House Dems' Health Reform Hurdles Dwindle

(AP)  Just a few unsolved problems - and one final sales job - stand between House Democratic leaders and a landmark vote on President Barack Obama's promised remake of the nation's health care system.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, the unresolved issues are among the most vexing out there: abortion and immigration.

And although they're confident they'll succeed, Democratic leaders have yet to nail down the votes they'll need to pass their sweeping bill. They're aiming for floor action to begin as early as Friday and finish before Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

Special Report: Health Care Reform

Or, as Majority Leader Steny Hoyer put it when asked when the House would take up the health care bill, "Friday or Saturday or Monday or Tuesday."

"We want to make sure it's correct," Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Monday.

The 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill would extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans with a new requirement that almost everyone get insured, and give subsidies to help lower-income people afford plans. Businesses would be required to cover their employees, and insurance companies would no longer be able to turn people away because of their health status.

GOP Rep: Reform Bill More Dangerous than Terrorism

Democratic leaders unveiled the bill with fanfare last week, a 1,990-page plan that sought to satisfy the concerns of both liberals and moderates while combining separate health bills passed by three different committees over the summer.

House leaders have made progress winning over liberals to back a new government insurance plan in the bill that's weaker than what liberals preferred. But they haven't quite closed the deal with enough members of their caucus. An initial vote tally showed them falling short of the 218-vote majority they need, according to Democratic aides.

"The bill's improved," said Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., one of many undecided lawmakers, citing fewer taxes and more deficit-reducing measures. But, Altmire said, "I'm not sure it's there yet."

Across the Capitol, senators are waiting to see the final language and price tag on a health bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid and a few other top officials wrote in secret. It's not clear when those details will be available and Reid, D-Nev., may not be able to begin debate on the issue until the week before Thanksgiving.

Determined to avoid being accused of not reading their bill, House Democrats met late Monday to do just that, going over the legislation section by section in a room in the basement of the Capitol.

Anti-abortion Democrats were circulating language to strengthen prohibitions in the bill against federal funding of abortion. The bill stipulates that people getting federal subsidies would have to use their own money to get abortions, but that division is not clear enough to satisfy some lawmakers. Lawmakers are considering language that would make a more straightforward declaration against use of federal funds for abortion.

On immigration, it's still not settled whether illegal immigrants would be allowed to shop for insurance within a new purchasing exchange. Some lawmakers say that even if they use their own money to buy private plans they would be getting a benefit from the federally established exchange. The White House does not want illegal immigrants to access the exchange, and the Senate bill would keep them out.

After spending months criticizing Democratic health care plans, House Republicans are preparing to unveil one of their own, though Minority Leader John Boehner was short on details when he described it to reporters Monday.

He said it would omit one of the central provisions in Democratic bills - a ban on the insurance industry's practice of denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. Instead, he said the Republicans would encourage creation of insurance pools for high-risk individuals and take other steps to ease their access to coverage.

Boehner also said Republicans would propose limits on medical malpractice lawsuits in what he said was an attempt to reduce the cost of coverage.

Despite their internal divisions, many Democrats are eager to vote for a health overhaul bill - even those who hadn't quite committed themselves to doing so.

"We fail to pass health care reform at our own peril," said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., though he has yet to agree to support the bill. "Our base expects health care reform. ... You can't distance yourself from your base and expect to succeed."

[antoniof123]

But 2 Remaining in Way of Vote:

We already have laws for both congress and it doesn't matter both parties are wacko.

[wmsshields]

You really want gov't to take over 15% of the Nation's economy? Lets look at other gov't "feel good" social engineering programs.
Social Security -- it will be bankrupt less than a hundred years after being created to steal huge amounts of taxpayer money. Welfare system -- three, four generations of dependents, increasing school dropout rates at huge costs to working citizens. Medicare -- ten times estimated cost within ten years. Community Reinvestment Act -- forced banks to lend to people unable to meet payments, major cause of burst housing bubble and foreclosure crisis. Amtrac -- needs taxpayer support year after year. Yeah, what we need is government taking over another huge chunk of our day-to-day existence, with bureaucracy after bureaucracy to siphon off more taxpayer money and making health decisions that doctors should be making.

