Senate health bill will embrace 'public option'

[rightwinger]

Reid: Health care bill to include public option - USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON — A Senate health care bill being crafted behind the scenes will include a government-run insurance program that would allow individual states to opt out of it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.
The latest iteration of the "public option," which would require state governments to decide by 2014 whether to take part, is intended to soothe opposition to one of the most controversial provisions in the broader effort to revamp the nation's health care system.

"I think it's the fairest way to go," Reid said, adding that he has sent the proposal to the Congressional Budget Office to determine its cost. "It's something I believe all the national polls show a wide majority of Americans" support.

 

[ihopehefails]

Reid: Health care bill to include public option - USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON — A Senate health care bill being crafted behind the scenes will include a government-run insurance program that would allow individual states to opt out of it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.
The latest iteration of the "public option," which would require state governments to decide by 2014 whether to take part, is intended to soothe opposition to one of the most controversial provisions in the broader effort to revamp the nation's health care system.

"I think it's the fairest way to go," Reid said, adding that he has sent the proposal to the Congressional Budget Office to determine its cost. "It's something I believe all the national polls show a wide majority of Americans" support.

Hooray deathboards! Hooray free stuff from the government! Hooray!

 

[Political Junky]

States can opt out, and good luck with their representatives being reelected if they do.

The Associated Press: Senate health bill will embrace 'public option'

Senate health bill will embrace 'public option'
By DAVID ESPO (AP) – 17 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — Health care legislation heading for the Senate floor will give millions of Americans the option of purchasing government-run insurance coverage, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday, although he stopped short of claiming the 60 votes needed to pass a plan steeped in controversy.
Reid, D-Nev., said individual states would have the choice of opting out of the program.
<more>

 

[Oddball]

Yeah....They'll be able to "opt out" like they were in the imposing of insurance laws, seat belt laws, speed limits, lowering the BAC to .08.....

Wanna buy a bridge, anyone?

 

[Article 15]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


errrrrrrrrrrrrrged.

~A15

(it's fun if you say it like you are shifting imaginary gears)

 

[obama2ndterm]

1. there is no deathboards.
2. There is no free health care..
3. Try snd hsve a clue, before you open your mouth!

 

[The Rabbi]

Gee, Reid again demonstrating that he doesn't get it.
What a pitiful attempt at a compromise. I suspect he will just piss off both sides.
The bill is dead. The GOP won't vote for it, except for some turncoats like Snowe. And a lot of conservative Dems won't go for it either.
And Reid's career is done come 2010.

 

[JakeStarkey]

This is a brillant political move by Reid. If it passes and survives the House (it assuredly would), then the GOP in the conservative states would have to face voters who all of sudden will be paying attention far more closely than ever before. Yelling "Iraq" and waving the flag will not save the conservatives on this one. What an incredibly smart try by Reid.

 

[Ame®icano]

Gee, Reid again demonstrating that he doesn't get it.
What a pitiful attempt at a compromise. I suspect he will just piss off both sides.
The bill is dead. The GOP won't vote for it, except for some turncoats like Snowe. And a lot of conservative Dems won't go for it either.
And Reid's career is done come 2010.

 

[ihopehefails]

States can opt out, and good luck with their representatives being reelected if they do.

The Associated Press: Senate health bill will embrace 'public option'

Senate health bill will embrace 'public option'
By DAVID ESPO (AP) – 17 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — Health care legislation heading for the Senate floor will give millions of Americans the option of purchasing government-run insurance coverage, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday, although he stopped short of claiming the 60 votes needed to pass a plan steeped in controversy.
Reid, D-Nev., said individual states would have the choice of opting out of the program.
<more>

My state is already going to opt out of it so what difference does it make if they put that provision in there since we already have that power to nullify anyways.

 

[Old Rocks]

Reid: Health care bill to include public option - USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON — A Senate health care bill being crafted behind the scenes will include a government-run insurance program that would allow individual states to opt out of it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.
The latest iteration of the "public option," which would require state governments to decide by 2014 whether to take part, is intended to soothe opposition to one of the most controversial provisions in the broader effort to revamp the nation's health care system.

"I think it's the fairest way to go," Reid said, adding that he has sent the proposal to the Congressional Budget Office to determine its cost. "It's something I believe all the national polls show a wide majority of Americans" support.

