GOP Senators Send Letter Opposing Public Plan

5013485A letter sent to President Obama on Monday from a key group of Republican senators highlights the seemingly intractable differences Republicans and Democrats will have to overcome to achieve bipartisan health care reform.

Nine of the ten Republicans from the Senate Finance Committee, one of the two panels responsible for health care legislation, wrote to Mr. Obama to express their opposition to a government-sponsored health insurance plan -- or a "public option." The only Republican senator from the committee who refrained from signing the letter is moderate Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

"At a time when major government programs like Medicare and Medicaid are already on a path to fiscal insolvency, creating a brand new government program will not only worsen our long term financial outlook but also negatively impact American families who enjoy the private coverage of their choice," the letter says. "Forcing free market plans to compete with these government-run programs would create an unlevel playing field and inevitably doom true competition."

The letter conveyed a concern of many conservatives -- that a public option would utlimately lead to a "federal government takeover of our healthcare system."

The senators cite a recent Lewin Group study, which showed that a public plan using Medicare payment levels could result in a shift of coverage -- private coverage could decline by 119.1 million as people voluntarily move from private to public coverage. The letter says the plan would "result in 119.1 million Americans losing their private coverage."

The senators also cite the recent Milliman study, which estimated that the cost-shifting from government payers (specifically Medicare and Medicaid) costs families with private insurance nearly $1800 more per year. The study was prepared at the request of America's Health Insurance Plans, the American Hospital Association, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Premera Blue Cross.

The public option is one of the most contentious pieces of the health care legislation currently under discussion; Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, began circulating a draft last week of his committee's bill, which includes a public plan, among other significant changes to the nation's health care. President Obama last week said he "strongly supports" the public plan.

While Republicans are strongly opposed to the proposal, the leaders of four prominent Democratic groups in Congress have said their support for health care legislation hinges on the inclusion of a public plan.

The goals of health care reform -- expanded access, improved quality and reduced costs -- are shared by both Democrats and Republicans. In their letter, the senators say "ensuring access to affordable, quality and portable health care for every American is not a Republican or Democrat issue - it is an American issue."

As lawmakers work out the details of the legislation, however, cooperation may prove difficult, as evidenced by the impassioned remarks on Twitter from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, regarding President Obama's leadership on the issue.

"Pres Obama you got nerve while u sightseeing in Paris to tell us 'time to deliver' on health care. We still on skedul/even workinWKEND," Grassley tweeted.

[cydygitt1]

The Institute of Medicine estimates that one-third of all medical care is pure waste, such as duplicate X-rays, repeat lab tests and procedures to fix mistakes.

"Most Americans don't understand how bad health care in the United States is," said Michael F. Cannon, head of health policy at the libertarian Cato Institute. "We need big reforms."

[cydygitt1]

If you want an example of government run health care, just look at the VA system, look at the medicare mess.

Posted by jsd330
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Typical republican't argument pointing out the symptoms of the health care debacle we've let the for-profit health care industry run for years, giving us the over-priced poorly-ranked current system, but never giving us any SOLUTIONS on fixing the huge problem. It's been the republican't obstructionists keeping us from any reform of our health care mess, and protecting the for-profit insurance companies that have increased health care costs by 130% in just the past 10 years, while denying coverage to those in need.

[eroosevelt08]

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, regarding President Obama's leadership on the issue:

"Pres Obama you got nerve while u sightseeing in Paris to tell us 'time to deliver' on health care. We still on skedul/even workinWKEND," Grassley tweeted.

Iowa Senator Charles Grassley should be ashamed of himself.

As a Senator who has run on family values Senator Chuck Grassley should not begrudge a President who is working so hard for the people of this country some fun time with his family.

Did Senator Grassley miss all of the work our President did on the other parts of his trip? Does he honestly expect any of us to believe that President Obama is lazy?????

Maybe Grassley has been in the Senate too long. He has had his entire Senate career: since 1980 to fix the health care mess.


He should resign and make way for somebody else with the stamina to do the job to sit in his place.

[jsd330]

If you want an example of government run health care, just look at the VA system, look at the medicare mess. You will be paying for your so called free Government healthcare in higher taxes. Nothing is free somebody is going to have to pay one way or another.

[bajajohn1]

I heard the news conference in opposition from those Republican's Senators who sleep with insurance executives. The most striking aspect of their comments were to quote," We have not seen the plan yet." but, they are unanimous in their opposition. Can anyone believe those Republican Munchkins when they oppose a health plan they have not even seen? Is it it any wonder they are disliked by the vast majority of Americans?

[inesje88]

Our elected officials, including the Republicans, are on a government health plan. If they do not like a government option , let them buy it in the free markets know as the health insurance corporation cartel. They work for us . Since when does the employee have a more comprehensive health plan than the employer. There is no divine right of elected American politicians to enjoy platinum health care at very little cost to themselves and family while hard working Americans forgo care because their employer had to drop their coverage to stay in business or they can not afford the ever increasing deductables.

Every American deserves the same coverage as the elected officials in DC do. May of them have received large donations from health care corporations and they don't want the gravy train to derail.

Single payer is the only way to acheive everybody in nobody out. This includes you elected officials.

[steeepe]

Of course they oppose it -- there's no profit for them or their business cronies in any government plan. It's all about money. Health has nothing to do with it.

[cydygitt1]

There's only one solution to our problems... vote the rest of the obstructionist republicans out of office.
Posted by wogerwabbit
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Actually, for them to continue to rail against any and all reform of the for-profit health care debacle, I can think of other things I'd like to do to these obstructionist republican'ts well past just voting them out of office! <big grin>

[cydygitt1]

My business is being destroyed by health insurance costs. My premium just went up 13%... which I must admit is better than the 20% it went up each of the previous 3 years. Health Insurance companies are just useless, paper pushing middlemen. Get rid of them and our premiums would go down at last 30%.

Posted by wogerwabbit
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Why exactly does the party of NO continue to fail to see the 130% increase in health care premiums just over the past 10 years?

It's not just the huge profits and huge CEO pay, benefits and golden parachutes as well as huge administrative costs, but the huge amount of MONEY that the health care industry is spending on lobbying against any reform or competition including all the congresscritters getting a nice piece of the pie to keep the status quo!

This is and has been totally disgusting for decades, and anyone that continues to support our high cost of very poor health care delivery is just a scuumbaag!

[wogerwabbit]

But the ONE thing he IS interested in is destroying US businesses...you can bet your bottom boots that's what motivating him so as to put insurance companies out of business.
Posted by IThoughtItWasFunnyAgain at 8:46 AM : Jun 9, 2009

My business is being destroyed by health insurance costs. My premium just went up 13%... which I must admit is better than the 20% it went up each of the previous 3 years. Health Insurance companies are just useless, paper pushing middlemen. Get rid of them and our premiums would go down at last 30%.