Conservative Dems Balk on Health Care

Group of Congressman Demand Changes Before They'll Support Overhaul

(AP)  Conservative House Democrats are demanding significant changes before they can support a sweeping health care overhaul, forcing the House to join the Senate in delaying action on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The Blue Dog Democrats' list of demands came on the eve of House Democratic leaders' planned unveiling of their final bill Friday. The bill release was pushed back to Monday at the earliest and Democratic leaders agreed to devote Friday to meetings with the fiscally conservative Blue Dogs to work through their concerns.

These include the need for more cost containment measures, protections for small businesses and a focus on rural health care.

"We cannot support a final product that fails to" address these issues, members of the group wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Opposition from the 52-member group could imperil House passage of a bill.

Before Thursday, delays and intramural Democratic disputes over taxes and the role of government had seemed mostly confined to the Senate. A bipartisan deal emerging in the Senate Finance Committee was threatened this week when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated displeasure with the likely payment method, a new tax on health care benefits.

That's left Finance Committee members scrambling for alternative taxes to replace the $320 billion the benefits tax would have raised over a decade. Democrats are considering raising taxes on wealthy investors instead, along with other options, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. The proposal to extend the current 1.45 percent Medicare payroll tax to capital gains earned by high-income taxpayers would bring in an estimated $100 billion over 10 years.

In the House, Democratic leaders had hoped to release an ambitious bill Friday that would achieve Obama's goals of holding down health care costs and extending insurance to the 50 million people who lack it. Insurers would have to cover all comers, employers would be required to offer insurance and individuals would be required to purchase it, with subsidies for the poor. The tax-writing Ways and Means Committee met throughout the day Thursday to try to finalize plans on how to pay for the plan, with an income surcharge on high-earners of some 3 percent or more emerging as the leading option.

But the move by the Blue Dogs scrambled the equation. It was unclear whether Democratic leaders would be able to satisfy the group's demands since in some cases they're far apart from draft language produced by the three House committees writing health legislation.

Also unclear was whether the setbacks would amount to anything more than a brief delay for a bill of enormous complexity and controversy.

Hoyer sought to minimize the day's developments.

"Let me make it very clear that everybody in that room thinks we ought to pass health care reform,'' the Maryland Democrat said after he and Pelosi met for more than two hours Thursday evening with Blue Dog members.

But Hoyer said, "There's still some additional work that needs to be done.''

One conservative Democrat, Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., said he believes no House vote should take place until September.

That is well past a midsummer informal deadline set by Pelosi, D-Calif.

"I promised the president that we would have legislation out of the House before we went on an August break,'' she said earlier in the day. "That is still my goal.''

Among the Blue Dogs' concerns is the shape of a new public insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. House leaders envision making payment rates to providers in the plan some 5 percent higher than Medicare payment rates. Blue Dogs say they can't support any link to Medicare rates, which they say pays well below market rates and varies unfairly around the country.

That puts House leaders in a tough spot since many liberal Democrats are insistent that a new public plan be linked to Medicare.

Although the Blue Dogs haven't taken a position on whether they'd support new taxes, they also want the health care system squeezed harder for more savings and cost containment.

"Some people are getting confused and believing that the primary purpose behind health care reform is making health care affordable and accessible for everyone, which is certainly something we all want to accomplish," said Ross, who chairs the Blue Dogs' health care task force. "The Blue Dog Coalition talks about health care reform in the context of cost containment."

[Hal_Horvath]

More affordable, and accessible for everyone. Is this possible? Very much so.

The public plan should be *limited* -- basic: preventative care, office visits, emergency room coverage, and only proven, effective treatments, and no further.

Want more? No problem, buy yourself *supplemental* private insurance.

There's a lot more -- we could drastically improve cost-efficiency over time by using a market approach: pay for performance (outcomes). This can be done even for complex, difficult conditions with unclear outcomes! It's just a matter of setting up the structure correctly.

How much should the public plan cost -- about $250/month for a 40-yr old.

That's cheap. That's cheap enough it doesn't need so much subsidy from taxpayers for poor people!

More: http://findingourdream.blogspot.com/

[nottellin1]

Now read the entire quote instead of that little piece above, "Some people are getting confused and believing that the primary purpose behind health care reform is making health care affordable and accessible for everyone, which is certainly something we all want to accomplish" Not what it states people are coinfused about. We all need to get the fact that this all abour money not health!

[thusspokezara]

Why should doctors make ten to twenty times of what I do? It is not fare. We need to cap there income. I say that we limit there pay to 50,000 a year. We could use the extra money to pay public teachers like myself more.

