Mike Soraghan reports on The Hill:
First he was for it. Then he was against it. Now Rep. Mike Ross is back on board with a government-run healthcare plan. Sort of.
Ross (D-Ark.), who had emerged as a leader among centrist Blue Dog Democrats opposing the public health insurance option, has suggested something his colleagues consider even more drastic – opening Medicare to those under 65 without insurance. …
…His statement went on to say that he does “not support a government-run public option” and he does “not endorse this idea” of opening up Medicare.
As Steve Benen says, huh?
Making Medicare available to everybody would have been the most sensible approach, of course. There must be a catch.
On the other hand, here’s this from The Politico:
The forces in favor of a public health insurance option roared back Thursday on Capitol Hill after weeks when their cause looked bleak.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) looked closer than ever to including a robust U.S. government-run insurance program in the House bill — saying recent attempts by the health insurance industry to undercut reform prove insurers can’t be trusted.
And in the Senate, a weekly policy lunch turned into a heated debate when liberals went after the Senate Finance Committee bill and made clear they won’t roll over for legislation that doesn’t include a public option.
See also Brian Beutler, who says Harry Reid is working an “inside game” in support of the public option.
The Washington Insider gasbags keep telling us that the public option is dead and that the health care bill will pass without it. Yet it refuses to die. Paul Krugman explains how the insurance industry is helping keep progressive reform alive.
Maha notes:
See also Brian Beutler, who says Harry Reid is working an “inside game†in support of the public option.
This frankly and seriously causes me concern. In all my years of tracking Reid as Senate Minority/Majority Leader, I can’t recall a single instance where he hasn’t either made a statement strongly backing something, or been quoted as favoring it–without information surfacing within 24-72 hours that he was now working the opposite tack. He has backtracked so often that he really should get a pair of shoes that face both ways. And the last time he threatened Dems who didn’t support the public option with dire but specificed consequences, the following day he was meeting with Republicans and talking again about “possible compromises.”
Not having Harry act is the best action he can take. At least until someone with a spine takes over his job, and Reid can slither back to being nothing more than a senator whose main concern is perfecting his imitation of Don Knotts.
Ah, how words have different meanings.
In Canada, Nancy Pelosi would be considered a “moderate” and a Blue Dog would be considered fairly right-wing. As for the typical Republican, we just think they’re plain crazy.
Perhaps it is because both of my parents were Canadian.
I concur with our Canadian Reader
Oh, Krugie. You look like my stalker ex-neighbor, but you write like the Nobel laureate you are.
He even steps away from his usual Eeyore-ish pronouncements of gloom to see a bright side in the health-insurance lobby’s recent ultimatums. I would like to think he’s right, and the public option comes roaring back.
And hey, often-wrong Politico, how many Senate “liberals” are left these days, anyway? Franken and who else?
The fact is Ried can’t avoid a filibuster from his own party! I believe that’s why I believe he won’t allow the public option in bill that the senate votes on (hopefully it can get jammed in during conference). If he could look any weaker (he has always looked weak to me, fucking wimp) having a filibuster joined with members of his own party would certainly mean the end of Harry’s rein. I believe it would also cost the democrats significantly in the midterms, nothing demoralizes a voter like having a key plank of their parties platform filibustered by it’s own members. I don’t really see the point in having the majority if you can’t get most of your folks to vote your way, other than chairing committees and setting the agenda.
I don’t know about Reid’s “inside game”, and of course we’ve all been disappointed many times by him, BUT I read yesterday that he started making noises about repealing the insurance industry’s exemption from anti-trust laws. I like that sharp knife.
Everybody pays $50.00 / week directly to their chosen Doctor, to keep them well.
The fee will be adjusted according to income.
.A factor ranging from x.1 to a factor of x 10 for example.
You follow your Doctors advice.
If you get sick your care is free.
This will deliver quality care at a lower cost to all.
This solves most of the problem.
