What are some statistics or a historical precedent that indicate...?

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The French system, best in the world, half the cost of what we spend per capita. Sweden, the UK, Canada, Norway, etc. may have problems, but they are all ranked above us and spend far, far less with nationalized healthcare options in one form or another. We currently get worse care for twice the cost, and the costs are mostly private insurer administrative costs....Show more

there is no 'federal health care plan'. There will be an additional plan that Americans can opt into if they want to. It isn't a 'federal plan', but a traditional plan that is simply cheaper and provides more coverage than other traditional plans. Allowing millions of people to sign up for that plan means that YOUR HMO will want to keep you as a customer, and will necessarily compete against that plan...as will all HMO's....both on benefits and cost.
The same thing happens when any small/moderate sized town gets a walmart. At first, all of the small businesses hate it and fear they will have to change their practices and close shop. Some DO change their practices, but very few ever have to close shop. In fact, MANY simply change how they do business, such as Publix chains and Kroger chains, that offer specialities and additional benefits that you can't get at any Walmart. Not only can they keep their doors open, but they also make huge profits and have higher prices based on their customers wanting something that isn't offered through the other outlets. Public school is the same way. Private schools are on the rise.....even when competing with free education. Some people want benefits that cost more, but provide a service that public schools can't provide.......book stores compete against public libraries, private security guards and cops compete against the police....

Competition is the key to any costs being lowered. But competition isn't only about lowering prices. I have no doubt that many HMO's will simply keep and/or increase their prices, but provide additional services that you cannot get through any other basic policy....Show more

More important than cost, to me, is the overwhelming evidence that federal health care plans drive down the quality of care significantly and completely eliminate freedom of my personal choices....Show more

Well, France basically has the same system (private insurance and a public option) and health care costs half as much as in the US....Show more

I have seen many things in my life . But two things I have yet to see.The government giving a true cost estimate of any project and the ability to Control costs...Show more