[reveal4]

The house bill public insurance option would cover about 2% of the population according to the CBO. This is not the government taking over 15% of the nation's economy. This is the government taking steps to insure the folks who are presently uncovered and in need of medical care that the private insurance companies leave to suffer and die. 2% or about 6 million Americans will be covered by the public option, instead of being left to suffer and die.

[reveal4]

It is clear in the historical record that Reagan and the Bushes are responsible for the national debt. Trickle down did not work. The national debt is about 12 trillion dollars. Clinton reduced the national debt and left surplus funds. Obama is responsible for the 800 billion economic stimulus plan, and the passing of last year's budget, which was a carryover from the Bush administration. Obama is responsible for about 1.2 trillion of the national debt, mostly due to cleaning up the mess and passing unpassed legislation from the Bush presidency. Reagan and the Bushes are therefore responsible for about 99%+ of the national debt. Deal with it. Democrats clen up messes left by Republican administrations. It's President Obama's turn to clean up the mess now...The mess left by Reagan and the Bushes.

[wizcat123]

GripBig - Liberals are pathologically inacapable of analyzing a relatively simple problem and coming up with a viable solution. It is very unfortunate but there is definitely a deficiency in their DNA, like the monkeys, they are just one cromosome short of being human.

[doctor_know]

Wow, what a constructive thing to say.... you are very smart sir. I wish I was as smart as you.

[wizcat123]

bc-1948 - If there is a Government Option allowed to compte with Private Insurance, there will no competition. The Government will dictate all of the rules and they will eventually drive all of the Private Companies into bankrupcy. Why? Because the Government Option will be a lot cheaper and everyone will switch over to it, individuals and small business employers. Private Companies work with limited capital, the Government does not, they need money they printed then raise taxes.Eventually the Private Health Insurances will go into bankrupcy and then Obama as he always does with great generosity will extend a hand and buy them off, then we will all have a Government Health Plan. Have you ever owned a business? As a small business owner I can tell you that costs are not controlled by Government they are controlled by the management in the Private Business. Government needs money, Government prints money, Government spends the money in wasteful projects, Government will try to raise enough taxes from the rich but they will not be able to do it, because the rich always find a way not pay taxes, just look at all the politicians in Congress. Eventually, you and I the middle class pay for their wasteful spending. Once Government has control over your health and mine, they own us. From then on the relationship you have with your doctor is gone. A Government Bureaucrat will know everything there is to know about you and your health and will be dictating to you and your doctor what the Government allows in terms of Haelthcare, the quality of the helth services will suffer and there will be rationing as well.

[doctor_know]

So you are saying the public option is bad because government will be able to deliver cheaper health care than private insurers? That sure would suck, wouldn't it.

[reveal4]

The public option will cover 2% of Americans. The cost of the public option will be slightly higher than an average private sector health insurance plan. This will be a disincentive for average folks to opt for the public option. The public option will therefore reduce costs for private insurance plans because high risk individuals will use the public option. Covering millions and millions and millions more Americans and removing the high risk plans from private insurance will actually lower premium costs for private insurance according to the Congressional Budget office. The same boogeyman scenarios are endlessly posted by the folks on the right. The truth is the majority of these posters are repeating defeatist talking points and do not actually understand reform measures.

[wizcat123]

No lobbyists, no corruption, transparency, bipartisanship, ... do you remember? This was supposed to be part of the promises Obama made, he was going to bring change. Where is the change? It is much worse now than it has ever been, Chicago thugs are running the country and with the help of the empress herself, Nancy Pelosi, are running an administration that is closer to a Chavez Dictatorship in Venezuela than anything we have seen in the United States in the past 50 years.

[bc-1948]

You obviously have a very, very short memory - Bush/Cheney were the closest to a dictatorship this country has ever seen.

[BlueDogDem]

by legacyABQ2 November 3, 2009 10:31 AM EST

You dont know anything about venezuela do you? No, you dont.

And you obviously don't know anything about the Bush/Cheney Administration, do you? You must have been sleeping the last 8 years.

[BlueDogDem]

Republicans have no interest in health care reform, and prefer the status quo. Their real passion about this bill is their desire to embarrass President Obama.

