New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg says government would be a predator, not a competitor, if the overhaul of the nation’s health care system includes a public option.
Some of the proposals being negotiated in Congress include a new government plan for people who aren’t covered at work or whose job coverage is too expensive. Gregg argues that will inevitably lead to a single-payer system in which government covers everyone, and short of that, will result in the government controlling prices and delaying or rationing care.
The Republican senator faced a mostly friendly audience Thursday at a Salem senior center. But to avoid being accused of calling on only supporters, he had an audience member select questioners.