Pelosi To Submit Multiple Public Option Plans To The CBO For Scoring!

[BlooInBloo]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/62231-pelosi-to-submit-multiple-public-options-for-cbo-scoring

Pelosi to submit multiple public options for CBO scoring
By Tony Romm - 10/08/09 12:00 PM ET

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will submit multiple versions of the House's healthcare bill for cost estimates, she announced on Thursday.

The first proposal will include a "robust public option," which would tie doctor reimbursement rates to that of Medicare plus five percent. The remaining two drafts submitted for the Congressional Budget Office's consideration would include a public option based on "the negotiated rates that some in our caucus have supported and which was passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee," the speaker explained during Thursday's press briefing.

"And then we'll see back from the CBO what the scoring is on all of that," Pelosi said. "And, of course, we have promised not a dime to the deficit. This is our promise. We will not take a bill to the floor, the president will not sign a bill that adds a dime to the deficit."

Pelosi's latest efforts arrive at a crucial juncture in the healthcare debate. On Wednesday, the CBO revealed the Senate Finance Committee's draft would cost well under $900 billion -- great news for Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and his supporters, who hope to advance the bill to the Senate floor next week.

The long and the short of this is: republicans claiming to be against healthcare on the grounds of being "fiscal conservatives" are about to get PWNED, when the CBO scoring comes back with the robust option being financially the best.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I realize it's hard to spin this as bad news, so I guess I'll have to kick this myself.

[The Magistrate]

2. Quite Right, Sir: Only Public Option Can Drive Down Costs

[BlooInBloo]

5. I can't wait to see the looks on republicans' faces when the scorings come back.

[Joe Fields]

19. don't get your hopes up.

remember: this is congress, the opposite of progress.

[BlooInBloo]

22. Whoops - you're looking for the All News Is Bad News folks. They're a bit further downthread....

Looks like a lovely party they're having. You should join in before the cookies are gone!

[Joe Fields]

24. I guess I landed in the unicorns and rainbows part of DU. sorry.

[dflprincess]

3. Did they ever come back with the score for HR676?

Didn't Rep. Weiner manage to get that (or another single payer bill) in for scoring? I never heard the results.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

4. Its being scored now..........

DUer stlsaxman submitted the question to Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). Here's his answer:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=366593&mesg_id=366593

[dflprincess]

8. Thank you.

What do you suppose will happen if it comes back as good or better than the other options? Do you think we'll hear about it?

[CrownPrinceBandar]

10. Officially: Not a chance.........

but the info would get out somehow. Don't know if it would make a diff tho. Its greed and ideology we're fighting here.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Do you wonder what is taking so long to score this bill, Weiner said

back in August it was being scored during the August recess.

But when I called his office sometime in early September they said it had not been sent to the CBO.

Later in September they said it had been sent to the CBO, when I asked if there was somewhere I could read the amendment being scored the person replied - 'Is it a life or death matter'

I should have replied yes.

Today his office said the CBO is scoring something??? the amendment is still being worked on so it cannot be read.

They are not scoring HR 676 and my fear is that a number will be released close to the vote for....something.

Great job Dems!

:sarcasm:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

12. Wheels of bureaucracy, and all that..........

I think Weiner has been on point for all this. We'll get our answer soon enough. But will it be acted upon is the real question.

[slipslidingaway]

17. It is not a priority for Dems and they want to delay the score of...

something???

Pelosi's office today - they have no idea of when a score will be released.

I expect no real action from the Dems, they just threw the Not for Profit advocates a crumb and silencing a group calling for a CBO score of SP.

Maybe Weiner could pull a few strings, he worked for Schumer for 6 years and is engaged to a top aide of Clinton's.

:shrug:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

18. I hope you are wrong..........

but I fear you may be right.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Ah - congratulations, all, on finding the bad news!

I promise I'll never doubt DUers' ability on that front ever again!

:rofl:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

21. You're welcome sunshine!

:rofl:

[Joe Fields]

26. you really, really must be new to the political process.

[BlooInBloo]

27. (yawn)

[Joe Fields]

29. I think you need to get out into the real world for a bit.

You may learn a few things.

[slipslidingaway]

28. I hope so too, but with each week it becomes more evident to me...

that they are delaying this as long as possible.

And I bet it stopped a lot of phone calls asking that SP be scored.

:(

[gkhouston]

42. Yes, I've wondered why it's taking so long to score HR676. Are they using an abacus? n/t

[slipslidingaway]

44. :) Amazing the stuff that is scored right away. n/t

[joeycola]

14. Dated Sept 5. Do you know what the holdup is?

[jtrockville]

50. The holdup? Single-payer is the only thing that makes sense. So...

of course we can't know about it, much less HAVE it.

[slipslidingaway]

11. You can sign up for health care updates at the CBO site and I'm

sure it will be posted here.

They are not scoring HR 676 and I think the score will come out close to the House vote.

:(

[joeycola]

15. but Weiner said it was being scored (with some of his changes). What

do you mean --they are not scoring it??

[CrownPrinceBandar]

16. slipslidingaway is correct......

