Details Scarce on Public Option in Health Care Reform Debate

Dr. Joel Shalowitz says the impact of such an insurance option is unclear

August 26, 2009 | by Brendan Cosgrove

EVANSTON, Ill. --- As debate continues in Washington and around the country regarding health care reform, some Democratic lawmakers are indicating they would be opposed to any bill that didn’t include a public insurance option. Dr. Joel Shalowitz, professor of health industry management at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, says it is hard to estimate the potential impact of a public insurance option because information on specific proposals is scarce.