Obama Concedes Shortcomings of Obamacare, Proposes ‘Public Option'

President Obama is urging Congress to revisit a public option for Obamacare in parts of the country where coverage is limited in an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Obama noted that while 88 percent of enrollees live in counties with at least three insurers, a large number of Americans live in areas with only one or two insurers.

“Some parts of the country have struggled with limited insurance market competition for many years, which is one reason that, in the original debate over health reform, Congress considered and I supported including a Medicare-like public plan,” Obama wrote. “Now based on experience with the [Affordable Care Act], I think Congress should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited.”

“Adding a public plan in such areas would strengthen the Marketplace approach, giving consumers more affordable options while also creating savings for the federal government,” he added.

While Obama touted the progress his signature health care law has made and referred to it as “the most important health care legislation enacted” since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, he noted some of the law’s shortcomings while suggesting ways to remedy them.

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