With all the Tea bagging yesterday, this more important story slipped by:

[hedgehog]

"President Barack Obama's top health care adviser said Wednesday a compromise is within reach on a government health plan for the middle class that wouldn't drive private insurers out of business.
....
DeParle suggested one compromise might be that the public plan pays hospitals and doctors rates similar to what private insurers pay. That would address fears that government would use its muscle to pay rock-bottom prices for medical services, allowing the public plan to charge discounted premiums that private insurers couldn't compete with.

Even if the government plan paid private-market rates to doctors and hospitals, it could still cut costs, DeParle said. A government plan wouldn't have to turn a profit, and could also save on administrative expenses."


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i4QGyabE9gAxelr1s6LbkEx9iZAAD97J3UI00

[Stellabella]

1. I hate private insurers and wish they would go out of business.

They are callous, cruel, bean counters with no regard for human life.

[Vinca]

2. Well if the public plan doesn't have discounted premiums, what's

the point of this exercise? Most people haven't bought into private insurance because they can't afford it. If the government option is essentially the same as a private plan costwise, it won't solve a thing.

[hedgehog]

3. I think the point is that the premiums will be discounted, otherwise

why would people switch?

[rocktivity]

4. Sounds like we need to have a million single-payer march

For-profit basic health care must die out. As long the business of health insurance is to collect more in premiums than they pay out in benefits, they will continue to be the root of the problem. America managed to survive the declines of the horse and buggy, the gaslight, and child labor.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[SHRED]

5. From the article:

---

This is why DeParle was a mistake.
This is why I am losing faith in Obama, who appointed her, regarding public health insurance.

Everyone should be up in arms about this statement.
DeParle has to know the majority of Americans want a "Medicare For All" option yet she says this BULLSHIT?
Spouting the corporate line is not "Change We Can Believe In".


:grr:


However, DeParle acknowledged that ideological objections to government's role would be hard to overcome. She spoke at a forum sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

6. Yep...

It is pretty bad.

I hope this is not what we are supposed to expect as "change."

[Laelth]

7. Medicine should not be about "turning a profit." n/t

:mad:

:dem:

-Laelth

[Javaman]

8. what drives the hate of the right wing right now is that we Dems actually

have ideas that work.

And THAT really pisses them off.

[rucky]

9. well, that plan is fucking useless, now.

it just makes a high-risk pool out of everyone that doesn't get perks from their corporate masters.

[hedgehog]

10. But if my corporate master has the option of purchasing my insurance at a group rate

or paying me to buy the same coverage individually from the government for less money......


and if that is a step to expanding Medicare to cover everyone....


Small steps may get us there sooner with less disruption than attempting everything at once.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.