October 14, 2009 11:44 AM

Liberals Push to Shift Health Care Bill Left

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Health Care
(AP)
President Obama hailed the Senate Finance Committee's vote in favor of health care reform on Tuesday, but as the pressure falls on Senate leadership to move forward with the reform process, liberal advocacy groups are insisting the moderate Finance Committee's bill is not good enough.

Labor unions are making good on their promise to withold support for any health care bill without a government insurance plan, or "public option." The AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America (CWA), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and about two dozen other unions are running a full page ad today blasting the Finance bill as "deeply flawed."

"A public health insurance plan option is essential to reform," reads the ad, which is running in the Washington Post, USA Today and newspapers catering to Capitol Hill. Besides calling for a public option, it insists health care reform must include a mandate for employers to contribute to the cost of care -- both proposals were left out of the Finance Committee bill.

The ad also attacks the bill for including a tax on insurers for costly health care plans. "A new tax on the middle class is unacceptable," it says.

Labor unions have put their alliance with Democrats to the test over the issue of health care. Last week, over 100 AFL-CIO leaders from 27 states traveled to Capitol Hill to lobby their congressmen. They delivered thousands of letters written by constituents in support of a bill that meets their demands.

CWA produced a report yesterday, compiled from data and analysis from the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation and the group Citizens for Tax Justice, showing that the tax on so-called "Cadillac" plans would impact costs for consumers, even though the tax technically falls on insurers.

A tax on generous health insurance plans would not only hit the wealthy, but union workers and other middle-class workers with good benefits, the CWA points out.

"It is a middle class tax," CWA President Larry Cohen said in a statement. "It hits 40 percent of all health plans and will lead to even more cost shifting to workers. Rather than make those employers who already pay toward their workers' health coverage pay more, let's make employers who don't pay, pay."

After Health Care Win, Debate Continues
Health Care Progress Report: Oct. 13
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care Reform

Other liberal groups are joining unions in calling for a public option and other elements that were included in the more liberal House legislation or the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee bill.

Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for the reform group Health Care for America Now, said in a statement that the bill that reaches the Senate floor should reflect the HELP Committee bill -- not the Finance Committee bill.

"The Senate Finance Committee bill falls short on making insurance affordable to America's families, gives employers a 'free ride,' and does not create meaningful competition in the insurance market with a strong national public health insurance option," he said. "We're counting on Senators to put their constituents ahead of the big insurers and vote for real reform."

Liberal interests are likely to find a few allies in the Senate, including Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.).

"Let me be crystal clear: This yes vote is not an endorsement of this bill as it stands today," Rockefeller said Tuesday, Politico reports. "My vote is a pledge to continue on the Senate floor, and in conference, the fight for policies that work and represent the real needs of West Virginia families."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also reportedly said the bill was "extremely weak."

Add a Comment See all 64 Comments
by TrollsRus October 14, 2009 7:20 PM EDT
This "level playing field" field you talk about. Please explain to me. You are obviously the only person I know that can run a business against a competitor that DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE A PROFIT to stay in business and CAN OPERATE AT A LOSS YEAR AFTER YEAR and still stay in business. After all the "public option" has the taxpayers footing the bill wether they like it or not. If you can operate a profitable business against competition like that then I wanna hire you. Its seems like most of the bloggers on this board could run a successful corporation against a "public option" government run program. I'm sure if they were CEO's of there own company they would vote to have their salary adjusted to what the "public" seems reasonable. Ya right
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by wrangler73 October 14, 2009 6:57 PM EDT
Obama and the Dems are determined to try to whiz a "screw ball" past the Dem constituency that voted for them, by foisting a fraudulent plan on them that has no single-payer option. BS always involves "heavy lifting" but Dems in Congress have decades of experience in finessing the BS to make it smell like rosewater. They are even using the same identical fraudulent vernacular the Insurance Industry uses to defraud prospective insureds. They pretend that they are offering something valuable when they say "You cannot be refused insurance for pre-existing conditions and your insurance cannot be cancelled." It's a non-existent, flim-flam delusional assurance. The Insurance Industry doesn't need to 'reject,' refuse, or 'cancel' anyone. They just raise the premiums through the roof so the insureds and applicants can no longer stay in the game. Obama and the Dems in Congress have gone to enormous lengths to defraud the public with this kind of pickpocket flim-flam gibberish. Without a single-payer option the Baucus Plan ranks high as a fraud and ranks low-in-the-sewer as a Healthcare plan. Without a single-payer option, It's a fraud.
Reply to this comment
by hungry1968-16 October 14, 2009 7:00 PM EDT
Very well said.

