Sebelius: Public insurance option not essential

[IndianaGreen]

Here it comes!

Sebelius: Public insurance option not essential

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's health secretary is suggesting the White House is ready to accept nonprofit insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run public option in a health overhaul plan. A Republican senator says that is worth looking at.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says Obama still believes there should be choice and competition" in the health insurance market — but that a public option is "not the essential element."

Obama has been pressing for the government to run a health insurance organization to help cover the nation's nearly 50 million uninsured. But he had not seen a not-for-profit co-op as sufficient to offer consumers choice and competition that would bring down the costs of private insurance.

Sebelius spoke on CNN's "State of the Union."

Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama says a potential administration shift from a government-run health insurance to a privately run cooperative is something that opponents like him should consider.

Yahoo News

[xchrom]

1. that backs up what obama said in montana yesterday. nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Wow! That's a dramatic turnaround

particularly since Obama has still been flogging the "public option" all week at the town hall meetings. What's going on? Trial balloon maybe (hopefully)? :shrug:

:wtf:

[ProSense]

3. They took her statement out of context

More here.

[IndianaGreen]

7. You are the one parroting the health corporate line

You non-union member keyboard warrior.

:puke:

[ProSense]

8. What the hell are you talking about?

Why are you throwing up: can't stand the notion that the public option isn't dead?

[Mass]

12. .

[ProSense]

14. . n/t

[uponit7771]

4. Sebelius is either speaking for or speaking against this admin, Obama has said he's for the public

...option but then someone says it's not essential. Them not being on the same page isn't good.

[masuki bance]

9. Same page

“The public option – whether we have it or we don’t have it – is not the entirety of health care reform,” the President said. “This is just one sliver of it, one aspect of it. And, by the way, it’s both the right and the left that have become so fixated on this that they forget everything else . . .”

Echoing Mr. Obama’s Saturday comments, Sebelius also told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King that “what’s important is choice and competition.” A public option “is not an essential element,” the Cabinet secretary said Sunday.

North Dakota Democrat Sen. Kent Conrad has championed the inclusion of health insurance co-ops in health care reform legislation as an alternative to a public option. Conrad, who is part of a bipartisan group of six senators on the Senate Finance Committee hashing out the details of the committee’s health care reform bill, has repeatedly said that he does not believe Democrats have enough votes in the Senate to pass a bill that includes a public option. ..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8590179&mesg_id=8590179

[Mass]

11. It is not contradictory. You can be for something, but accept to let it aside if it allows you to

get concessions on other aspects. So, it is clear that, if let to Obama, we would have public option, but if he needs to kill it to get a bill without preexisting conditions and with limits on what can be in an insurance bill, he will.

Given the lousy work that the Dems have done on this, I would not be surprised if it reaches this point: no public option in order to get some progress. It will be sad and it will be their fault, not campaigning for real reform.

[uponit7771]

34. We will NOT win if preexisting and and limits are included if no on can afford it.

The cost of current insurance is the THIRD PART of what doesn't work today.

No preexisting conditions and no one kicked off wouldn't be great if only the well off can have them

Pub option is supposed to address the cost issue

[inna]

36. also, it will be fault of all the apologists/cheerleaders/blind supporters

like some on this board. it's really sad actually.

[ima_sinnic]

5. how many more concessions will he make for the pukes?

too bad he couldn't stand firm on his vow not to sign any bill without a strong public option.
oh well, I guess that's a "centrist" for you, always willing to be conciliatory, to the point of mediocrity.

[fascisthunter]

6. BS

[izquierdista]

10. One small quibble

THERE IS NO FUCKING "MARKET"!!
Bill Maher is right, the Democrats are now the conservatives and Republicans answer with "I like turtles". To expect capitalist free-market ideology to solve a problem that capitalist free-market ideology created is insanity. If every other advanced country sees the solution to health care as a collective, government regulated or run system, and if developing countries aspire to adopt a collective, government regulated or run system, why is the US still stuck in thinking that the "free market" will provide the answer? I think I answered my own question, thinking is not involved. What is involved is idolatry of the free market, and if enough prayers and supplications are thrown at the priests of the "free market", the prayers for better health care will be answered.

[Big Blue Marble]

31. If I could recommend your response, I would.

You have summed up exactly what is wrong with this health care "debate"
and what is wrong with country. Brilliant summation.

[stray cat]

13. I want a public option but I really want the rest of the reforms Obama proposes

[DrToast]

15. The public option is worthless

I don't know why people are so enamored over it.