Democrats have the ability to finally accomplish their long-time goal of passing health care reform, however they are going to have to use some common sense to get the 218 votes needed. The liberals need to bend on the abortion issue. Abortion is legal and always will be. However, it really doesn't need to be covered by insurance (private or public). Abortions are an elective procedure which mostly occur because of someone's carelessness. Therefore, it's not unreasonable for the patient to pay for the service in full.

It would be foolish for the Democrats to squander their golden opportunity of passing health care reform just because of a relatively small issue as to whether the government should indirectly pay for abortions.

[chevyhotrod]

"senators are waiting to see the final language and price tag on a health bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid and a few other top officials wrote in secret."

"going over the legislation section by section in a room in the basement of the Capitol."

Change we can believe in???????????????????????

The American People will not stand for this type governament control passed in secret and in the basements of Washington DC.

I thought Obama was goint to broadcast it on CSPAN???

Change we can believe in???????????????????????

[slownewsday-05]

Well, obviously you're not going to like anything the man does.

Personally, I'm ready for health insurance reform, which ISN'T government takeover.

I'm a fiscal conservative, too, and don't see a reason to keep giving the insurance companies a disproportionate amount of my money. I consider this to be a form of consumer protection.

If we'd not entered into the unnecessary wars, this would be a wash, financially.


.

[msimamaji]

There's really nothing secretive about health care reform. I've known the essential details for over a year. The big secret is the political campaign contributions that health insurance companies make to Congressmen. For instance, no one knows that the insurance industry is John Boehner's top contributor. Pharmaceuticals are 3rd place and health professionals are fourth. (Source Center for Responsive Politics.)

All of the politicians who oppose health care reform - Joe Lieberman, Joe Wilson, Orrin Hatch, Mitch McConnell - to name a few, all get generous bribes from the insurance industry - and you foot the bill every time you pay your health insurance premium.

This is the big reason we need a public option - so that people can opt out of giving away their salary to Wall Street, K STreet, and the Hill.

[hgarner2000]

Large corporate businesses really do need regulation in order to treat customers and employees fairly. People are only human and it's hard sometimes to see past the end of one's nose. Hence, greed keeps destroying the economy and pulling up the rug from under itself. I really do believe the insurance companies will be better off in the long run with sensible healthcare reform.

[CitizenMikeM]

It's a pathetic attempt at healthcare reform. A politician is a politician--regardless of party affiliation. Their scheme is to make it appear that the public is getting something, while all along, the insurance industry wins every battle. What they won't seem to grasp or simply wish to ignore, is that health insurance is getting way too expensive for everyday folks (not just the "bums" or more impoverished.) Middle class people like me are getting to the point that the healthcare premium is the single biggest expense in the family budget by far, and still rising. Conservatives and/or extremists can scream all they want, but eventually, the roof is going to cave in, and single payer healthcare will be the reality in this country because greed cannot go on forever unabated. If taxes go up to pay for it, so be it. Just manage it properly--and that CAN be done, contrary to the same old worn out line that Gov't. can't manage anything. Single Payer--in 10 years, it will be here.

[Biggest_Rick]

This is destined to go down in flames because it isn't a really good plan. Cooler heads will prevail in the Senate and kill any kind of bill with a public option. There are common sense things that could be done, but they won't be because the libs want to push government control. It is a huge loss for the American people.

[rmonroe401]

Yea, lets not set up anything that helps poor people. Let them suffer without insurance and die. What good are poor people anyway? They just take up space, right Biggest_Rick. Problem is at the rate we are going most of us will be poor soon.

[bc-1948]

If you don't have a bill with a public option (call it whatever you want - expanded Medicare, or ??) please explain how you are going to control costs if the insurance companies can no longer exclude for pre-existing conditions or drop you if you have health problems?? If you paid $21,000 for your insurance like I do for myself and my wife, you would think differently. I can afford the premiums - but how many working people could? That is almost $10 per hour.


For a year, the REpublicans have been saying they are going to have a plan - where have they been for the past 40 years? What is their plan? Oh yes, more of the same. Double digit increases in insurance premiums, more people being dropped because of health conditions - and bankrupting Medicare through the giveaway program to the insurance companies through the "medicare advantage" program - which isn't Medicare at all - but private insurance policies paid for by the government - with a $1,400 kicker thrown in.