With no public option, we're better off staying with the nightmare that the insurance company has currently saddled on us.

Even if it is killing our economy.
by rank_n_file October 14, 2009 6:52 PM EDT
Bill Nelson calls the "Baucus Plan" -- which contains NO Single-Payer option -- "A good first step." A betrayal of the Dem constituency that overwhelmingly favors a "Single-Payer Option" is NOT "a good first step." A fraudulent plan that capitulates to the Insurance Industry, is NOT "a good first step." It is Dem TREASON that perpetrates a fraud against the Dem voters who were explicitly and unequivocally PROMISED "Change" and "Reform" of a federal system long-since captured, corrupted and controlled by wealthy lobbyists like the Insurance Industry. Nelson and Baucus are talking about "Change" and "Reform" DEFERRED into the future, the same empty promises they've doled out for the past 50 years. Dems puts Obama and Dems in Congress in a significant majority because they were explicitly and unequivocally PROMISED "Change" and "Reform" NOW, not because they wanted yet another empty promise deferred into the vague, nonspecific future. We don't need Dems in Congress when they are simply going to mimic, appease and capitulate to Republicans and the Insurance Industry. And that is precisely what the "Baucus Plan" represents, pure brazen capitulation to the Insurance Industry, pursuant to Repub's lifelong sentiments.
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by truth_police October 14, 2009 6:50 PM EDT
I'm a Dem and I voted for Obama and I ardently believe TRUE, genuine Healthcare Reform is absolutely necessary for a healthy economy, as well as a healthy society. But because the Baucus Plan contains no "Single-Payer Option" it is a fraud and it will not help either the economy or the citizens. WHY? Because as noted Harvard Medical School expert Marcia Angell has often stated, the bedrock of the current healthcare crisis lies in its complete, total reliance on the greedy for-profit vultures in the Insurance Industry, who pick the bones clean before they pass the remaining benefits to the insured. If 10 million people get together to mutually insure themselves, they can do it at a much, much lower cost than 10 million insureds within a greedy for-profit Insurance company. And If 10 million people get together to mutually insure themselves, they can do it at a much, much lower cost than if only 1,000 people joined. The greater the membership number the lower the premiums. Hence, a single-payer plan is infinitely less expensive than the current Insurance Industry controlled system, which is skyrocketing out of control for precisely that reason.
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by msimamaji October 14, 2009 6:40 PM EDT
Insurance companies really need money. According to a New York Times article, last July, they are spending $ 1.4 million dollars a day to destroy Obama's medical reforms. They need to pay off CEO, investors, lobbyists, and politicians on Capitol. Name the major opponents to Obama's proposals - Mitch McConnel, Orrin Hatch, Chuck Grassley, Jim DeMint, Joe Wilson. All of them get hefty political contributions form health insurance companies. I might also add, that we have no way of knowing how much money politicians taking from Medicare Advantage. We need to stamp out waste in Medicare now.

And since 2010 is an election year, health insurance companies across the country will raise rates because they need to make record political campaign contributions. This is already happening. According to an article by Arthur Delaney on the Huffington Post (October 5, 2009 Anthem Blue Cross is using the state of Maine because Blue Cross wants to raise rates by 18.5 %.

The health insurance is bankrupting the country. 700,000 people a year are filing for bankruptcy because of medical bills. Most of these people had health insurance. At a Move-On rally, a small businessmen spoke. He said that he could not hire employees for his expanding business because of insurance costs. According to a report filed by the Harvard Medical school, 44,000 people are dying each year because of inadequate medical care - Many of these people had health insurance.

