Senate Health-Care Draft Kills Public Option, requires most to buy private insurance

[Better Believe It]

Senate's Health-Care Draft Calls for Most to Buy Insurance, Nixes Obama's 'Public Option'
By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post
June 19, 2009

A draft proposal in the Senate to overhaul the nation's health-care system would require most people to buy health insurance, authorize an expansion of Medicaid coverage and create consumer-owned cooperative plans instead of the government coverage that President Obama is seeking.

The document, distributed among members of the Senate Finance Committee yesterday afternoon, addressed none of the funding questions that have consumed House and Senate negotiators in recent days. But it included an array of coverage provisions that were drastically scaled back from earlier versions, as lawmakers seek to shrink the bill's overall cost. The proposal, for instance, would reduce the pool of middle-class beneficiaries eligible for a new tax credit meant to make insurance more affordable.

The absence of a "public option" marks perhaps the most significant omission. Obama and many Democrats had sought a public option to ensure affordable, universal coverage, but as many as 10 Senate Democrats have protested the idea as unfair to private insurers. In its place, the draft circulated yesterday outlines a co-op approach modeled after rural electricity and telecom providers, subject to government oversight and funded with federal seed money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/18/AR2009061804053.html

The co-ops could accept federal loans for start-up operations but would have to repay the money.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1179932&format=&page=2&listingType=medical#articleFull

[quantass]

1. Woohoo..Heads I win / Tails you Lose -- Congress loves us and has done it again! Now for a beer!

i was starting to panic that congress wasn't listening. This is perfect. Now i pay more for less.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. "10 Senate Democrats protested the idea as unfair to private insurers"

Show of hands - who thinks a public option would be "unfair" to some companies who currently practice death by spreadsheet and drive those they don't kill into bankruptcy?

Waiting . . . . . Waiting . . . Waiting . . .

Odd, only 10 hands, all belonging to Democrats holding them out for campaign funds or other goodies.

[Mass]

4. Nelson (NE), Conrad, Baucus, Landrieu.

[bluethruandthru]

44. As if the insurance companies didn't get enough of our money

now everyone who will not/cannot purchase from them will be forced to. Why do I get the feeling we're moving in the wrong direction on health care??

oops...meant to reply to the OP

[BanzaiBonnie]

9. Since when has fairness been a part of the free market system?

And when were the insurance companies fair to us? :crazy:


crickets?



Make them become competitive.

[wroberts189]

15. I know can you believe that? "unfair" ?

There are so many things wrong with that argument.

Was it unfair when the telcoes and cable companies forced all the small isp's out of business?

Is it unfair Netflix is driving Blockbuster out of business?

Is it unfair when we bomb a wedding in Afghanistan... or our soldiers are killed?

Is it unfair to give subsidies to big Pharma and big oil .. the richest companies on earth?

Is it unfair to give trillions to banks no strings attached?

Since when has fairness ever been part of the equation on anything ????


Damn them all if this piece of crap "reform" passes.

[MercutioATC]

3. "No. Now go back and get it right."

That should be Obama's response if this legislation gets to his desk...

...but I think that's just wishful thinking.

[leveymg]

5. Worst of both worlds. Everyone must now buy coverage from the insurance industry.

Way to go, Blue Dawgs - you were "fair" to the billionaires, and gave good value for all that campaign money.

[wroberts189]

16. It's like they are punishing us for asking for it (affordable healthcare). nt

[Mass]

6. Not a big surprise. There are just a few Dems in the Senate that are actively supporting a public

options (Durbin, Brown, Leahy, Schumer, Whitehouse, Sanders).

Some are paying lip services, and some are waiting and hoping they will not have to choose.

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. Not. Fucking. Acceptable.

Do it right, or don't fucking bother doing anything at all.

[Ganja Ninja]

8. Oh great, mandatory private insurance.

So now I'll be required by law to pay for a policy that has outrageous deductibles and co-pays and then only pays a fraction of the total bill they're presented with leaving me to cover the rest.

[wroberts189]

18. Romney care ..they already tried it in Mass ..TOTAL FAILURE nt

[dflprincess]

22. It will help the insurance companies cover the cost of the bribes

they've paid Congress.

[Independent_Voice]

26. If this passes...

I'll probably lose my disability coverage (after all, aren't they saying they want to clean out the "waste"...?) and then the government will fine me on top of it (for failing to use money that I DON'T HAVE to buy private insurance).

I wouldn't be surprised if someone finds me laying in my bedroom with my wrists slit, within the next two years.

[newspeak]

28. we will be captured consumers

"FORCED" to support health insurance industry. That's the way I'm seeing it. And, they'll probably do the same thing they did with the auto insurance, where we were basically forced to take auto insurance without a government alternative. Of course, I can choose to drive a vehicle, but health care for everyone is a necessity that without you may die. Again, the insurance industry will decide what treatment you will get and what you will pay--probably those who can least afford it (and are still working) will be paying the higher premium.

Most of us in this country are already financially depleted and the "totally out of touch with mainstream" congress are still doing business as usual. Un-fekkin-believable!!!!!

