August 17, 2009 8:08 AM

Dean: Public Option "Linked" to Reform

By
Alex Sundby
Topics
Health Care
(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
A day after President Obama's health secretary indicated the administration might drop its support for a government-funded option from its campaign for health-care reform, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who's also a doctor, gave a second opinion the administration probably doesn't want to hear.

"I don't think it can pass without the public option," Dean said about the bill to CBS Anchor Maggie Rodriguez on "The Early Show." "There are too many people who understand, including the president himself, the public option is absolutely linked to reform."

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told CNN Sunday the public option is "not the essential element" of the administration's pursuit of health-care reform. She said the White House would be open to throwing its support behind a co-op model instead, which could receive more support from Republicans.

However, the administration hasn't withdrawn its support from a public option completely. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said "a government plan is the best way to provide choice and competition" on "Face the Nation" Sunday.

Dean supports the idea of the government providing Americans with an option to private insurance. He said any other changes wouldn't improve the country's health-care system.

"You can't have reform without a public option," Dean said. "If you really want to fix the health-care system, you've got to give the public the choice of having such an option. If you don't want to have the public option, you most certainly shouldn't spend $60 billion a year subsidizing the health-insurance industry."

Dean also brought up the possibility of ignoring Republicans and using the Democrats' majorities in Congress to pass a reform package with a public option, a point Mr. Obama heard at least once during a series of town-hall meetings last week.

"My guess is the Republicans aren't going to vote for this bill no matter what," Dean said. "There's no point in making a lot of concessions to people who aren't going to vote for the bill under any circumstances anyway … If you don't have the Republicans playing seriously in this bill, you only have the Democrats, and the Democrats want a public option."

For supporters of the public option, Dean gave the bill a positive prognosis.

"It will pass with the public option," he said, "and the president will sign it sometime in December."

  • Alex Sundby

    Alex Sundby is an associate news editor for CBSNews.com

Add a Comment See all 176 Comments
by jschmidt27 August 17, 2009 8:21 PM EDT
What change we need:
Single claims system used by all insurers. Streamline regulation between states and Fed to eliminate duplication. Streamline Fed drug approval process.
Let employees buy their own insurance using some part of employer provided funds. Promote wellness programs similar to used by Safeway and Whole Foods. Force insurers to sign up all that apply and not drop people based on claims. Tort reform to reduce malpractice costs. Adequate funding of hospitals for medicare reimbursement. Promote nursing programs. Computerize all records. Govt can provide incentives to reduce admin costs.
There is no way Congress would ever leave a public option compete with private insurers. It would put more money into the public option eventually to win votes which would under cut insurers and put them under leading to a single payer system. In many countries with single payer systems, the doctors and hospitals are not making enough money.
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by didserve August 17, 2009 7:55 PM EDT
Americans should drag the republicans out and throw them into the Ocean so they can swim to the country whos people they represent! It is truly not America!
Reply to this comment
by hungry1968-16 August 17, 2009 7:46 PM EDT
by AK-47_Justice August 17, 2009 6:58 PM EDT
by gman22051
"How can the Republicans be accused of not telling the truth"
*************************************


GEE....let's see......let's start with the LIES about 'death panels,' or the other LIE about "not reading the proposed legislation," hat continues to make its way through forwarded e-mails and the usual foxnewsus propagandus along with the LIES from RNC leader rushbo!

The republicant's cannot tell the truth at all -- just more LIES and DECEPTIONS from the usual rabid rightwads.






My favorite was "mandated" and "forced" abortions. These brainless morons have been led to believe that ALL pregnant women were going to FORCIBLY have the births terminated, and they were foolish enough to believe it.
Reply to this comment
by randomlybanned August 17, 2009 6:31 PM EDT
Someone actually still listens to Howard 'the Idiot' Dean?? Yee-awwww! What a moron!
Reply to this comment
by hungry1968-16 August 17, 2009 6:30 PM EDT
by NEWCO123 August 17, 2009 2:18 PM EDT
Hmmmm I guess that's why MOST Americans think this bill is not what we want.