This is the reason for a public option. The American people deserve a choice. If you want to continue to give away your salary to Wall Street, K Street and Capitol. Fine. That's your choice. If you want to try a "non-profit" cooperative - with the understanding that all of the people I named will get their cut before you get your medical care. Fine. That should be your choice.

But you should also have a public option, like buying your insurance through Medicare. By cracking down on Medicare fraud, which Obama proposes, Medicare should also an option.

That way we can have something for everybody.
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by AOCGUY October 14, 2009 5:58 PM EDT
I'm generally right of center on most issues, especially finance and the military but effective health and insurance reform needs a public option - hell! we need Medicare for all. When people don't have to worry that health care will bankrupt them there is no telling how productive they can be. Proper health care should be a right for all and imperitive for a productive and competetive society.
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by clowry1611 October 14, 2009 5:55 PM EDT
oh well that is enough fun for one day! :)
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by clowry1611 October 14, 2009 5:37 PM EDT
while they are at it why not impose an "Out of Shape" Tax. If you fall outside the mandated proportion of weight to height ratio then, BAM! you get hit at tax time. Trust me after that first wave of taxes people would get healthy and at the same time that first year of the tax would clear our budget deficit, lol. Just look at america nowadays.
Reply to this comment
by clowry1611 October 14, 2009 5:53 PM EDT
not to mention when everyone got healthy you could save the billions that will be wasted on healthcare reform so even more money back to the gov't.
by clowry1611 October 14, 2009 5:55 PM EDT
oh and i forgot tax breaks for the healthy. Lowry in 2012!!!
by fdd23 October 14, 2009 5:34 PM EDT
everyone wants the freebee--what made this country great was hard work for a decent wage--go out and earn it--no!!! you want the government to provide it for you...well, they provide the postal service(always in financial distress), medicare and social security(great ideas, but, both "PONZI SCHEMES" are headed for bankruptcy), VA hospitals are a mess, and what about the 37 trillon dollars of unfunded liability that will be due when the boomers become medicare eligible--WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS??? WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM??? DEFICIT AND DEBT ARE GROWING EXPONENTIALLY!!! A WAR IN AFGHANASTAN IS COSTING TRILLIONS!!!! AND, WE WANT A PUBLIC OPTION? ARE YOU ALL NUTS!!! WE'RE GOING BROKE--WAKE UP!!!!!!
Reply to this comment
by msimamaji October 14, 2009 6:08 PM EDT
The folks who want the free be are the rich. They are getting free tax breaks. We are at war, but compare the tax rates the rich pay now with the tax rates the rich paid during World War II. The rich are perpetuating Ponzi schemes. Look at the real estate bubble and the tanking melt down.

And look at wages. Fewer and fewer companies are paying a decent liveable wage. Remember Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger, the Hudson River hero? In Michael Moore's Capitalism with Love, he pointed out that his salary has gone down 40%. He has lost his pension. Is this any way to treat a hero? And Capt. Sully's story is all too common. The rich want people to work off-clock time and then some, but they don't want to pay their employees a decent wage. And if workers threaten to form unions, the rich off-shore american jobs, import guest workers, or hire undocumented immigrants.

The biggest freebee for the rich is health care.

Health insurance corporations are spending 1.4 million a day trying to destroy Obama's health care reform. All the CEO's of health insurance companies will want a 10 or 20% raise to their multi-million dollar salaries. Health insurance stock is the new darling of Wall Street and all the new investors expect a 20 to 40% return on their investment. An army of lobbyists is assaulting DC. You also pay for campaign contributions because every major player in health care reform - Max Baucus, Mike Enzi, Chuck Grassley, Olympia Snowe, Mitch McConnel, Orrin Hatch, all receive generous bribes from the health insurance industry.(Don't believe me, do the research yourself. Check out Center for Political Responsiveness.)

And of course, 2010 is an election year, so health insurance industries will be spending billions of dollars to elect Republicans who in turn will eliminate health care reform.
And you or your employer is footing the bill. Have any one in the health insurance industry told you this? Unless we act immediately, health insurance companies will bankrupt this country.

