NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE
T
he left’s favorite idea for reforming Obamacare is a government-sponsored plan — a “public option” — that would compete against private insurers. Lawmakers introduced several public option bills earlier this year, and presidential candidate Joe Biden has embraced the concept.
Proponents claim that government-sponsored plans will charge lower premiums than private insurers. Yet, experience shows that, when competing on a level playing field, they don’t.
The United States already has some “public option” health plans, including a few available on the Obamacare exchanges.
One is MetroPlus Health Plan, a wholly owned subsidiary of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. A “public …