Health Care Progress Report: December 14

(CBS)  President Obama, in an interview that aired Sunday on "60 Minutes," said the Senate is well on its way to passing a health care bill before Christmas. Meanwhile, on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Sen. Joe Lieberman said he agrees -- if his fellow Democratic caucus members are willing to throw out their latest public option compromise.

The Democrats' latest plan to unify their party around the health care bill may thus be falling apart - and Republicans are hardening their resolve against the overall bill. As Congress heads into a midterm election year, the days that can feasibly be spent on health care reform are beginning to run short.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

The chart below shows the progress Democrats have made toward their goal of passing a comprehensive health care reform package. As lawmakers work through the six major steps toward reform, CBSNews.com is tracking their moves.

The House of Representatives passed a health care bill last month, but the Senate must now do the same. After the Senate passes its own bill, the two chambers can move onto step four and reconcile their two reform packages.

(CBS)

More on the progress of health care legislation from the Senate:

(CBS/Karin Cooper)

"No" to the Medicare Buy-In? In an interview that aired Sunday on CBS News' "60 Minutes," President Obama said he expects the Senate to pass a health care bill by Christmas.

Last week, it appeared the Senate could very well do so, as a group of key liberal and conservative Democrats worked out a plan to get past divisive issues like whether to include in the bill a government-run health insurance plan, or "public option." Part of that plan includes a proposal to allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare, the popular government plan that serves senior citizens.

However, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) -- one of the Democratic caucus members the plan was intended to appease -- dropped a bombshell Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation," when he said he would not vote for a bill that expands Medicare.

"From what I hear, I certainly would have a hard time voting for it because it has some of the same infirmities that the public option did," he said about the Medicare buy-in.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), another conservative who may or may not vote for the health care bill, said on "Face the Nation" that the Medicare buy-in is "the forerunner of single-payer, the ultimate single-payer plan, maybe even more directly than the public option."

The Medicare buy-in appealed to many liberals as a replacement for the public option. Former Democratic leader Howard Dean told CBS News' "The Early Show" that the plan represented "real reform." House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a strong public option supporter, suggested last week she may be able to support the Senate plan.

(CBS)

Still Calling for the Public Option Liberal grassroots groups, however, were wary of the compromise from the start and maintained their call for a public option. Additionally, a new CBS/ New York Times poll showed that while most Americans are skeptical of the Democrats' reform efforts, 60 percent of the American public still supports a public option.

The only way Senate Democrats could seemingly pass a public option would be through the use of a procedural maneuver called "reconciliation," which would allow Democrats to bypass a Republican filibuster and pass the bill with only 51 votes. At this point, the Medicare buy-in "compromise" may only be feasible via reconciliation: Lieberman punctuated his appearance on "Face the Nation" on Sunday by directly telling Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid he plans to vote against any bill that expands Medicare. However, reconciliation is not a serious consideration at this point, Huffington Post reports.

Lieberman said on "Face the Nation" that "the only way to get this done before Christmas is to bring in some Republicans who are open-minded on this like Olympia Snowe (of Maine)." To do that, he said that among other things, "You got to take out the Medicare buy-in. You got to forget about the public option."

5597514Other Obstacles: Abortion, Drug Importation, Etc. Meanwhile, other issues like the abortion language in the Senate bill continue to divide Democrats.

"I can't support the bill with the abortion language that's there," Nelson said on "Face the Nation." The senator had offered an amendment to the bill that would have restricted abortion coverage for some women, but it failed to win sufficient support to pass.

Reid met Saturday with abortion rights advocates to work out a compromise, the New York Times reports. Since conservative Democrats like Nelson are unhappy with a compromise that would keep federal funds in the health care system separate from the premiums used to pay for abortions, Reid is reportedly considering moves to win them over, such as increasing federal tax credits for adoption and services for pregnant students. The ideas were proposed by moderate Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.), who meets with President Obama today.

Democrats were also divided last week over whether to allow Americans to import pharmaceuticals from other countries, where they are sold at lower prices. Democratic leadership put aside the issue after days of debate and may or may not vote on the issue.

Republicans continue to uniformly opposed all of the Democrats' plans. "Republicans who have a vote on this issue in the Senate are together," Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on "Face the Nation." Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele released a memo last week saying Republicans want to "delay, stall, slow down and ultimately stop" the health care bill.

Conservative voters intend to express their outrage as well: On Tuesday, a group of "tea partiers" will storm the Senate in protest of "the government takeover of healthcare."

[mjlewis6]

Sorry, 46 million Americans who are without Insurance or any healthcare benefits....clearly shows that there is no competition in the marketplace to provide for them.

It is also clear that Republicans are PROTECTING their Constituent Corporate Clients in the Healthcare Industry against the AMA, the AARP, and MOST of the American People....from having a public option which will somehow COST them funds they want to fatten their corporate bottom line....

