- ‹ previous
- 546 of 2798
- next ›
Healthcare Bleg
On the flight home from Pittsburgh I sat next to Jane Hamsher and we chatted about healthcare reform. Our conversation got me wondering about something.
As you may know, there's a group of liberal Democrats in the House who are threatening to vote against any bill that doesn't include a public option. 
Obviously they're hoping that this threat will be enough to force the conference committee to include a public option in its final report.
But even if this works, no one thinks that such a bill can get 60 votes in the Senate. This means the only way to pass it would be via reconciliation.
So here's my question: supposing this happens, what are we likely to lose if we go down the reconciliation road? The basic rule is that anything that doesn't affect the budget is off limits and would have to be discarded, but in practice only an expert could tell us which provisions are likely to fall foul of the reconciliation rules. So who's an expert on this kind of thing? I don't have a clue. But before I decide what I think of this whole idea, I'd sure like to have a better sense of what I'm likely to get out of it. On one side, I lose the public option but the rest of the bill has a pretty good chance of passing. That's straightforward. On the other side, I get a bill that includes a public option but loses a bunch of other stuff that can't survive reconciliation. Like, say, community rating, which I suspect doesn't have enough budgetary impact to stay intact. Ditto for just about everything else that reforms the private sector insurance industry.
So this is kind of a bleg. Who knows enough about this stuff to give us the lay of the land? If I have a choice between a bill that ditches the public option vs. a bill that keeps the public option but ditches a bunch of other stuff, which is better? It all depends on what the "other stuff" is. If anyone has any idea how to go about figuring this out, let me know in comments.
The left/lib/progressosphere
The left/lib/progressosphere is torqued about the Public Option because it has long been seen as the Trojan Horse to eliminate the private insurance industry, and thus get defacto single payer, since no other payers would be left standing. This is the holy graail, and taking away the cup makes heads explode.
Yes, my head may explode
I should not be angry about that?
SecularAnimist - I'm
SecularAnimist - I'm actually the one who wrote the phrase you're submitting to a reality check; Mr Ellis was responding to me. And yes, I know. But I also know some of the Ditto-Heads rather well, and however manufactured and indoctrinated they may be - they really think that. Or feel it, or both. Amazing, ain't it?
Know When To Quit
The Dems need to be ready to call the whole thing off, blame the Republicans, and say they'll be back next year. Get out on the stump and explain to the American people what's in the reform.
The Republicans can make false claims about what's in the reforms because we don't really know. You can't expect Democrats to shout noisily in favor of something we don't understand.
Whether it's a romance, a land purchase, whatever, we're very close to the point where a reasonable person says "Let's think it over- try another year without reform and see how you feel then".
Much better than a "compromise" bill that subsequently becomes "the Democrats failed attempt to reform health care".
No public option, no reform
I worked hard as a volunteer to get President Obama elected. I even lost my job because my Republican boss did not like that I wrote letters to the editor and made phone calls and so on. I helped the President win Salem County NJ, a county that has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate probably since Reconstruction. Barack Obama is president because of people like me who sacrificed to make him president, giving money we didn't have to spare, and losing our jobs for our political values.
So now I find out that the President is publicly saying that a public option is not necessary for health care reform? The public option is a compromise! We should be extending Medicare to all Americans. The public option is the compromise to quell talks of socialism or whatever lies and nonsense Republicans spout. Let's be clear. IF THERE IS NO PUBLIC OPTION, THERE IS NO REFORM! Stop trying to appease Republicans and stand up for what's right! We didn't sacrifice to put you in office so you could negotiate away our best interests for the sake of bipartisanship that only the President seems to value. The Republicans don't care about bipartisanship! They only want the President to fail. And it is sad to see that they are succeeding.
If no reform is passed, or if something called reform is passed that does not at least have a public option, then I will not vote for the president again and I will do everything in my power to ensure he loses his bid for re-election. I would rather have an evil Republican who is honest about his loyalties to big business, then a cowardly Democrat who doesn't have the courage to stand up for what he knows to be right.
Health care is a moral issue, not a partisan one! Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are impossible if I can't see a doctor or get a procedure that is necessary for my health and life. Congress passed a bill providing health care to wild horses, why won't they pass a bill providing health care to tax-paying citizens?
This president has disappointed me on many policy decision reversals. He was for one thing during the campaign and now for something different in the White House. I will not be disappointed on this issue. If the president cannot get this done, then he does not deserve to be president. And he will never have my vote, support, or confidence ever again.
Updated 16 hours ago · Comment · Like / Unlike
Questions
Some question I've not seen addressed by the proponents of Health Coops -- What happens when someone moves out of the area, will they lose their insurance like they do at present with the Wall Street run health system? How do coops differ from HMOs where our access to doctors is extremely limited? Has anyone clearly defined what a health coop would look like? What keeps it from going "for profit"? What assures us that the coops will put pressure on the Wall Street system?
If there needs to be regulations to keep coops in line, why not just let the government backed system be an option in the first place? What the hell is wrong with giving us a choice -- public or non-public. Is the American citizenry too dumb to choose?
First Things First
As I understand it , the Public option would be a quasi Medicare insurance the public could choose instead of the Corporate insurance and would have rates the low income can afford . This is the part the insurance Corporations do not want to get life because it competes with them and with the lower rates could if enacted lure most of the population . The other parts of the bill being waved around in Congress has rules against denying insurance , pre-existing ailments , and some other rules regulating the insurance Corporations . This is what the President was refering to when he made the "sliver" statement . But since this is a conversation about a reconciliation decision ; from my view with just the insurance Corporation rules alone insurance rates could continue to rise leaving many without insurance . The fact that the public option rates would be affordable would allow many more people to have insurance and the Corporate insurance industry would have to keep rates low enought to attract customers . Also if a person is dropped or denied by the Corporation they would have help in the public option . I vote Public Option .
Under The Radar
Something never mentioned by the media is that the insurers and members of Congress are a family . Many of the members have relatives working for or in the insurance industry . Many of the lobbyist are ex-members of Congress and friends of the now members . Many of the members expect to be involved with the insurance industry upon leaving Congress . And as we all know there are many checks floating in the pockets of the members . Shortly after Cspan installed cameras the insurers were seen walking around on the floor of Congress handing out checks . Somebody noticed and a lot of people made a lot of noise . So Congress took out the old rule book and wrote in "Rule #1. No handing our checks in the view of Cspan cameras" . Just imagine Senator C.D. walking into his house and meeting a mad wife after he just scuttled the insurance industry .
I heard a speaker say the
I heard a speaker say the public option has been stripped of so much it is worthless by the lobbyist and their friends in Congress . All with the consent of the Dems . There are other parts of the same bill or set of bills with laws regulating the insurance industry which may now be more beneficial to many Americans than the public option . In other words : The Dems have given away the kitchen sink . Anyone for single payer ?
Are you planning to find
Are you planning to find Cheap UGGS online?UGG has created a new series of UGG Classic Tall Boots which are approximate to the mid-calf.These boots are made of the first-hand sheepskin which touches comfortable but also feels warm.UGG Classic Mini Sale collection is available in limited colors,such as metallic gold and metallic pewter.