Obama on Health Reform: The Dog That Didn't Bark - Robert Reich

[Mass]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/robert_reich/2009/05/obama-on-health-reform-the-dog.php

The only troubling thing about the President's statements today concerning health care reform was what he did not say: that he wanted a any health plan that emerges from Congress to include a public insurance option for Americans who do not want to buy private insurance. But without this option, there will be no pressure on private insurers to adopt all the other reforms to control costs or give all Americans access to affordable care.

Every other reform proposal announced to date -- electronic medical records, comparative effectiveness research, prevention of chronic disease, payments for services rather than for outcomes, and so on -- has been talked about for years. The reason none have been adopted is health providers and insurers can make more money without them. Only with a government plan that competes with private insurers, and offers Americans lower costs if the providers and insurers fail to reform themselves, will the system be genuinely reformed.

Hopefully, the President's failure to mention a public insurance option today was not intended to signal to Congress that the White House is no longer especially interested in it. The Administration should quickly inform policymakers how important this option is as a spur to real change.

Given the fact that the insurance companies are ready to many concessions just to avoid the idea they could share the pie with the govt (and not be able to compete), I am getting more and more worried by Baucus trying to get public insurance out of the picture, and Obama mentioning it (as other major Democrats) would have been an reassurance that they have not given up before even starting.

[vaberella]

1. Exactly. That was something that made me take notice. No mention of "public option"

I'm not underestimating O but I will be watching. This $2 trillion is hush money and the public option is a great program that will lead to universal health care and I don't want him shutting that down for supposedly $2 trillion.

[Fovea]

2. i would far prefer a 'no private option'

and just tell the insurance companies that they have screwed over enough people already.

[zipplewrath]

5. No problem

There's no real problem with allowing private insurance carriers as long as it isn't an excuse to under insure (and under fund) the public sector. There are many examples of this such as schools. I suspect in a final form it will be done on a state level anyway and many states will just farm out contracts to private firms to run things. Private insurance will mostly exist for the rich and as a "supplemental" insurance. Oh, and they'll have trouble competing with the public entities.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. Me too, but i doubt the Senate will go along. So plan B would be the Public Option.

[HopeOverFear]

3. I think you mean Robert, not Rovert

[Mass]

4. Corrected.

[dgibby]

7. Kathleen Sebilius just told Wolf Blitzer (CNN)

that Single Payer was not an option.

[Vinca]

9. If she's any indication of what to expect, it's going to be business as usual.

They're headed for a Massachusetts-style plan and, therefore, healthcare reform failure.

[vaberella]

12. That's actually not my understanding of it.

I think there are few changes going to made there but most people assume it's Mass version. Yet, they keep talking about some methods used in Kansas, and they do note the major problems in the Mass plan which they won't have in their plan.

[avaistheone1]

10. Wow. Is Sebellius the new Nancy Pelosi doll?

All she and Nancy can say is that everything important is "off the table".

Just what we didn't need is a new obstructionist to real progress in health care.
No wonder so many Republicans were pushing Sebellius down our throats.

BTW Sebellius is endorsed by the Business Roundtable which is made up of all the top multinational corporations in the U.S. I'll just bet they vetted Sebellius in terms of her loyalty to the dismissal of single-payer before she had any real shot at her new role. I would bank on it.

[vaberella]

11. We're not talking single payer. We're talking about the public option. n/t

[cascadiance]

13. Hmm... THAT is why Howard Dean wasn't picked!

Secret's out!

[depakid]

8. I'd rather see bite than bark

though in the end, we may see neither.