Big Hurdles Remain for Health Care Reform

(CBS)  The battle over health care reform entered a new phase after a critical Senate vote Saturday night. Senators cleared the way for floor debate by a vote of 60 to 39. They needed at least 60 votes to prevent a filibuster.

But there's no guarantee there will be 60 votes on hand to defeat a filibuster of the actual bill, as CBS News correspondent Kimberley Dozier reports from Washington.

Late Saturday night, the Democrats got the votes they needed to launch the health care debate in the Senate. But now the fight really begins.

Special Report: Health Care Reform

"We can only see the finish line; we have not yet crossed it," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "The road ahead will be the toughest stretch."

The republicans are promising the road will be a long one.

"The Senate's not like the House," said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "They had three votes on one day and it was over."

Senate debates can take weeks. Reid will need 60 votes again to actually pass the final version of the bill. It could look very different after senators add amendments.

And he's got to win over some of his own party to do it.

"If there are a whole host of other items that are the same as they are right now, I wouldn't vote to get it off the floor," said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., a centrist Democrat who has pushed back against the reform effort.

Nelson is one of three Democratic senators who waited until hours before the yesterday's vote to agree to start this debate. They all say they have serious concerns about the bill's nearly $850 billion cost over 10 years, and about the public option - a government provided insurance plan.

Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman -who voted with the democrats yesterday - says he won't vote for a final bill that includes the public option.

"I don't think anybody feels this bill will pass," he said.

For the bill's supporters, those are fighting words.

"We're not going to let four senators stand in our way," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

But the math means they have to find some way to bring the democratic doubters on board - or win over some Republicans.

Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe could hold the key. She has proposed a compromise, where a public option would only be triggered as a safety net, on a state-by-state basis. Under her plan, at least 95 percent of a state's residents must have an affordable option - or the state has to create one.

"This will provide the certainty that affordable options exist so that no one falls between the cracks," Snowe said.

And it could deliver her vote, as well as the three doubting Democrats.

White House officials point out that the president himself is on record signaling openness to a trigger option. An administration official today would only say they expect to be working with senator Snowe, and many other senators, in the weeks to come.

[babooph]

How about the ins "claims examiners" in Asia getting paid percent of what they deny[no denial of exec $$$$$$!]& no mention of Drs coming out with 500k in debt after schooling-lets end that cost !!!

[vaby42]

President Barack Obama has made clear that he views this year as the best opportunity in decades to overhaul the nation's ailing health-care system;

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1912920,00.html?iid=digg_share#ixzz0XpyY3HRE

[croom45]

CBS evening NEWS has gone republicans, now it is unfair and Misleading. you are trashing the president, but you are in love with the lady that wrote the new book.

[countrycuz1]

Today's Rasmussen Poll has support for this bill @ 38%! Questions: Can Obama buy off enough votes and is Congress simply a parliamnent of ******?

[mikeoliphant]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) released a merged version of the Senate comprehensive reform on 11/19/09, which Mike Oliphant whom manages Utah health insurance plans for http://www.benefitsmanager.net/selecthealth.html employers could get behind and support some of it (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or H.R. 3590). This should encourage the private sector health insurance carriers to form INSURANCE EXCHANGES which is what we have done here in Utah. They carry the risk and burden, not the tax payer. See more about this at www.utahhealthplans.info

[jschmidt27]

Latest Rasmussen Poll- 56% againist the healthcare bill- Dems are going to pass it at their own peril

[Mortarman-29]

You notice how Mary Landrieu turned into the most expensive prostitute in world history??

[Empire-George]

by slownewsday-05 November 23, 2009 10:13 AM EST

We're discussing insurance reform...not takeover ?
______________

Oh, the Public option, where the government gets into (takesover) a portion of the insurance industry is off the table ?? no it isn't....this is a takeover, to some degree, make no mistake about it

[TheStolenGiraffe]

so sick of politicians who's pockets are full from the bribes of ins co lobbyists talking about they're against a public option as if it means the gov't is going to take over. the gov't and the people need a public option to keep the healthcare costs down, and to help earn back some of the money we're spending on this reform.

to not have a public plan would be an utter failure of the entire bill and would result in nothing more than skyrocketing premiums and huge returns for insurance companies who will rake in all the money once everyone is required to have health insurance.

[slownewsday-05]

Well, you edited what I wrote, and turned it into a question, but still...

We aren't talking about gov't run healthcare. I stand by what I said.

[Empire-George]

by rafterman1 November 23, 2009 11:18 AM EST

Why do you bring wars or our national defense, into every argument about spending.....is that your answer to every massive spending bill......"But a trillion dollars for war. Plenty of money for that, right?"

Hey Lib, how many billions/trillions did this country lose in loss of property and crashing markets, after the 9/11 hit on our financial institutions......Military IN-ACTION has devistating costs alone....of course you never consider that.....only when we have to clean up Clinton's dress mess by killing the Al Qaeda terrorist network, because he did nothing.....how about that cost, lib ?

[lisaob1]

rightbehind: Why would you want a single payer? Do you people not understand this country is "broke"? I don't want the government involved between the relationship I have with my physician. Plus, it is not my families job to pay for others healtcare.

It is not even about "healthcare reform" it is about getting control of the health industry.

You so wrong on the other issue also the 2010 election will not be getting rid of Republicans it will be getting rid of Democrats. What I want it getting rid of is all the corruption and deal making with special interest and agendas. Those in the pockets of SEIU and Acorn.
Let the people of American decide what they want and don't want.

[wheresmycountry]

The job of any insurance company employee is to pay your doctor as little as they can get away with before the doctor ceases to accept that brand of coverage. The doctor makes up for the difference between what he/she charges by overbilling Medicare and patients with no insurance, who risk losing their credit, their savings, and their houses if they have to go to the hospital.

[Mortarman-29]

You have that backwards. Doctors are beginning to not see Medicare patients because the government mandates how much they can charge (and many times that mandate is below what it costs...which means the doctor does so at a loss). So, the doctor is forced to charge other more than it really costs in order to make up the difference.