OPINION
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How the Dems Can Save Obamacare
Keep plans private, creating gov't care 'by proxy'
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Aug 28, 09 9:41 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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Amid “widespread national revulsion,” Obamacare as it stands “is dead,” but the Democrats can revive it if they’re willing to make some key concessions, writes Charles Krauthammer—a nonpracticing physician in addition to pundit—in the Washington Post. What they must do:
- Dump the public option.
- Forget about “any reference to end-of-life counseling.”
- Don’t let government decide what procedures are best.
- Don’t treat the overhaul as a cost-cutting measure.
Democrats should create “Obamacare 2.0,” which focuses on making health care universal and strictly regulating insurers, Krauthammer argues. The plan would mean “new revenue streams” for insurers as Americans are forced to buy coverage. There’s just one “catastrophic” problem: It will mean even more “out-of-control government spending on health care,” which will eventually lead to rationing—but not before President Obama gets a big political win.