which President Obama favors where prices can be kept down by bargaining for drugs and not having the large overhead. Medicare costs about 3 percent although I have heard both 3 and 4 percent by Howard Dean and 2 percent by others. Let's say it costs 3 percent verses about 20% for corporate healthcare now.

President Obama should be more upfront that the corporations will gradually start dropping healthcare for their employees because the profit motive prevails overwhelmingly. Since they fire employees even if they are making record profits to get their stocks even higher so corporate executives can cash in on their Options. So Obama is providing $$ incentives for employers to keep insuring their employees.

We should gradually move to a Medicare Option in a healthcare plan modeled like the Mayo Clinic and Veterans Hospital, two of the best in the country where primary care doctors and specialists work in the same place so the full force of treatment can be immediately available. This should prevent an economic disruption in the corporate Healthcare business.

For example, one patient got a one hour check up to really find out what was wrong with him in the Mayo Clinic.

Even though they do an superb and thorough job, their Medicare costs is about a third cheaper than the average. As I said before, McAllen Texas is double the Medicare average even though it is close to impossible to sue doctors successfully because the crook Representative DeLay packed the Texas Supreme Court who are elected using illegal money. So far he has avoided jail and will be dancing with the stars on television.

Wyden-Bennett (R-UT) bill is unrealistic about their expectations even though they provide generous subsidies to those under $50,000 in income. Bennett from one of the most conservative state of Utah and Staunch conservatives Senator Cooper (R-TN) and a Texas' Cornyn favor this bill It will have a very hard time controlling costs of high cost executives.

We want to keep the cost low for those who cannot afford full Health Insurance for serious illnesses from being out of job or poor which includes people with income below $50,000 which is about half the families in the USA. This is a level that the families don't have money for frills of life. Our so-called Debt economy through credit cards is rapidly being withdrawn by Banks. ... http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=674 (Executive summary and PDF link in 42 page report. Jim)