Why is the option so strongly opposed by some including Public Citizen?
Those on the right see the public option as a way to get government more involved in the health care market. Senator Judd Gregg (R- New Hampshire) for example, feels that many Republicans view a public plan as “a stalking horse for a single-payer system.” Because they see any public plan as a way to undermine the private insurance market, they are opposed to the public option. Some see the public plan as an entering wedge for a single-payer system which would provide uniform coverage to everyone. Interestingly, those who favor private insurance are afraid that private carriers would not be able to compete against a government plan, and that the latter would therefore prevail, ultimately becoming the nation’s sole health insurer. At the same time, the public option is also strongly opposed by those who, like the Public Citizen Health Research Group, advocate for a single-payer system. The argument here is that the public option will not be able to exert enough leverage to control costs
