This appeal is not just some BS request. I literally mean it. The Democrats are losing the health care debate right now. The Republicans and the insurance companies have stirred up lies and fear and are succeeding.

The main issue centers around the idea of a “public option”, which would be a government owned and operated health insurance company. The reason for this is to create a company that will compete with existing insurance companies, forcing them to provide better care and lower their costs. Such an entity already exists for seniors, Medicare, and it works really well.

Republicans are claiming that this entity will put private insurance companies out of business and will put the government in charge of health decisions -  for example deciding whether someone gets a treatment or not. Currently, that happens to be how it is with all insurance companies, including Medicare.

As for putting insurance companies out of business, the US government and state governments currently have organizations that compete with private industry. State universities have not put private universities out of business and have allowed many more people the opportunity to get an education. The U.S. Postal Service competes with FedEx and UPS.

Right now, Republicans are trying to kill the public option. They claim that that is their only objective, that they would be open to health care reform if only the public option was removed. The truth is that their goal is to reject as much health care reform as possible because they want to hobble the president and win back seats in the Congress.

You are not going to change the mind of any Republican representatives, which is okay, because health care reform can be passed without most of them onboard. Unfortunately, there are fiscally conservative Democrats and weak kneed Democrats who are resisting the public option. Many of these people are up for reelection next year.

So, I’m begging all of you to please call your local representatives or state senator’s offices, and tell them not to back down and that you support the public option and believe that it is the only way that health care costs will be brought down, as there is currently no mechanism in the health care system to incentivize it to do so.

Find your congressman using this website:

whoismyrepresentative.com

Please take a few minutes to call and briefly tell whoever answers that the public option is essential.

And please, reblog this, don’t just “like” it.  Thanks.