This is the reason you need a way out - like the right to buy your health insurance from Medicare (That's a public option.) The key to health care reform should be choice. If you want to buy insurance from a non-profit cooperative, fine. If you want to keep on giving your money away to K Street, Wall Street, and Capitol Hill, fine.

But if you want to buy from a public option, like Medicare, that provides health care for you rather than bribery money for politicians, you should have that right too. That's the purpose of a public option.
Neither Wall Street Brokers, insurance company death squads, nor politicians on Capitol Hill should stand in the way of you and your doctor.
by stillfreetoday October 14, 2009 5:34 PM EDT
Can ANYONE tell me why we have to rush passing this? put a balanced team of Republican, Democrat and Independents together for 6-8 months and come up with a real plan we can ALL atand by.
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by johndevinejr October 14, 2009 5:57 PM EDT
What are you talking about...rush? We have been waiting for 40 years to fix this broken system. There will never be a bill that republicans will stand by, they have fought every social advance in this country. They fought Unemployment Insurance, they fought Social Security, they fought Medicare and Medicaid. They fight every bill that helps people.

When it came to paying trillions of dollars for a war based on lies not one republican opposed it. They only oppose bills that spend money on helping people.
by msimamaji October 14, 2009 6:27 PM EDT
Been there. Done that. Remember the famous gang of six on the Senate Finance committee which tried to work out a compromise? They are an excellent example of BUY-partisanship.
Olympia J Snowe gets $ 360,000 from the health sector. Aetna Inc is her 2nd individual top donor. She also gets campaign contributions from Spectrum Medical, and Goldman Sachs.
The top 6 contributors for Charles Grassley include Blue Cross, 2nd place: Select Medical Group, 3rd place; and Amgen. Throughout Grassley's career he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the industries health insurance industry, health products, and pharmaceuticals.
Mike Enzi's top political contributor is Pharmaceutical industry. Health professionals get 2nd place, and lobbyists take 7th place. Some of his top individual contributors include Blue Cross, Amgen, Merck & Co, and Goldman Sachs.
Of the top 20 industries that contribute to Ben Nelson's political campaigns, the insurance industry takes 2nd place; 3rd place securities and investments; 4th place lobbyists; 5th place health professionals; and 7th place pharmaceuticals and health products. Over his political career, Ben Nelson has received $610,000 from the health sector and $ 739,000 from lobbyists.

His top 20 individual contributors include Amgen, Aetna, Healthsouth, Inc. IN addition, Nelson gets contributions from Altria, the nation's major tobacco company, and his top political contributor is NelNet, which finances student loans.
If we examine the industries that donate to Max Baucus' campaign funds, we find that securities and investments take 1st place; insurance, 3rd, pharmaceuticals, 4th; and health professionals, Individual contributors include Goldman Sachs, 2nd place; and Aetna Inc, and Amgen tied for 5th. Blue Cross/Blue shield, Morgan Stanley, and Altria are also among Baucus' top contributors..

Over his political career, Kent Conrad has received $ 1 million in political campaign contributions from the health sector. In fact, insurance industry is Conrad's 2nd larger campaign contributor .
What we've got is a bill that the private insurance companies would love, but the private insurance companies are showing their gratitude by threatening to raise their rates. According to an article by Arthur Delaney on the Huffington Post (October 5, 2009 Anthem Blue Cross is sing the state of Maine because Blue Cross wants to raise rates by
18.5 %.

Bear in mind that health insurance companies really need money. They need to pay off CEO, investors, lobbyists, and politicians. I might also add, that we have no way of knowing how much money politicians taking from Medicare Advantage. We need to stamp out waste in Medicare now.

The health insurance is bankrupting the country. 700,000 people a year are filing for bankruptcy because of medical bills. Most of these people had health insurance. At a Move-On rally, a small businessmen spoke. He said that he could not hire employees for his expanding business because of insurance costs. According to a report filed by the Harvard Medical school, 44,000 people are dying each year because of inadequate medical care - Many of these people had health insurance. These are all compelling reasons why we can't wait
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