I’m still trying to understand Giffords health care stance

by

by David Safier
I keep trying to figure out where Giffords stands on health care, but I keep coming away with the feeling she doesn't want me, or anyone else, to know.

My latest search for clarification is the interview Giffords gave to Stephanie Innes at the Star. Here's the Q&A on the public option.

What do you mean by a public plan?
"A public option that a health-insurance company cannot deny you from applying to their program but you are able to have access to a cafeteria-style plan of health care. So for those 47 million Americans that have no coverage right now, that they are able either to get some subsidy through the federal government to buy into the plan, or to just directly buy into the plan to get some coverage and not be denied."

I'm a careful reader, and Giffords is very good at expressing herself clearly, but her answer here is tough for me to decipher. I'm going to take a stab at it. If I'm misinterpreting her words, feel free to correct me.

Giffords seems to be saying her definition of a public option is not a government run health care plan that would operate alongside private insurance plans. Instead it's a guarantee that anyone can get private health care insurance regardless of preexisting conditions, and if they can't afford it, the government will subsidize their premiums.

If I've read that correctly, it's a stretch to call her plan a "public option" and a misrepresentation to call it a "strong public option," a term she has used before.

Later, Giffords mentions there are a host of bills, which is true, but she avoids saying if she favors any of them. Again, she won't be pinned down.

I'll end with another part of the interview, to give Giffords another chance to explain her position, even though I don't think it sheds any more light on her views.

"We're not going to take on everyone's health insurance. So if you like what you have and are able to keep it, there will be no change. . . . At this point, there is a public option that's going to be available. But who participates, how much does it cost, how you get in, who's eligible, those things are still being discussed."

Discover more from Blog for Arizona

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

3 thoughts on “I’m still trying to understand Giffords health care stance”

  1. David is incredibly patient. Now it appears that Obama is making a deal with the pharmaceutical lobby.
    http://tr.my/223
    Perhaps we can coax some vague answer about this news out of Giffords. I will listen to her with bated breath and be in awe of this strategically smart fence-walker and remark about how such ambiguity is the sign of a brilliant strategist!

  2. I don’t understand why any true Democrat is suprised at Giffords. In her 06 campaign, she was very clear that she was not one to hold the values most of the rest of us Dems hold dear. She should be challenged by a core Dem. in 2010.

    She lacks principle and convection and continues to blow in the direction of special interest. Just take a look at her contributors. The centrist (both Dem and Rep) are a problem in that they don’t have the guts to do the right thing in fear that they will loss some votes.

  3. She redefined “public plan” as not something publicly run, but as simply not allowing insurance cos. to cherry-pick their customers so she could say she was for it. Sleazy. Kinda like how John McCain said he favored “cap and trade” during the election. I’d still trade you Giffords for Kirkpatrick.

Comments are closed.