Health Analyst Says There Are Better Ways To Expand Health Coverage Than Public Option

Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute gives recommendations for alternatives to the public option.

"If you reform the tax treatment to employer sponsored health insurance so that workers can control the $10,000 of their earnings that employers now control, and they can take that money and buy secure coverage from any source," said Cannon. "If you let people purchase insurance from across state lines, that could cover one third of the uninsured, without any new taxes or new government subsidies." (0:29)
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Health Analyst Warns Public Option Will Take Over Market Place, Even With Opt-Out Provision

Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, says that even with the opt-out provision, the public option will dominate the health insurance marked.

"It doesn't matter when states have to exercise their opt-out method, and whether there's an opt-in or opt-out method, it will take over the market place." (0:37)
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Trigger Option Will Set Unattainable Goals For Private Insurance, Says Health Care Analyst

Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, denies that the trigger option is a fair compromise in the health care reform debate.

"The trigger option will set unrealistic, unattainable goals for private insurance, with the expectation that private insurance will not be able to meet it," Cannon told TRNS. "It's not a question of whether the trigger will be pulled, as when it will be pulled." (0:38)
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Health Analyst Calls Public Option A "Ruse"

Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute blasted the public option Tuesday as a "ruse."

"The President and his allies in Congress want to create a new government run option for people under 65, but it's not a public option because the program will drive private insurers out of business, despite offering an inferior product," said Cannon. "What they call a public option is not really an option. So it's a 'ruse.'" (0:42)
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Health Analyst Calls State Opt-Out Provision "Political Suicide"

Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, condemned the recently proposed opt-out provision added the public option as 'political suicide' for state officials.

"What Governor or state official is going to say, 'I know you're tax dollars are subsidizing this government program, but I'm not going to let you get your tax dollars back by participating in that program?' That would be political suicide for state officials," Cannon told TRNS (0:42)
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