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Thursday, December 10, 2009

R.I.P. PUBLIC HEALTH OPTION

Here is the lead story today from Huff Po.

The public health insurance option died on Thursday, December 10, 2009, after a months-long struggle with Senate parliamentary procedure. The time of death was recorded as 11:12 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Its death had been rumored numerous times over the past year, but the public option repeatedly and defiantly battled back. The Senate's insistence on 60 votes, combined with President Obama's decision not to intervene on its behalf, eventually proved overwhelming.

The public option leaves behind a Medicare buy-in for people aged 55-64, an expansion of Medicaid, a quasi-public option for those under 300 percent of the poverty line and a collection of national private plans managed by the Office of Personnel Management.

The one remaining chance for the public option rested with the House somehow forcing its will on the Senate.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pulled the final plug in a press briefing with reporters Thursday.

She had often said in the past that a health care bill without a public option simply wouldn't have the votes to pass the House. She was asked about that claim Thursday, in relation to the Senate compromise, and pointedly told reporters that any bill could pass as long as it met certain broad goals.

"Well, what I said -- it is a two‑part statement that quotes what the President has said. We believe, we in the House believe, that the public option is the best way to hold insurance companies honest -- to keep them honest and also to increase competition. If there is a better way, put it on the table. As soon as we see something in writing from the Senate, we will be able to make a judgment about that. But our standards are that we have affordability for the middle class, security for our seniors, closing the donut hole and sustaining the solvency of Medicare. Responsibility to our children, so not one dime is added to the deficit. And accountability of insurance companies. We will take a measure of that bill in those regards," Pelosi said.


So. Its over. We lose. (...and so do you.)

5 comments:

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

The DEMS, as I warned in August at Blue Mountain Lake will, if they DO NOT pass a decent health care bill with a good, rock-solid public option that they will suffer in 2010, and rightly so.

The message: "They have a huge majority and couldn't get it done - so why sustain a majority that is ineffective."

They are - that is clear.

It all boils down to lack of strong leadership ... period.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how John Sullivan would have voted? Despite how much a certain Assemblymember threw her weight around, it just wasn't enough to get the job done.

EvilJam said...

yep. Pelosi is a joke, Reid is a joke. Time to toss out the ConservaDems, let them run on the other party line. And, check your Email, Jeff Dem. Found us a Twitter-like site that's better.

Anonymous said...

Dan, in case you have been living in a cave, most polls show that people don't want Govt involved with health care. And PS, the libs are going to get an ass kicking in 2010 regardless. And you Dems I recall were gloating about your take over of Congress in 2006 by parading out liberals, called Blue Dogs. How is that working out now for you? And one last thing because I am not done peeing on your camp fire, there are huge ethic scandals brewing and they are all liberals, oozing like that big boil on your neck.

Merry Christmas.

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

6:23... nice post from your perspective, but I hate to pour cold water on your pee-pee as you squeeze out the last drop, but what you posted has no bearing on me.

Public Option: you really need to get out more often and read polls other than FAUX dynamic polling from nitwitted braindead Beck followers... here's a sample:

* Most doctors — about 63 percent — favor giving patients a choice that would include both public and private insurance.

* In addition, another 10 percent of doctors say they favor a public option only; they'd like to see a single-payer health care system. Together, the two groups add up to 73 percent.

* When the American public is polled, anywhere from 50 to 70 percent favor a public option.

So that means that when compared to their patients, doctors are bigger supporters of a public option.

Sorry to disappoint you. But, nice try. Keep on playing.

Scurry on now.