The Office of the Speaker explains "First of all, under our bill, no one can ever be forced onto a government-run health plan. Under our bill, the public health insurance plan is available to all those using the Exchange. All those using the Exchange will have a choice of options, various private plans, as well as the public plan. If an employer is providing their employees health insurance through the Exchange, it is the employee, not the employer, choosing the plan. Under the bill, in the first two years of the Exchange, small employers may participate; in later years, the Administration has the discretion to permit larger employers to participate but there is no timeline for this participation.
Second, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts the number of Americans in private insurance plans will actually increase under the bill, rather than millions being forced out of private plans and into a public plan.
Thirdly, the nonpartisan CBO has estimated that, by 2019, about 9 or 10 million Americans, or 90 million fewer Americans than claimed by Republican Leader Boehner, will be enrolled in the public plan. CBO projects that two-thirds using the Exchange will choose a private plan, not the public plan. Even if more Americans end up choosing the public plan, it will be their choice, no one can force them into the plan."
