Can Health Care Pass With Public Option?

(CBS)  New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said he believes Democrats can get the sixty votes needed to pass health care reform even if the final legislation includes the so-called public option on "Face the Nation" Sunday. Three moderate Democrats as well as independent senator Joe Lieberman (I- Conn.) have voiced their concern with voting for any bill containing the alternative government sponsored insurance plan.

"I believe we can," Schumer said of his party's ability to get their support.

He argued that the bill contains only a "modest public option" and the government plan will not knock out its competition. "It is a level playing field and then what we will say to the people from the more red conservative states, your state doesn't have to take it. But don't make it so that my state, which would like a public option can't take it. And the opt-out works. I think at the end of the day, everyone is going to agree."

Republican Jon Kyl said government cannot "be both a competitor and the umpire and you're not going to have the advantage...The government is the umpire."

"I've read good portions of this bill. The government makes decisions. I think there are over 3,000 times where in the legislation it says "shall". The secretary of health and human services has tremendous power under this legislation. As a result, a lot of people fear that when the government is both the competitor and the umpire obviously they win. The final point on the the public option. There are a lot of states where there aren't enough people either in terms of a risk pool or in terms of the network of physicians and hospitals to put together a lot of different competing plans. You don't help that by adding one more plan."

"What about this idea that it takes $100 million in federal funds channeled to one state. Should that be added to the cost of the health care bill?" Schieffer asked Kyl.

"You haven't heard republicans saying here is my price. That's the problem when you have to get 60. People in your caucus have severe reservations about the bill. In order to get every single vote sometimes you do resort to things that appeal to a particular senator or in the case of the house to a particular representative. The american people don't like that when they see it. It should be on the merits. When these senators, for example, say we'll vote to start the bill but that doesn't guarantee our vote at the end, the pressure at the end of the process is enormous. The real question ought to be are you willing representing the will of your constituents," Kyl said.

Kyl argued that several polls show the majority of Americans do not support the bill that will be debated on the Senate floor after last night's cloture vote.

"Let me say this first on the public option. First someone makes the rules but under our plan unlike what was feared before, the same rules apply to private insurance and to the public option. In other words, we say to private insurance, you have to have reserves in case you go bankrupt so your policy holders are still there. Same with the public option. We say that you cannot cut people off when they pay too much. You know, when their health care bills go up too much. Same at the other. So it's a level playing field public option. It is not... one does not have an advantage over the other. It creates good old-fashioned american competition," Schumer argued after saying the bill would not raise taxes.

"I think has the best of the health bill and the finance bill, and that's why I believe it's going to pass the senate with 60 votes, maybe 61. 62. Who knows?" he reasoned.

Kyl thinks differently. "If you have insurance you get taxed. If you don't have insurance you get taxed."

[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

[The_One_King]

Can health care pass with public option ? --- NO
Not just NO. HELL NO ...
The vast majority of the American people are against
this health care takeover bill. The Democrats have
turned against the majority of the American people.
The American people will handle this in 2010 & 2012.

[tttt123]

It's either greed of the insurance companies or greed of the government, your choice. Actually its not greed of the insurance companies driving up the price of healthcare, its the governments inaction on placing caps on the fees charged by lawyers during malpractice suits. The fact of the matter is nothing is going to drive the price of healthcare back down, the government may subsidize your healthcare cost, or even comp it. But everyone will still be paying more or less the same amount, it'll just be payed in the form of higher taxes.

[lmartink]

It is odd that we trust Police to protect us from crime; fire departments from fires; the Forest service to put out forest fire;, paramedics to get us to hospitals; the military to protect our country; the Centers for Disease Control to monitor deadly diseases; the Coast Guard to protect us from shipwrecks, the FAA to reduce plane crashes, etc etc etc.

All government run agencies -- every one. Why not a government run health plan -- the public option -- to protect us from the greedy bassterd Insurance Companies?

The Insurance Companies are killing people just as certainly as Al Qaeda did. It is time to act.