[Telly Savalas]

29. Isn't there another legislative body called the House of Representatives?

They've drafted a rather long bill which calls for a public option. Moreover, the President wants there to be a public option. You're not going to be required to do shit until the Senate, the House, and the President have come to a consensus on it.

[rockymountaindem]

33. The problem is that with the Senate setting such a disappointing basis

for negotiations, the outcome isn't going to be very good. On the other hand, if the House were coming out heavily in favor of single payer (a huge hypothetical, of course), a compromise struck for a simple public option without the banning of private insurance would look pretty good to the right wing.

[Telly Savalas]

36. Maybe. Maybe not.

Isn't it the case that they're needing only 50 votes in the Senate to pass this thing?

My understanding is that there's only about 10 Democrats in the Senate who are throwing a hissy fit about the public option, so we're in striking distance of the 50 votes.

The Senate bill is pretty much what anyone who's been paying attention to Baucus would expect.

[newspeak]

42. for some odd reason the private insurance option with a penalty

kind of reminds me, I believe, it was back in the eighties when there were massive layoffs and workers had to cash in their 401ks to keep from losing their houses and in order to survive. Well, here comes the corporations who laid off said workers crying to the government, so what did the government do? Put a penalty on those who took out their 401ks. When people are hurting the most, it just seems sometimes that the government has a way of making it even worse. It's like they can be totally clueless or they really don't give a shite.

[w4rma]

10. Horrible bill. (nt)

[Better Believe It]

11. If this bill goes to the Senate urge your Senator to vote against it

It should be voted down.

This is healthcare legislation the insurance companies can believe in.

[dflprincess]

23. What makes you think they'll start listening to us then? (eom)

[TeamJordan23]

12. This is BS. Obama better veto this if it comes to his table. nm

[unblock]

13. private insurers, who have been making insane profits for years, are in need of a subsidy??

[TheCoxwain]

14. Motherfuckers.... Someone should shove a dynamite stick up their asses.

And light the fuse

[andym]

17. How does this proposal control the spiraling costs?

Does this proposal allow anyone to buy any insurance. How will affordability be addressed?

These are the a few of the critical questions. The title question is most critical.

[DJ13]

19. Heres Obama's chance to show some real leadership by saying no to this

Any bets he caves in?

[wroberts189]

20. So in other words its just going to become a big give away to private insurers.

Like Medicare "reform"

knr

[lindisfarne]

21. Contact info for Senate HELP and Finance Committees - call an tell them Public Option - No COOP

Contact information for Senate committee members (scroll down for later message with HELP committee contact information)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8473420

[Better Believe It]

24. For Weekend DU'ers

[sisters6]

25. SAVE $$ by using the ALL-READY-IN PLACE Medicare stystem---

yes there would be some costs through expansion of the existing administrative system.


The co-ops could accept federal loans for start-up operations but would have to repay the money.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1179932&format=&page=2&listingType=medical#articleFull

[kath]

27. Now, where the heck did I put my pitchfork??

I know it's around here somewhere...

It's TIME, people - time for massive, LOUD protest.

[Dr Fate]

30. IT'S NADER'S FAULT!!!

n/t

[Kitsune]

31. If they make insurance mandatory, I'll pay the fine.

I'd rather give money to the government for nothing than give money to some already rich insurance CEO for nothing.

[ProSense]

32. This is misleading.

There are three bills: HELP Bill (Kennedy's), Senate Finance Draft and Tri House Bill

Kennedy's bill is a Senate bill too, and it's the bill that has the most committed support.

[underpants]

34. Looks like the Post is helping to make this appear as the agreed upon settlement

ignoring the others

Typical

[Cass]

35. Unfair to insurers??? Are they kidding me?? How about the unfairness of people dropping dead because

they lack access to affordable heath care or the insurance companies refuse to cover them or refuse to pay for various procedures?! I am thinking of that teenage girl a couple years ago who needed a liver transplant, she had insurance but they refused to pay for the transplant until people were up in arms protesting. They finally relented but it was too late, and the girl DIED. THAT IS unfair you frigging a**holes.

This plan of theirs sucks big time.

[Raine1967]

37. It's a DRAFT...

Keep making PHONE CALLS! Be polite and be nice but MAKE THE CALLS!

And remember-- this is just a draft. Call and tell them what you want, But CALL!!!

DAmnitall -- this is critical!

[Raine1967]

38. How many people on this thread (and others)

Have actually CALLED their representatives?

How many have sent letters out?

I see a lot of poopoo about this, and I wonder how many have called. Not ONE SINGLE proposal has been put forth as potential law. We aren't gonna have anything presented to vote upon till after July 4th -- these are all proposals...!

So, you NEED to get on the phone and make your voice heard. Otherwise-- you get what you didn't speak out for.

[Thrill]

39. The Public Option brings down the cost.

Why would these idiots not put it in there. Good thing this is just a start.

[andym]

40. Absolutely correct..

The stronger the public option, likely the more cost efficient the system.

[Thrill]

41. Obama said he likes the House Bill. No comment on the Senate nonsense. Enough said

[WinkyDink]

43. Blood from a stone.

[Dinger]

45. You Can't Get Blood Out Of A Fucking Turnip Goddammit

In this economy they want to "require" (force) people to pay for insurance? Good luck with that one.