I don’t know about Reid’s “inside gameâ€, and of course we’ve all been disappointed many times by him, BUT I read yesterday that he started making noises about repealing the insurance industry’s exemption from anti-trust laws. I like that sharp knife.
But Moonbat, have you ever known Reid to back up some of his loud talk? I can’t recall a single instance. He always backs away. If anybody else in the Senate had mentioned the exemption repeal, I would take it seriously–not Reid.
As for the Dems’ lack of discipline in the Senate, Reid should start acting like some of his predecessors (or today’s Republicans) and enforce party discipline through a carrot/stick approach: allocate committee jobs to those who fall in line, and follow through on holding members accountable who fall off the game plan. If the Republicans can make it work so very well for themselves, why won’t Reid pick it up and run with it? Is he afraid of people spreading the rumors that he’s effective, that he has a spine?
moonbat,
I read that too. Yes, it should go – but then, so should baseball’s.
As for Ross – WTF?
I’m glad that the Greek’s, Chinese, and Buddhist’s who created us what we currently know as logic are now long dead. It they weren’t, what’s being said in this country would kill them. It would shrivel their brains like a hot Santa Anna does to turn grapes into raisins in California.
Van — That’s absurd. You pay one doctor only $2600 a year, and if your suffer a catastrophic injury or illness that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat, the doctors and hospitals just have to eat that cost? Get serious.
Everybody pays $50.00 / week directly to their chosen Doctor, to keep them well.
The fee will be adjusted according to income.
.A factor ranging from x.1 to a factor of x 10 for example.
You follow your Doctors advice.
If you get sick your care is free.
This will deliver quality care at a lower cost to all.
This solves most of the problem.
Van — That’s absurd. You pay one doctor only $2600 a year, and if your suffer a catastrophic injury or illness that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat, the doctors and hospitals just have to eat that cost? Get serious.
(1) According to income you pay $2600 x.1 which is $260/year up to x10 which is $26,000/ year for example.
Those that have no health care/insurance will now have basic health care and disease prevention.
(2)You follow your Doctors advice.
You will be advised about correct nutrition by your medical team.
You will be advised about proper exercise by your medical team.
You will be advised about personal safety by your medical team.
You will be advised how to live a healthier life by your medical team.
You, your Doctor, and your medical team will work together for your benefit.
(3) You are correct that this does not cover “catastrophic” events or illnesses.
I never said it would.
The plan deals with Primary Care, wellness and prevention only.
Note that this is not insurance.
There is no one between you and your Doctor.
This portion is direct pay to your medical team according to your income.
For example a child has no income therefore pays the least.
Everybody pays according to their income.
This method reduces paperwork because of direct pay.
This method encourages early treatment.
This method encourages wellness.
This method demands compliance (following Doctors orders)
(4)I will now address: accident, catastrophic illness, chronic illnesses childbirth, geriatric, dental, eye care, hangnails, etc..
I N S U R A N C E ( Private and/or public)
Covers everything else
universal claim forms for maximum efficiency
Available to everyone
Payment based on income
By having direct pay to your Doctors for primary care and insurance for everything else, the result might satisfy the needs of most people.
The plan deals with Primary Care, wellness and prevention only.
Much propaganda to the contrary, only a small part of the stuff that makes us sick or injured is preventable by lifestyle change and “following doctors orders.” Even if everyone in America took better care of themselves and followed doctors orders, it would make only a marginal difference in health care costs.
Insurance covering everything else, which is the stuff that is really expensive, keeps us right where we are, except that in addition to over-expensive insurance we’re supposed to pay X amount of money to a physician. This makes absolutely no sense and won’t solve anything.
I don’t have time to argue with idiots, so please go away.
Name calling is not necessary. I was ‘splainin’, not arguing. I guess I am just ignorant but please do not call me an idiot. And, away we go!
one more thing
Hello, my name is Disease, this is my brother Accident, my brother Disaster, my sister Pestilence, and my sons Violence and Despair
We are all out to maim you, to kill you. We want you to suffer. We want you to die. We want you to feel pain and agony.