[tttt123]

I'll tell you why. Private health insurers are much more efficiently run agencies and this is due to the simple fact that they are concerned with profit, the very reason you seem to dislike them. Less cost to them is more profit, government agencies aren't concerned with this. A public option may be efficiently run to start but eventually it will function like all the other bloated, bottomless money-sucking pits of government agencies, costing you much more in taxes. Insurance agencies will continue to function as streamlined as possible. Maybe if the cost of malpractice suits went down so would the cost of malpractice insurance and thus, so would the cost of health insurance.

[velma179]

"Maybe if the cost of malpractice suits went down so would the cost of malpractice insurance and thus, so would the cost of health insurance."

This is totally incorrect. The two types of insurance have no impact on each other.
Also, it is PROVEN according to laws already passed in several states that tort reform does NOT lower health care costs, either directly (service fees, etc.) or indirectly in the cost of individuals/families obtaining health insurance.

[sjc_1]

We MUST have an option if you are going to have a mandate. Anything less is just forcing the public into the hands of the greedy, selfish, profit at any price insurance monsters.

[reveal4]

The Senate bill also includes an extension and broadening of Medicaid and co ops. The public option is unacceptable to Joe Liebermann. Senator Liebermann represents Connecticut which has corporate headquarters for at least a couple of major health insurors. These insurors have funneled major dollars to Mr. Liebermann... and his wife makes a living by representing these folks in various roles. Mr. Liebermann and his wife garner millions from health and pharmaceutical interests. Mr. Liebermann will not oppose his or his wife's corporate masters. The public option's time is probably limited. The majority of the public support the public option. Corporate America will win this fight. The American people will lose this fight. Joe Liebermann will probably lose reelection as his constituency by more than 2 to 1 support the option. History will record Mr. Liebermann did not support his constituents and supported corporate interests which filled his campaign coffers and his wife's bank accounts. Joe Liebermann will probably go down in history as opposing medical care for the 45000 who die yearly due to denial of medical care in deference to corporate payoffs. Joe Liebermann's name will be forever be besmirched in the annals of American history. He seems to find this perfectly acceptable.

[ajvw]

On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care reform, Democratic leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the 60 votes needed to keep the legislation alive. The wavering lawmaker was offered a sweetener: at least $100 million in extra federal money for her home state.

And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote -- and to trumpet the financial "fix" she had arranged for Louisiana. "I am not going to be defensive," she declared. "And it's not a $100 million fix. It's a $300 million fix."

[retm-w]

And where is this $100 million vote buying money coming from? If it's coming out of the health insurance reform did The CBO figure this in on the cost?

[velma179]

"Kyl argued that several polls show the majority of Americans do not support the bill that will be debated on the Senate floor after last night's cloture vote."

Well, Senator Kyl is entitled to his opinion -- but several polls also show that the majority of respondents DO support the current legislation -- especially on the issue of including a public option.

Me. Well for one, I am sick of polls -- I think there are going to be polls on what people think of polls any day now! (Gotta fill up that 24 hour News cycle, ya know)

But more important, I do see the public option as a good idea, but am totally willing to see it jettisoned now... in order to get the bulk of this legislation passed (the alleged "80% everyone agrees on"). This includes things like ending caps on care and denial for pre-existing conditions as well as stressing preventative care, rather than just sick care and streamlining the record keeping systems...etc.

I'd also like to see the abortion and illegal immigrant issues jettisoned -- deal with these issues in separate legislation, if need be, not in severely needed health care reform law.

We'll see what happens -- but while we watch, let's also participate. Write your legislators and let your voice be included in the debate.

America = Rights, yep... but with that comes Responsibilities.

[nottellin1]

The real question ought to be are you willing representing the will of your constituents," Kyl said.

That just says it all doesn't it?

[nottellin1]

Guess what gang? I've actually read/scanned all 2074 pages of this piece of dirt bill and who would like to guess how many new govt divisions, councils and departments this bill will create? So far I've identified over 50. I wonder how much just these componants will cost considering that money spent here will not in any way be spent on health care for us. Are we really so stupid that we will continue to let out govt BS us into thinking it is trying to help the American people and instead realize that our current legislators are only interested in helping themselves? Watch debate on CSPAN on any subject for 10 minutes and you will be sick to hear our leaders refer to the "American Public", as if we are a different race than they are. Ah well, if we are this blind and ignorant, we deserve what we end up with. At least it's a change, right?s