There are already non-profit insurance companies. It doesn't do shit to help costs.

[ProSense]

16. "There are already non-profit insurance companies. It doesn't do shit to help costs." Yeah,

they're called co-opt. The public option is not the same thing.

[DrToast]

23. What advantages do you think the public option has?

It won't use medicare rates.
It will only be available on the exchange.

Why is it so great? How is it going to bring down costs?

[uponit7771]

35. Says who!?!?!? NOTHING HAS BEEN SIGNED!!!

[masuki bance]

17. #13 and #15 are the template for how most of DU

will just lay down and accept the loss of the public option. It will not go out with a bang, just a tiny, little whimper. Sad.

[jefferson_dem]

18. Does that concern you really really badly?

n/t

[ProSense]

21. And what's your contribution:

Media spin promulgator?

[masuki bance]

I won't enable people like Sebelius as seems to be your predilection. nt

[ProSense]

26. Idiotic.

This is not about Sebelius. It's about the public option. You accept the media spin on her comments or her own ambiguity, but she nor the media can have it both ways. No public option is not an option.

[masuki bance]

27. You continue to ignore plain statements

and by doing so, by defending them, you take the pressure off of the people saying them.

[DrToast]

22. We lost the public option months ago

I can't believe how many people are screaming for the watered-down junk they've been pushing on us.

The public option, as it stands today, won't do anything. Why would it?

Seriously, what advantages do you think the public option has?

[ProSense]

25. Right that's why it's still in the House and HELP bills,

Senators are still announcing their support of it and Howard Dean is still pulling for it.

If people actually want or believe a handful of sellout Senators should control the outcome then maybe you're right.

[DrToast]

28. What advantage do you think it has?

[ProSense]

32. They're still in the bills? n/t

[DrToast]

38. That's a statement, not a question. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

19. A real public option would be giving people the right to opt for Medicare

That's a fallback position that many unions have taken if the corporatists in Congress, and their allies (some of which are here), succeed in defeating Medicare for all.

[Honeycombe8]

20. It IS essential!!!! Just because SHE doesn't think so doesn't make it so! GOP are already seeing

this stance as weakness and giving in.

Armey just said on MTP, the fact that the left is indicating they'd step back on the public option is an indication that the Republicans are winning the argument and they are "right."

See? That's how it works, Democratic leaders! You either have the balls to get it done, or you don't. Which is it? If you don't....say goodbye to the majority you have in Congress. The citizens will put in the people to Congress that have LEADERSHIP skills. And it may not be Democrats, come 2010.

[IndianaGreen]

29. How many Democrats get money from health care industry? There lies the answer!

Evan Bayh's wife is a corporate lawyer for Wellpoint. Evan gets money from Lilly, Wellpoint, and Anthem. Should I act surprised when Bayh votes on the side of the industry? Should you be surprised when your Democratic Congress person votes for the industry if he or she is getting money from them?

[quiller4]

33. It is NOT essential. It is worthwhile but if passing reform means dumping public

option, I'm all for dumping public option. I'm much more concerned with forcing insurance companies not to dump subscribers when they become ill or refusing to write policies for those with pre-existing condition.

[IndianaGreen]

24. CNN State of the Union with Sebelius interview coming up now

Watch and make up your own mind.

[IndianaGreen]

30. Here is Reuters report on Sebelius remarks on CNN State of the Nation

For the benefit of those that claimed the AP mischaracterized or misquoted Sebelius, you know who you are.

Public insurance plan not essential: Sebelius

Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:40am EDT
By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The government-run health insurance option favored by President Barack Obama is not essential to a healthcare overhaul as long as the final measure boosts competition, a top U.S. health official said on Sunday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said a public insurance option was "not the essential element" of any overhaul, and non-profit cooperatives being considered by a Senate panel could also fulfill the White House goal of creating more competition on insurance.

"I think what's important is choice and competition, and I'm convinced that at the end of the day the plan will have both of those -- but that is not the essential element," she said of the government-run insurance option on CNN's "State of the Union" show.

"The president is just continuing to say let's not have this be the only focus of the conversation," Sebelius said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57D23Q20090816

[Thrill]

37. I'm usually a big defender of the President

If This is true. I'm completely disappointed in him. I may actually stop following politics.
I didn't volunteer this hard for him and Kay Hagan for this kind of weakness.
I can't get excited or supportive of politics or a politician anymore.

[moondust]

39. Wrong. It is the only essential option.

Without it this whole debate is a charade, a waste of taxpayer's money that will amount to little more than a handout to insurance companies.