Hooray deathboards! Hooray free stuff from the government! Hooray!

Hooray for idiots. We are all cheering for you, Fails.

 

[GHook93]

With a strong Democrat majority in both the house and senate and a liberal in the white house, ubetchya!

Rightwinger don't put your hopes in the bluedogs, they will fall in line, because after all they are called dogs for a reason - cough cough obedience cough cough!

If the libs win this expect them to win 2010!

 

[Political Junky]

Gee, Reid again demonstrating that he doesn't get it.
What a pitiful attempt at a compromise. I suspect he will just piss off both sides.
The bill is dead. The GOP won't vote for it, except for some turncoats like Snowe. And a lot of conservative Dems won't go for it either.
And Reid's career is done come 2010.

Get back to us on that. Any con that opts out of the public option for his state will lose his next election.
A brilliant move by the Democrats.

 

[Zoom-boing]

The "public option" is dangerous not for what it might do but for what it allows the politicians not to do.

From the start, the Obama administration has said that health-care reform has to make health care both more accessible and less costly . If Congress does the first without the second -- guarantees a new entitlement without controlling costs -- it will bankrupt us, because health-care costs are rising faster than the overall economy is growing.

So far, though, that seems to be where Congress is headed, for two reasons: First, no one knows for sure how to control costs; and, second, the reforms that are likeliest to work are politically unpalatable.

What are those reforms? The most logical big thing Congress could do would be to tax, as income, the value of the health-care benefits Americans receive from their employers. By not doing so, the government forgoes $250 billion in revenue every year -- effectively, its second-biggest health expense after Medicare. It discriminates against people who have to buy insurance on their own. And it encourages overuse of health care, which drives up costs.

If employees had to pay taxes on their plan, they might opt for one that cost, say, $12,000 per year rather than $16,000, and push to receive the difference in wages. The government could use the revenue to subsidize health insurance for those who need help.

But many unions oppose this change, because they fear it would jeopardize their members' hard-won benefits, and so Democrats won't go for it. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) embraced the idea as presidential nominee and was irresponsibly attacked for it by his opponent. Now Republicans oppose it so that, were President Obama to embrace it even in part, they could beat him up for retreating from his foolish campaign promise to reform health care without raising taxes on anyone but the rich.

The second big thing Congress could do would be to cede its power to regulate the minutiae of Medicare coverage. Cost control will come from a series of changes, adjusted and readjusted over time, in how physicians and other providers are reimbursed and what they are reimbursed for. Such decisions should be made based on evidence of what works and what doesn't.

But all such changes make one interest group or another -- urologists, MRI operators, oxygen tank manufacturers -- unhappy. They go to Congress, and Congress blocks the changes. Now Congress is being asked to cede both power and a reliable fundraising source. And -- surprise! -- it doesn't much like that idea.

Rest of article:
washingtonpost.com

 

[Zander]

Reality Check!!! This bill will NEVER get through the Senate with a public option. It is KABUKI theater for morons. Reid simply does not have the votes. Democrats are the only ones stopping this. If Reid had the votes why isn't it done already? Not gonna happen....

 

[JakeStarkey]

Yet the Phillies beat on your beloved Dodgers. The Pubs are going to let you down as well, Zander. Might as well get ready for it.

 

[Zander]

Yet the Phillies beat on your beloved Dodgers. The Pubs are going to let you down as well, Zander. Might as well get ready for it.

For the Dodgers, there's always next year!!! For this legislation, those words are appropriate too! You can always keep trying, but this bill is not passing anytime soon.

 

[Zoom-boing]

How will the CBO assess the costs if they don't know which states would opt out?

 

[The Rabbi]

Yet the Phillies beat on your beloved Dodgers. The Pubs are going to let you down as well, Zander. Might as well get ready for it.

For the Dodgers, there's always next year!!! For this legislation, those words are appropriate too! You can always keep trying, but this bill is not passing anytime soon.

Sooner will a camel pass through the eye of a needle than Reid will have 60 votes in the Senate to pass this turd.

 

[The Rabbi]

How will the CBO assess the costs if they don't know which states would opt out?

They did a pretty good job estimating costs even before there was legislative language in place. I'd imagine they can pull some rabbit out of a hat. Probably assume that everyone signs up for it but only 2 states make any claims on the policies.