U.S. Government insurance as good as private

Private, Public Health Plan Subscribers Rate Plans Similarly - Gallup Poll:

A Gallup analysis of historical data finds only a slight difference in how Americans with Medicaid or Medicare versus those with private insurance plans rate the quality of care they receive, and no difference in how the two groups rate their coverage.

These results are based on aggregated interviews with more than 3,000 U.S. adults, conducted in the 2006-2008 Gallup annual November Healthcare surveys. These include interviews with 1,753 Americans who have a private insurance plan and 1,049 who receive insurance through a government plan such as Medicare or Medicaid.

According to the data, more than 8 in 10 Americans rate the quality of care they receive as excellent or good, regardless of the type of plan they have. Although slightly more privately insured individuals (87%) than Medicare or Medicaid recipients (82%) rate their quality of care as excellent or good, the percentage giving their plan an excellent rating is the same for both groups (38%).

The next piece of data we need to see is the relative cost, per capita, of the public plans vs. private. I am looking for that data. In any event, all the doomsayers about public health insurance are apparently not talking to the people covered by those plans. Indeed, a large part of what they are saying is self-contradictory: To those with private insurance: "Look out! The government is trying to take away the private insurance you love and put you on crappy government insurance!" To those on Medicare: "Look out! The government is trying to take away the government insurance you love!" Which is it guys? (And then there's what they're saying to those without insurance: "F$%k you".)