Pelosi wants public option modeled after Medicare

[ProSense]

Pelosi nixes healthcare deal with Blue Dogs

By Mike Soraghan

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is nixing a deal she cut with centrists to advance healthcare legislation, said a source familiar with negotiations.

Pelosi’s decision to abandon the agreement that was made with a group of Blue Dogs to get the bill out of committee would steer health reform back to the left as she prepares for a floor vote.

Pelosi is planning to include a government-run "public option" in the House version of the healthcare bill. She wants to model it on Medicare, with providers getting reimbursed on a scale pegged to Medicare rates.

<...>

"The Speaker is committed to having a strong public option in the House bill because it is the best way to promote competition, control cost and keep the insurance companies honest," said Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami. "The caucus continues to meet to discuss the legislation and its provisions."

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[HopeOverFear]

1. Love ya, Nancy!

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Really??!!! NANCY Pelosi?

Wow...:thumbsup: :applause: :applause: :woohoo:

[glitch]

33. What a comeback, huh? Second your WOW. nt

:applause:

[goclark]

39. Her spine seems to be doing fine today! Yea for Nancy!

[alsame]

3. Excellent. nt

[d_b]

4. K&R for Nancy

[GrilledCheeses]

25. K&R

:)

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Son of a bitch, I feel hope again!

[msallied]

6. Yeah, screw the Blue Cross Blue Shield Dogs.

[invictus]

17. +1

[JBoris]

7. She can't do that!!

That would actually make sense! The dirty.. er, blue dogs will never allow it!

[BzaDem]

8. Maybe her purpose is to show that such a bill won't pass the house.

Give the line-in-the-sand no-compromise members everything they demand, and then watch it go down in flames. That would be a powerful message to them, and force them to the negotiating table prior to the second vote.

[SpartanDem]

11. I think it has to do more with negotiating position in conference

[Bluenorthwest]

29. House members who vote for a bad plan will not be elected again

and they know it. They will hold the line on what is right, what the voters in their districts want, not what some Industry vampire demands.

[Kermitt Gribble]

38. Stupid post of the day award!!

I'm assuming your "line-in-the-sand no-compromise members" description is of members of the Progressive Caucus? The Progressive Caucus is the only hope we have to achieve real reform. You're hoping they are "forced" to compromise our health care away to the insurance companies? People like you are the reason there is a good chance we won't get any meaningful reform.

[necso]

9. Well, there's Medicare. /nt

[bvar22]

10. Then Pelosi does NOT support HR 3200.

That's a relief.

[flpoljunkie]

12. Go, Nancy 'tough as nail' Pelosi!She knows what will work for the American people and control costs.

[Frustratedlady]

13. Good. It's tested and set up. What's the problem with using the system?

I couldn't figure out why they didn't say this in the beginning, or did I miss it?

[unblock]

14. modeled after? why not just MAKE it medicare? lower the age from 65 to 0 and you're done.

ok maybe i'm oversimplifying juuuuuust a wee bit but, seriously, it doesn't have to be anywhere near as complex as some people are making it out to be.

[creeksneakers2]

15. Far out!

[GivePeaceAchance]

16. Sounds good to me, remember to contact her, to encourage her to do more of the...

same. Going off "polling report" positive and inspiring emails must make all the difference.

[Odin2005]

18. THANK YOU NANCY!!!

:woohoo:

[flpoljunkie]

19. Think I am going to send the House Dems another $25. It will be matched 2-1 to triple its impact.

Dear Friend,

If this summer proved anything, it showed how urgently we must stand together to restore civility to our politics and help President Obama seize this historic moment for health insurance reform in America.

You have already taken a stand against the Republicans' attempt to shout down President Obama and restore civility in Washington. For that, I cannot thank you enough.

We have entered the make-or-break month. The media is closely watching to see which side has the momentum. With the Republicans already claiming victory for trying to silence respectful debate, it is up to grassroots Democrats to show the world that no amount of shouting can drown out our determination to enact health insurance reform.

Show the world that no amount of Republican shouting can drown out our determination to help President Obama reform health insurance. Contribute $5, $10 or more to our Million Dollar Match today and your gift will be matched 2-to-1, tripling its impact.



https://dccc.org/page/contribute/shouting0?source=091709_np&subsource=blog

In his eloquent call for action last week before a joint session of Congress, President Obama called on us to "replace acrimony with civility." He reiterated his call to restore civility to Washington during his interview on "60 Minutes" this weekend. Yet, our opponents continue their name-calling in a cynical attempt to derail these reforms.