I just did a quick search on the CBO's website and I could find nothing listed under the moniker of "676" or "HR 676". That may mean nothing as my "search-fu" is often very bad. See if you can find anything and report back:

http://www.cbo.gov/publications/collections/health.cfm

[slipslidingaway]

31. Thanks, Weiner's office said it will not be HR 676. n/t

[joeycola]

33. I did not find anything and I tried several key words:-)

[slipslidingaway]

25. From Weiner's office...they are scoring an amendment to the House bill...

how closely it will resemble HR 676 is anyone's guess as there is nothing to read yet.

Hope that helps.

[joeycola]

34. thanks, the video did say there were changes to 676

[slipslidingaway]

35. I saw your post earlier on another thread about contacting the CBO...

I've emailed/called and nothing.

My forty plus phone calls and I barely know more than I did back in August.

[joeycola]

39. I emailed them but no reply yet.

[slipslidingaway]

40. I've been waiting more than a month, IMO we need to keep the pressure...

on Pelosi and other committee heads.

Weiner too.

I feared that once people heard it was being scored they would back off and why I began to follow up shortly after the August announcement.

Hope people call and email.

:)

[joeycola]

41. as you say, all should keep the pressure up. I will call Weiner's office tomorrow

as part of the deal. keep well.

[slipslidingaway]

43. Thank you and you too :) n/t

[NYC_SKP]

6. Big Kick an Rec... n/t

[BlooInBloo]

7. And as a baseline....

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/10/cbo-report-could-be-turning-point.html

"The path of President Obama's health care reform thus far has been very bumpy and full of sharp, unexpected turns. But this week, the path may have gotten a bit smoother and a bit clearer.

First, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office yesterday ruled that the Senate health care plan--commonly referred to as the Baucus plan, named for Montana Sen. Max Baucus--with its 10-year estimated price tag of $829 billion does, in fact, meet Obama's "budget-neutral" promise. Here's the CBO report's language and specific figures in terms of costs and revenue offsets:

nacting the Chairman’s mark, as amended, would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $81 billion over the 2010–2019 period (see Table 1). The estimate includes a projected net cost of $518 billion over 10 years for the proposed expansions in insurance coverage. That net cost itself reflects a gross total of $829 billion in credits and subsidies provided through the exchanges, increased net outlays for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and tax credits for small employers; those costs are partly offset by $201 billion in revenues from the excise tax on high-premium insurance plans and $110 billion in net savings from other sources. The net cost of the coverage expansions would be more than offset by the combination of other spending changes that CBO estimates would save $404 billion over the 10 years and other provisions that JCT and CBO estimate would increase federal revenues by $196 billion over the same period.

Then, earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate Finance Committee will vote Tuesday on the Baucus Bill. On the other side of the aisle, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sent three House bill versions to the CBO seeking similar budgeting assessments."


With that jackass low-hurdle Baucus made, we're going to see that other options save even MORE money. Then the fiscal conservatives are hosed.

[Joe Fields]

30. yawn.

a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing...

[redqueen]

13. Let's hope they get it scored quickly.

Also, it'd be nice if she'd ask them to hurry up with HR 676.

[Kadie]

23. K&R n/t

[Ardent15]

32. k and r

nt

[slipslidingaway]

36. If you leave out 17 million then approximately 17000 people will die...

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/18/as_baucus_unveils_health_plan_absent

"DR. STEFFIE WOOLHANDLER: Baucus’s plan is a complete sellout to the insurance industry. The counsel on the Finance Committee that oversaw the development of the bill is a former vice president of WellPoint, a major insurer. And the insurance companies’ interests are protected in the bill, but the interests of the American people really aren’t.


At best, this bill is going to cover—is going to leave 25 million Americans with no health insurance. And our study indicates that about 25,000 will die annually as a result. Really, what Baucus is doing is protecting the profits of the private health insurance industry and sacrificing American lives..."

[BlooInBloo]

37. Good thing none of the bills Pelosi is talking about is the Baucus bill....

Have fun wallowing in the misery of your entirely made-up pretend world, where the only thing that exists is the Baucus bill.

[slipslidingaway]

38. Did you notice I said 17 million referring to the House bill CBO score..

1 million left out - 1000 deaths, 17 million left out - 17000 deaths.

Some will be undocumented immigrants, but I know we should not care about them.

:(

[slipslidingaway]

45. I thought you might glance at the link before replying and attacking...

if you had done so you would have read this part.

17 million is the House bill estimate by CBO of the number of people who will not be insured. The same estimate that Obama referenced in his speech to Congress which says that just over 3% of people would be enrolled in the PO by 2019.

"So this—actually, when you do out the numbers, this implies that for every million people who remain uninsured in this country, about 1,000 deaths can be expected."

[truedelphi]

51. Huh?

[ms liberty]

46. Happy to K&R - thanks, Bloo! n/t

[Cleita]

47. I hope one of those is Medicare available for all who want it, but it's already

been scored and proven to be less costly than other systems, so why do I feel we are being punked again?

[Ignis]

48. Oh, Republicans won't let facts get in the way.

Because their base doesn't live in the "reality-based" world.

[BlooInBloo]

49. That's ok. That's what the state-opt-out psych-out is for.