Postal Letter

If the public option will create competition and lower medical costs?

Then why does the US Postal Service raise its rates every year? The USPS is the public option. Right? Why does it lose money and FedEx and UPS make money?

Public Comments

1. Because it needs to keep up with inflation. The public sector rates go up every year just like the private sector does. But the public sector is likely to be cheaper than the private sector.
2. Are you ready for this answer genius? E-MAIL. Thank you and GOOD NIGHT.
3. The public option eliminates competition and will cause costs to go up, not the other way around.
4. You must be a racist or at least think that way.
5. If public health care costs more, then why does every country with public health care pay less per capita than we do? Oh, and to answer your question: Offering people affordable health care allows them to go to the doctor instead of the emergency room, which is cheaper. period, the end.
6. You've missed the whole point I see. That's common around here!
7. Which other company delivers letters to your doorstep? Apples v oranges, you don't have a logical arguement.
8. Because their rates are so low in the first place they have to raise them all the time to cover costs. Why do you think FedEx charges $15 to send a letter cross country?
9. The CBO points out that Obamacare will RAISE costs. That SHOULD have been the end of the discussion as everyone went back to the drawing board, but by then insurance companies were drooling over requiring (unconstitutionally) 300 million people to purchase their product and Obamacare took on a Zombie life of its own. -Kevin, because they are smaller. The 29% of our country that is already on government plans is a larger population than those countries. And the rest of us pay for the insufficient payments to providers under those plans, or quality of care would drop for all. As it will if Obamacare passes.
10. Since FedEx and UPS can thrive in the presence of the USPS, why do you think private insurance companies won't thrive in the presence of a public healthcare option?
11. Good point,,,and for the record... Right now there is a not for profit insurance co. Anthem (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), in my state, I can get Mega Life for less premium and better benefits, so much for the public option, if people read more they would know that there already is a public option, who can deny no one coverage for ANY reason, and it is MORE expensive than a private company.
12. Are you seriously equating the delivery of health care and the mail. Aren't they apples and oranges.
13. FedEx and UPS strictly deliver packages, the USPS offers a service that is paid for by the tax dollar by delivering your daily mail. Your bills, letters, bank statements, etc are all delivered by USPS. If FedEx and UPS were to do that as well, their rates would increase significantly, not to mention shipping and processing each and every day which YOU WOULD pay for. USPS is losing money because they pretty much offer a service for free.
14. perhaps obamabots will use support obama and usps instead of fedex or ups if they put obama's face on the stamps?
15. In case you've been under a rock with most folks in this corrupt country, you probably have no clue that the Postal Service has been PRIVATIZED just like the V.A.
16. The postal rates are artificially lower by subsidy from the general fund. That's the shell game politicians play. That's why they want everything funneled into the general fund. It's so they can control expenditures on what they want instead of it going to what we who pay for it want.
17. FedEx charges $7.00 to send a letter the same place USPS charges 44cents.
18. Because they are not allowed to "Cherry Pick". As Fedex, UPS, DHL(oops), CIGNA, AETNA, and United Health are.
19. Your forgot to mention that the US postal service is more expensive , less reliable and less efficient than the private carriers as well. the public "option" is a power grab. It is designed to put private insurance out of business. It will be priced lower than private insurance, subsidized by tax dollars and hold private insurance to a higher standard that it doesn't have to follow. The few "cadillac" companies left standing will be extremely expensive and only affordable by the social elite. They will have excellent coverage, the rest of us will have scraps.
20. i really glad you asked . first you just admitted that a private option can coexist with private companys and they can make a profit. thank you for disposing of that argument. now to your point. a mail man friend of mine told me that with the slumping economy that the volume of mail has dropped. they are running an economy of scale with minimal profits. its not surprising at all that in a time of recession and rising fuel costs that these things could happen. so how much does fed ex charge to send a letter accross the country? the post office proves it can work here. we have too many examples of how it works overseas to doubt that it will work here. if canadians can figure it out we should be able too also.
21. I've always felt that the US Post Office should be run better, however I have to say I think they do one heck of a fabulous job getting the mail delivered. It's amazing and I commend them. What I think ought to be run better is management. I don't mind paying a few cents more for postage at all, it's remarkable that 41 cents gets a letter from one side of the country to another in only a few days, etc. What I think our government could do is make a profit. Capitalism at it's best, it could be a gold mind. Also, let's open that post office all day on Saturday and also open it until at least 7 pm on weekdays. How come they get away with such hours? But, they could be making a small profit that would help off-set our government expenses and, dare I say, lower taxes. But, getting back to health care, this is a totally differently animal. I want to ask if anyone out there is aware that in each state there is an Insurance Commissioner's office. They are our watch dog. So, if your insurance company denies a claim and you think it should be paid for, you have someplace to go and they will assign you a case number and investigate. If the government is in charge, will their own employee investigate them and fight for you, it's one hand against that other in that case. Will your medical records be at the fingertips of any government agency? Will motor vehicles tap into it to see if you are taking medications? Will your very private body parts be "out there" on those files for all to see? Will the government start dictating what drugs your doctor can and can't give you? I'm just so darned uncomfortable with it. Then, when you talk about money, it is ghastly. How can such an expensive plan be run more cheaply? If the government, like the post office, decides to be non-profit, can your employer paid medical plan compete? Particularly when the government restricts them from crossing state lines and when no Democrat will step in an try to put a stop to or at least financially cap frivolous medical law suits. I know two doctors personally who both say if this plan goes through that they will retire early. One is in his late 50s and the other early 60s and they have enough income and paid off homes to just chuck it all, they say. They don't want the hassle and feel that the won't be on top of their game if there are going to be things like this happening. So, two good doctors will just leave. How many others? Will we ever get to see a doctor on a timely basis? By the way, one of those doctor's is my family's doctor and we've seen him for over 10 years and we are all comfortable. He's the best. What a sad day it will be if he chooses to leave his practice. I've heard there is already a shortage of nurses and doctor's, how are we to deal?
22. Of course the US postal service raises its rates! Its called inflation. How would the public option not create competition? Its offering the same service but cheaper.
23. As many have said, its apples and oranges. The USPS looses money on its free letter delivery service, which makes up the bulk of its costs. Also, the "public option" is unlike the post office in that it will NOT be subsidized by the government, contrary to what many on here have said. There are several references for that fact listed here: http://thefactofmyignorance.com/politics/all-about-the-public-plan/ That link also gives several sources for the competition issue.