The Republican defenders of the status quo are shouting because they understand that this is the toughest Midterm Election that Democrats have ever faced. They also understand that this is a critical month for health insurance reform and they are trying to deal a serious blow to President Obama's agenda for moving America forward.

Show the world that no amount of Republican shouting can drown out our determination to help President Obama reform health insurance. Contribute $5, $10 or more to our Million Dollar Match today and your gift will be matched 2-to-1, tripling its impact.

It is urgent that we stand together as Democrats. With all eyes on the coming Midterm Elections, let us use this critical September deadline to show the world just how prepared we are to maintain a strong Democratic Majority for President Obama so he can keep America moving in a New Direction.

Thank you.

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

P.S. The Republicans recognize that September is the make-or-break month for health insurance reform. That is why they have increased their shouting and their false attacks on President Obama. It is urgent that we stand together.

Contribute to our Million Dollar Match today and House Democrats will match your generosity 2-to-1, tripling its impact.

You get this neat tote bag for a contribution of $35 or more...



(They had raised $352,719 at 8:30PM tonight.)

http://dccc.org/blog/archives/shouting/

[Ocracoker16]

20. wow, definitely encouraging news

[NYC_SKP]

21. kick for the PM crowd... nt

[autorank]

22. Me too! k*r

In fact, I want Medicare period. One concept was to take the Medicare program, add 10% to Medicare
fees, and make that the public option. That's good for providers, who have been mightily squeezed
and it's still cheaper than anything else around. Medicare just needs a 'public option' drug benefit
and it's solid. The overhead is less than 5% and the anti-fraud program is fierce. It would be the
end of private health insurance if it were a universal option. It would have a single payer, the
feds, but the guv would be less intrusive with your doctor as Medicare doesn't do all that meddling
that private insurance does with care plans etc. Amen, lets do it!

[tex-wyo-dem]

32. Couldn't agree more! A good simple interim step...

Advocated by Thom Hartmann and others would be a Medicare buy-in option that would allow anyone under 65 to participate. Premiums would be determined on ones ability to pay and capped at a level well below premiums of private insurance. If structured properly, it would be deficit neutral + help fund the Medicare program in general. The secret weapon of this is Medicare's increasing ability to drop costs due to the much larger pool of participants.

This needs to be the public option...simple and straight-forward.

[Enthusiast]

37. I'm all for it. +1, tex-wyo-dem. nt

[CreekDog]

23. Don't forget that Nancy Pelosi has been a liberal San Franciscan for decades

I have no doubt where her heart is on these issues.

I'm glad she is doing this. :applause:

[Douglas Carpenter]

24. as it should be!!

[eridani]

26. Just one caveat--if this waits until 2013 for implementation, Dems are totally screwed

Not to mention the public.

[jsamuel]

27. problem is, they definitely don't want to start it during an election year like 2012

because no matter how well it is set up, there will be problems and the Republicans will jump all over them. If it is started in a non-election year, there will be time to fix the problems before it becomes mega political

[eridani]

35. Allowing people to voluntarily enroll in Medicare would not have nearly the problems

It would be very visible, and could be implemented next year.

[joeycola]

28. She is thowing the chips back into the pot and hopes to

get a better deal after she tossed her cards out already to the blue dogs. It's worth a chance as she is starting from a higher bargaining position. Now the question is--what will she once again toss out???

[OwnedByFerrets]

30. Then just expand Medicare to cover ALL Americans.

[flamingdem]

31. Great. Just don't negotiate it away later nt

[glowing]

34. Honestly, why not just open up Medicare. Easier, cheaper, already in place.

Make the reforms within the system to eliminate the fraud... shore up the drug prices.. and allow anyone who wants to buy in, to do so.

[Enthusiast]

36. Way to go, Nancy! nt

[kestrel91316]

40. Wow, the spine transplant must have taken.

Nancy, just give us Medicare For All and be done with it. You know it's the right thing to do.

[Lord Helmet]

41. Just expand Medicare to cover everyone.

[CTyankee]

42. YES!!!Next step, Medicare for ALL!

Oh blessed day! We're gonna get there after all....