What is to stop us, you foolish humans. We will always win. There is nothing you can do.
Hello, my name is humanity and we want to live. We have medicine men to fight and conquer disease. We have Surgeons to repair our broken bodies. We have generous help in hard times. We study to contain outbreaks. We have laws and justice. We have hope.
The more we work together, the better able we are to overcome our challenges. When we finally assure that everyone has clean water, enough food, proper sanitation, a place to live and raise a family, an education; clothing and shoes, and access to high quality health care; we can rest.
Van –
Since we don’t know you, we are a bt suspicious of ideas that sound a lot like rightie proposals that have no foundation. Those of us who have been participating in the discussion for months know these cotton-candy proposals are not intended to address the problem which is universal & affordable coverage. The health care movement has a lot of momentum – we will get something passed, the question is what and how good.
Righties know something will pass and they are no longer trying to stop the train – they want to derail it, wreck it with fatal flaws so they can repeal it later. On the subject of fatal flaws – Your proposal does not mandate coverage – it seems so elective it invites people to not participate and game the system, one of the fatal flaws that’s been disccussed. Your proposal does not address who pays for the subsidies of ‘payment based on income’. Who pays is generally considered important.
“Let’s start all over with a new approach.” won’t be welcome now whether you want to advocate a wellness system or single-payer. We are not interested in starting over – so any new ideas have to be things that can be integrated into existing proposals. We’re dead serious about getting this done – it won’t be perfect or pretty or satisfy everyone. But it will get done. If you are not a troll, fine. Read and learn. Ask questions. If you are a troll, go away – we are in no mood to play.
So, follow doctors orders. What if you have a very obese doctor, who has a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, and he is telling you to eat nutritionally and don’t smoke. They don’t even follow their own advice.
No, not “splaining;” babbling.
Van, if you’d limited yourself to the last paragraph of your last (1:35 pm) comment, you’d have sounded inspirational, if not exactly informative. Everything else you typed is a waste of time. Your numbers are outrageous; your “follow doctor’s orders,” see Bonnie above; your last comment is mostly flakey. When’s the last time you saw a doctor? Because the experience is not the slightest bit as you apparently imagine it to be.
Here’s our answer to the idiot tea-baggers. Obama said this last night:
“Another way of putting it is when, you know, I’m busy and Nancy busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else’s mess –- we don’t want somebody sitting back saying, you’re not holding the mop the right way. Why don’t you grab a mop, why don’t you help clean up. You’re not mopping fast enough. That’s a socialist mop. Grab a mop –- let’s get to work.
In other words – Hey assholes, put the tea-bags down, stop whining, and GRAB A MOP!!!
We now have our rallying cry against stupidity: GRAB A MOP – and let’s get to work!
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score’s the baucus plan at $829 Billion over a 10 year period, that is paid for. The CBO also states that it will lower the deficit by $80 Billion and it would be much lower if there was a public option.Criminally corrupt politicians are the reason the U.S. is ranked near the bottom of every catagory when ranked next to other modern, industrialized nations. Time for publically funded elections. lieberman $12.6M, mcconnell $7.8M, baucus $7.7M, cornyn $6.7M, kyl $5.6M, grassley $5.4M, ensign $5.2M, conrad $5.1M, cantor $4.9M, nelson $4.9M, burr $4.8M, boehner $4.4M, hatch $4.4M, lincoln $4.1M, vitter $3.9M, carper $3.6M were paid by the Medical Industrial Complex to kill Health Care Reform. (Source: OpenSecrets.org, Aug. 09)Follow the Money: LinkCall Congress and demand, Single-Payer Health Care for All!(Toll Free # House and Senate)1-866-338-1015 _____ 1-866-220-00441-866-311-3405Sign Single-Payer Petitions: Link Link LinkDon’t let the Medical Industrial Complex steal your Health Care from you and your family by donating huge sums of money to Crooked Politicians in order to maintain the Status Quo. Keep up the good fight.SEMPER FI!