That the latest polls show Obama at the same place as Bill Clinton was on his Health care bill when it failed.







You sound happy that MOST of America's working class WILL NOT have health care coverage by the end of 2010.

Are you happy about that fact?
Reply to this comment
by jntlw August 17, 2009 5:25 PM EDT
I agree - we desparetly need the single payer option and we need to stop listening to cray ill-informed or misinformed (lied to) over zeolous crowds who appear to me to be older people already on Medicare (socialized medicine) but appear they don't want anyone else to have it. There is no way this people could possibly believe socialized medicine will turn us into some demonic evil socialist state - that would never could never happen. No one would want that not the left or the right. I do agree they have one good talking point and that is we need a clear answer as to how it will be funded. But where you think we need it or not should not be the issue - we need it!
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by fctex August 17, 2009 4:39 PM EDT
generally, and this is not an exception, when Dean speaks on a subject, usually the opposite view is what makes sense and the majority (dems and repubs alike) want. so, if Dean thinks the public option is required, it is probably not something most of us want. does anybody really think this guy has any credibility??
Reply to this comment
by schotzy81 August 17, 2009 4:31 PM EDT
What's that giant sucking sound? Oh yeah. It's the Democrats imploding.
Reply to this comment
by ubrew12 August 17, 2009 4:16 PM EDT
I support 'Medicare Choice': give Americans a one-time-only chance to buy in to the Medicare system at any age. The choice is unchangeable, once you make it you can't break it (until 65, of course). This keeps private insurers from dumping sick people on Medicare's door and raising its costs. People who choose the status quo get more choices, which they prefer. But they pay more for the right to choose, and pay corporate profits as well. People who choose Medicare will likely pay less, because they are locked into the Medicare system for life and can't choose to leave it (although they can always buy supplemental insurance if they want).

And children, at 25, are also offered this one-time-only chance to choose Medicare for life, or choose the private health insurance system.

Many Americans want the chance to choose Medicare, and they aren't being given that chance. Many Americans prefer privatized healthcare because of the greater choice available, but it tends to cost more. This solution makes everybody happy.
Reply to this comment
by jschmidt27 August 17, 2009 4:15 PM EDT
Before you think the single payer system is the answer-check this out.You may see the patterm-doctors underpaid, hospitals losing money.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/countries/
German Health Care-What are the concerns? The single-payment system leaves some German doctors feeling underpaid. A family doctor in Germany makes about two-thirds as much as he or she would in America. (Then again, German doctors pay much less for malpractice insurance, and many attend medical school for free.) Germany also lets the richest 10 percent opt out of the sickness funds in favor of U.S.-style for-profit insurance. These patients are generally seen more quickly by doctors, because the for-profit insurers pay doctors more than the sickness funds
Japan Health Care- What are the concerns? In fact, Japan has been so successful at keeping costs down that Japan now spends too little on health care; half of the hospitals in Japan are operating in the red. Having no gatekeepers means there's no check on how often the Japanese use health care, and patients may lack a medical home.
Taiwan Health Care-What are the concerns? Like Japan, Taiwan's system is not taking in enough money to cover the medical care it provides. The problem is compounded by politics, because it is up to Taiwan's parliament to approve an increase in insurance premiums, which it has only done once since the program was enacted.
Swiss Healthcare-What are the concerns? The Swiss system is the second most expensive in the world -- but it's still far cheaper than U.S. health care. Drug prices are still slightly higher than in other European nations, and even then the discounts may be subsidized by the more expensive U.S. market, where some Swiss drug companies make one-third of their profits. In general, the Swiss do not have gatekeeper doctors, although some insurance plans require them or give a discount to consumers who use them.

UK HealthCare- What are the concerns? The stereotype of socialized medicine -- long waits and limited choice -- still has some truth. In response, the British government has instituted reforms to help make care more competitive and give patients more choice. Hospitals now compete for NHS funds distributed by local Primary Care Trusts, and starting in April 2008 patients are able to choose where they want to be treated for many procedures.
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