Steny Hoyer: Health Care Will Move Forward

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) promised on "Face the Nation" Sunday that health care reform will move forward following Thursday's historic bipartisan health care summit with President Obama.

"We're going to move ahead," he told host Bob Schieffer. "We think that's essential. We think it will bring down costs. We think it will improve the health of America."

The number two Democrat in the House called the summit on Thursday "extraordinary."

"I can't remember a similar meeting held by any president, certainly in the 30 years I've been in Congress," he added. "It was a civil and substantive discussion. I think the American public got the impression that very serious debate and discussion and there were differences."

However, Hoyer deflected questions about whether there were enough votes in the House to pass the Democrats' plans as outlined thus far. Even though a reform package passed in the chamber last November, many analysts think it could be harder to get the votes the next time.

"I don't think we have the votes in terms of a specific proposal because there's not a specific proposal on the table yet," he said.

Hoyer added that he thinks a specific proposal will be put forth within "the next couple of weeks," and then Democrats will start counting votes for that bill.

Hoyer appeared on "Face the Nation" with Senate Democrat Kent Conrad (N.D.) and Republicans Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.).

More from Face the Nation:

Dems, GOP Divided on Health Care Costs
Is Reconciliation a "Minor" Issue?
Bob Schieffer: The Strange Obsession With Curling
Full Transcript

[HGOODGUY]

retm-w

There is what is called Medigap Insurance available but only from insurance companies.

The average annual premiums are around $1500.00 per year or $125.00 per month.

I currently pay $98.60 per month for 80% coverage. It would cost me an additional $125.00 per month for 20% coverage!

Does that tell you a little something about insurance companies rip offs?

[HGOODGUY]

retm-w

Actaully, on second thought it would cost me $223.60 for full 100% coverage.

This is really not bad mainly because of the much lower costs of Medicare. The big guys are still ripping me off on the 20% though.

[HGOODGUY]

retm-w

My experience is that if there is a shortfall between what Medicare pays the doctor and the actual bill, they either eat the difference or they play "lets make a deal".

Either way it is cheaper by far and more secure than any for-profit plan.

I will be honest and say that here in Reno a lot of physicians don't take Medicare but the largest healthcare providers do and the quality of care is still excellent.

I guess that lots of these doctors, instead of making three hundred thousand a year have to settle for two fifty. War is hell aint it???

[retm-w]

HGOODGUY

A lot of the doctors won't eat the the difference and don't play let's make a deal. They pass the loss on to their other patiens to make up the difference, same as some of the hospitals do. Say ther was no Medicare supplement insurance that you could buy, with just Medicare how much per year would you be paying out of pocket.

[TVO1CITW]

Just the cost of dealing with the Health Care issue could have cut the national debt in half.

[HGOODGUY]

rtm-w

I can tell you that I have been on Medicare for 5 years and during that time my premiums have gone from $78.00 to 97.00. That represents about a 15% increse or about 3% per year.

This is not speculation. These are the actual numbers and they are what every Medicare recipient gets equally.

What Medicare does do is to keep doctors and hospitals from jacking up the rates because Medicare holds their collective feet to the fire.

At the age of 70 I am very thankful that I don't have to fear financial ruin due to illness. I simply wish that my children aged 44 and 42 had the same option as me.

Like most people they are stuck in the insurance treadmill.

[SueZeeeQue]

Republicans are staying true to their creed as the party of NO.

It's time to move forward with health care reform while we still can.

The last time Republicans killed reform, prices more than doubled.

They do nothing but obstruct and protect big corporation's right to rape Americans.

[-One_American-]

Democrats will be committing political suicide this week when they attempt to force their will upon the majority of Americans who oppose everthing they are doing.

Lets give them enough rope to let them hang themselves.

When they are all out of office by the next elections, then RESPONSIBLE representatives will take their place and overturn Obama care and ALL Socialist entitlements that are destroying this country.

Counting down the few days to the end of Liberal ideology and its chokehold on America...

[reveal4]

In other words...Get rid of any US government program that helps American citizens. The few, the proud, the ultra fringe...Republicans aren't that radical...They just want to get rid of Medicare and Social security, to start with...

[reveal4]

enough for me...seriously...really...no kidding...Just one more thing... It is enough to bring reasonable and factual information to the table. There are those who will understand. There are those who won't. And, there are those who deceive. There are those who don't understand and are deceived. These are the folks who are the unluckiest. Those who don't understand and are deceived fall prey to the sharks..Holy Mackerel! Wall Street is the sharks...The rest of us are the chum...

[Ami0_Ami0_Ami0]

Which one of the two most resonate `messages` are most likely to be the voice of the biggest stakeholder in all of this?

Which one of the two `positions` is most likely to represent the desires of the biggest stakeholder in the matter?

Which one of the two?

... because rational thinking dictates that the insurance companies have a preference in the direction that the Legislation effort takes. To the tune of trillions of dollars.

Simply by virtue of their lack open participation and lack of open expression of official positions before the public; we know that their multi trillion dollar stake is in fact being represented.

So now, which one of the two resonate and consistent `messages` are most likely to be the voice of the biggest stakeholder?

Which one of the two?

[reveal4]

Oye vai!

[reveal4]

Okeydoke! You apparently have something to say...Good luck with that...Hope you accomplish your goal.

[reveal4]

Why did the fringers decide that pretending to know is preferable to actually knowing/ Amswer...they don't know.

[reveal4]

It is gonna be impossible to have a conversation and make progress if you just blink out, retm-w...