[Solarrays247]

Anyone that can spell better than you do....deserves to make more money.

ie. "fare" s/b "fair"; "there" s/b "their", Teach!

[mjvwsr]

where can I find a blue dog democrat to vote for?

[thusspokezara]

Doctors have little incentive to control costs. We need to control their decision making. We can easily do this by developing strict treatment algorithms. Actually, they already exists for most illnesses. If the doctor deviates from the algorithh, BAM, they get fined. They do it more than three times, BAM, their lisence is put on probation. They keep deviating from the algorithm, BAM, they lose their lisence. If we allow more Foreign Medical Graduates into the USA, that will more than make up for the loss of doctors.

[Solarrays247]

"The Blue Dog Coalition talks about health care reform in the context of cost containment."


Alrighty then, for starters, I suggest we make an intense examination of the ridiculous administrative costs of the health insurance companies! Before you begin attacking medical professional's incomes.....lets take a good hard look at the salaries and perks and bonuses to the top five executive positions of each and every health insurance company licensed to provide coverage in the United States! Then and only then, should we begin looking for other ways to cut costs!

Next in line to be investigated should be the pharmaceutical companies who are government funded for a good part of their R & D costs. Guess where those tax dollars come from to fund and cover those R & D costs? I feel as though I am being b*t*ch slapped twice! One for using my tax dollars for their profit machines, and secondly for the outrageous prices of many of the pharmaceutical life saving drugs!

Finally, investigate and research charges regarding all phases of medical care. But, lets remember, most of our doctors are coming out of medical school with student loans ranging over $100,000. And MRI machines aren't cheap. Let's look at extraordinary charges like $20.00 aspirin tablets, etc.

Only after these steps have been taken, will I be prepared to believe any politician that he/she is actually looking out for their constituents!!

[thusspokezara]

Who is driving up the cost of health care? Doctors. To control the cost of health care we have to lower what they can charge, limit what they can prescribe, limit the tests they can order, and make them PAY for their mistakes. I say we:
1. flood the United States with Foreign Medical Graduates. We increase supply of doctors. The AMA won't like that? So what?
2. have them get prior approval for any tests they order. If they order too many frivolous tests, they should be fined.
3. Don't allow doctors to prescribe a brand medication unless it has been proven superior to generics
4. If the doctor makes an error, make the doctors PAY for the costs associated with the added care.
5. Stop paying doctors for extending the life of dying patients. Dying is not a medical disorder.
6. Three law suits and you lose your medical lisence.

[ubrew12]

One out of every three healthcare dollars in America doesn't go into healthcare, but into administrative costs. The comparable figure in Canada is 1%.

[antoniof123]

I hate to break the news to you but the doctors are the least of the problems the insurance companies are the real problem. They get to gamble by saying you will not get sick or die and you bet that you will (remember you are betting on the negitive). Then the insurance companies try not to pay. They then once they have to have not only increased the cost that you pay (Legal fees in many cases) but the health problems from the agravation. It is not the fault of those that are sick or dead because they won the bet it is the fault of the ones who don't want to pay.

Insurance companies are not out for what is best for the American people or any people for that matter (AIG remeber them). They are in business to make a profit at what ever the cost is to anyone else.

If you can't see this then their is no hope. Now there are others at fault too no one is without blame but the insurance companies well they hold most of the blame.

[wogerwabbit]

Hey, forget the generic drug thing... not all generics are the same as the real thing... otherwise, with my insurance I'd be paying $10 a month instead of $23+ for the drug that actually works. Besides, the pharmacies are taking care of it by calling doctors all the time trying to get them to authorize a switch to the generics drugs because they make more money from them. The drones in my doctors office have authorized the switch twice in the last year even though my prescription says the real drug is 'medically necessary'... sigh.

[thusspokezara]

Don't worry President Obama plans to sit down with these pseudo-Democrats and tell them: "If you don't vote for my program, I will
1. Oppose you the next time you run.
2. Have Rham run the campaign of your African American opponent.
3. Have Acorn get out the vote for your opponent.
4. After you are defeated, I will have my attorney general investigate you and your family.

[tunaatlast]

If we go to nationlized health care it will make it very hard for people like Mickael Jackson to optain illegal and prescription drugs. At least there will be a national record that can be traced and put a stop to it.

[ubrew12]

Wins my vote: 'most idiotic reason to switch to nationalized healthcare'

[mjvwsr]

I'll second that

[pubsnomore]

Someone should check the Blue Dogs' bank account and see which RePugSlime is paying them off.