VICTOR JOECKS: The many problems with the public option

When compared to “Medicare for All,” the so-called “public option” sounds like a moderate alternative. Don’t be fooled. It’s just a slower way to get to single-payer health care.

Democratic presidential candidates fall into two camps on health care. Candidates such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren support Medicare for All. That approach would outlaw private insurance, forcing 160 million off their current plans and onto Medicare. Government would be responsible for paying everyone’s health care bills. There’s always an appeal to “free stuff,” but the price tag — $32 trillion over 10 years — is staggering. For context, the federal government will spend $4.5 trillion this year, which will result in a $1.1 trillion deficit.

There’s a reason it’s called socialized medicine. The government would be in charge of distributing health care. It would set payment rates for doctors and hospitals. If you wanted surgery, you’d have to wait for the approval of a government bureaucrat.