Sorry, Charlie, I am NEVER voting Republican again.

[2012EOD]

The White House is encouraging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to cut a deal with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and eliminate the proposed Medicare expansion in the health reform bill, according to an official close to the negotiations.

Can you imagine how the Main Stream Media would be livid if this were a republican administration. Paying for a vote!

Hoax and Chains

[ohiopolitico]

The real problem is: Obviously, the Wrong People are working on healthcare/insurance reform. Democrats tend to Not be business people.
Democrats hate private industry because they're intimidated by business, by economics, by markets --- because they don't understand it.
People who work for the government are usually looking for a "safe, secure job with good benefits ", they're not entrepreneurs, they're not risk takers, they're not analytical or independent thinkers, they're not problem solvers. They've never had any real business experience, never managed anything. They're academics or ideological types who've never actually accomplished anything. They don't have any "horsepower."

[jab232]

Sunday Show Joe. Throw another monkey wrench in health care reform so you can get on TV again.

Almost 50 million are without health insurance. People with insurance know they can lose their coverage or jobs if they get seriously ill. Premiums will double in the next ten years. Whatever you are paying now, you will be paying double in ten years. And most policies have high premiums, very high deductibles, and low caps on coverage.

In other words--people are hurting, without jobs, health insurance, losing their homes and retirement funds. And the Senate fiddles while Rome burns.

Quit talking. Take action now, by reconciliation if you have to. And go on to other things which would help people.

If the Democrats are going to fail in this and stab ordinary people in the back as the GOP has been doing for the last eight years, we need to know that now.

[War919]

I believe there is more to gain from addressing the run away costs of health care itself, than from chasing the imaginary solution of providing insurance to pay for the care at its current, inflated price. It saddens me that nobody involved in this process even bothers to address this side of the issue. They all point at the cost of insurance and how many people have no insurance but they ignore the cost of the care itself. Reduce the costs to a reasonable level and insurance becomes a non-issue. Insurance by its nature is a Ponzi scheme, relying on "X" number of people to purchase it and not use it in order for there to be money to pay out those who do use it. Thus it is impossible for any insurance to provide care for all of the people. A mathematical impossibility, as a matter of fact. Reign in the costs and stay out of the insurance business. The outcome of this business is going to seriously fracture our way of life.

[ohiopolitico]

I couldn't agree more! If you actually reduce true costs, everyone wins,
nobody can fight it. However, Democrats "chose" to play politics, they'd rather put everyone who works for insurance companies out of business, rather than get to the root of the problem, which is: doctors,
hospitals, medical equipment, drug companies, administrative costs, etc.

[velma179]

by War919 December 14, 2009 12:08 PM EST

The actual costs of PROVIDING health care are addressed in the proposed legislation!!

The reason you don't know that is because this isn't the part where all the contention among the political factions is found.

Health Insurance IS the contentious issue -- so it is all we hear about. It has been said that 80% of the current reform legislation is accepted by all parties in Congress. It is the 20% covering health insurance (for the most part, though abortion monies and illegal immigrant rules also are included) where the HIGHLY publicized disagreement exists.

Health Insurers do not want to be cut out of the equation. I would LOVE to see the days return when we made appointments with a doctor, went in (maybe waited a bit... but there were plenty of reading materials to pass the time :) ...and then we PAID the bill -- or in some cases worked out a payment plan. Insurance was ONLY for major medical procedures.

But -- dang. That simpler past is gone. That train pulled out with the HMO etc. legislation from the Nixon era and forward.

For you and ohiopolitico...

The government CAN'T just say "lower your rates" to doctors, hospitals, equipment makers/providers etc! What are you thinking?

You are proposing socialism! Yes. That is when the government tells the producers of goods and services what they can make/do and what they can charge... rather than letting the market determine these things. (By the way -- this does NOT exist in America today... think!)

Democrats are no more playing "politics" than Republicans. Nor are they looking to put insurance companies out of business. Do you have any idea how absurd that comment is, in the light of the "mandates to purchase insurance" language in the current legislation?


Our country needs health care and health insurance reform. We simply can NOT sustain the costs or either as they stand now.

Effective legislation is not an easy path... no way. But it is a necessary battle. Unfortunately for those of you who support the Republican "brand" -- it is ONLY the mix of conservative, moderate and liberal lawmakers in the Democrat party that are even TRYING to find solutions.

Say what you want -- this does not bode well for the (R) tickets in 2010 and beyond. I say that as an Independent voter... Americans can take a lot of crap... but we do NOT like to be told NO!

Period.

[Shibbol]

So "Grinch" Lieberman wants to take his toys and go home. There will still be a Christmas in Hooville, only it might have to come by reconciliation, carving a train track around Grinch Mountain.