Tag: Health Care Reform
Newest Public Option Compromise: Medicare Buy-In
This week is when the most intense negotiations are going on in the Senate. The most contentious part is the fate of the Public Option, with the Senate A%#hole Caucus (Lieberman, B. Nelson, Lincoln and Landrieu) threatening to torpedo the bill if it contains it and several progressives (Sanders, Burris) threatening to vote against a […]
This Is Why We Need The Public Option
In a third-quarter earnings conference call in late October, officials at Aetna announced that in an effort to improve on a less-than-anticipated profit margin in 2009, they would be raising prices on their consumers in 2010. The insurance giant predicted that the company would subsequently lose between 300,000 and 350,000 members next year from its […]
Burnination
The health care debate may be long and frustrating but it can lead to some interesting moments. For example, Tom Coburn and David Vitter thought they’d be clever and cute and add an amendment to force members of Congress into the public option should it pass. Sen. Sherrod Brown decided to take their bait. The […]
Carper’s Latest Compromise Plan
Harry Reid has a really difficult task, Democrats have decided to lay down all their weapons and craft bills that need 60 votes to even get a vote. Tom Carper is apparently the go-to guy for compromise in the Senate health care debate. Some details of Carper’s latest trial balloon are now emerging – it […]
Senate Health Care Reform Debate Starts Today
The debate on the health care reform deal starts today in the U.S. Senate at 3 p.m. There is still one major sticking point in the negotiations: the fate of the public option. Don’t worry though, Compromisin’ Carper is on the case: There is one idea that supporters hope could rally the centrists: Call it […]
First Health Care Reform Vote Tonight
Tonight is the first vote for the health care reform bill. This vote is only to put proceed to debate the bill. All Democrats have announced they will vote to bring the bill up for a debate. Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln just announced her support for bringing the health care reform bill to the floor […]
The Mississippi Health Care Stomp
You hear that sucking sound? Yeah, that’s state of Mississippi. Gov. Haley Barbour was on Hardball the other day and commented how he thinks states would do a better job at health care than the federal government. Digby over at Hullaballo points out that Mississippi ranks 51st out of the 50 states (plus DC) in […]
Which Religion Is This?
I’m glad that Republicans are treating the health care debate with the seriousness that it deserves: Republicans have vowed to fight the legislation at every turn, saying it represents a dangerous expansion in the role of government that would increase taxes and insurance costs for millions of people. “It’s going to be a holy war,” […]
Senate Health Care Reform Bill Unveiled
Last night the Harry Reid unveiled the Senate health care reform bill, called The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The whole bill can be read here (warning PDF) and a 2-page summary can be read at this link (PDF). The CBO score for the bill was released yesterday, the bill costs $850M and covers […]
This Week In Health Care Reform
The CBO scoring for the Senate health care reform bill could come back as soon as today. Once the CBO weighs in, the debate on the bill can start in the Senate. Right now the schedule has the bill ready for a vote around Christmas. The Republicans have been promising to do everything possible to […]
Death Panelling Goes For Cheap
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) writes in The New York Times about his intentions and the ramifications of a small piece of legislation he added into the health care package. . . . I found it perverse that Medicare would pay for almost any medical procedure, yet not reimburse doctors for having a thoughtful conversation to […]
Carper Makes His Crappy Idea Even Crappier
Here’s the next idea that Carper is floating (trying to get Snowe or Lieberman onboard I suppose) – triggered state co-ops. In states where private insurers fail to offer affordable coverage, Carper said the alternative would permit them to set up a non-profit board, likely appointed by the president, to offer insurance. “That kind of […]
Advice For Blanche Lincoln: Go Big Or Go Home
Blanche Lincoln is one of the worst weak-kneed ConservaDems in the Senate. She’s voted against the public option and seems to be following the losing Creigh Deeds strategy – pretend to be a Republican. Why would people vote for a Democrat if they want a Republican? Steve Benen has similar advice: If I were a […]
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