The Public Option's Unfair Advantage? Gov't Bailouts

The Public Option's Unfair Advantage? Gov't Bailouts
Cato Institute - Cato Institute
Supporters claim a new "government option" would compete on a level playing field with private health insurance. But a new lawsuit belies that claim.Since 1993, the Social Security Administration has effectively coerced seniors into enrolling in Medicare by decreeing that those who opt out of Medicare for private insurance must forfeit all Social Security benefits, past and future. Last month, a federal court acknowledged that federal law requires no such thing and that SSA conjured that requirement out of thin air "without public notice and comment."Kent Masterson Brown and Michael F. Cannon explain the relevance of Hall v. Sebelius to today's health reform debate.