Spokane7
49°
September 9, 2009 in Nation/World
Hints of compromise on health care reform
Lawmakers inch closer to deal before Obama’s speech
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., talks with reporters after a meeting on health care reform on Tuesday in Washington.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will seek to rally Congress to pass health care reform in a prime-time address today, even as lawmakers continue struggling to reach broad consensus on some of the toughest issues facing them in the debate.
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., offered the president a glimmer of hope for compromise, circulating a detailed draft of the only Democratic reform proposal that has been assembled with significant Republican input. But in a meeting Tuesday, Baucus was unable to persuade his “Gang of Six” bipartisan negotiators to endorse the nearly $900 billion plan, which does not include many provisions that liberal lawmakers are clamoring to see in a final measure. He gave his two Democratic and three Republican colleagues until 10 this morning to offer suggestions for improving the bill, which would require all U.S. citizens and legal residents to buy health insurance or carry coverage through an employer, a public program or new insurance “exchanges” as of 2013.
Baucus said he continues to hold out hope that an agreement can be struck before Obama takes the podium at 8 p.m. But the Republican considered most likely to sign onto the plan, Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, said she will wait to hear what the president has to say.
“I think the speech and our efforts are complementary, not mutually exclusive,” Snowe said. “I think I’d rather give it a few more days to work through some of these issues.”
Obama discussed his address at length with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., at the White House on Tuesday. Reid said that the president “did not give us a dress rehearsal,” but that Obama’s goal is “to re-energize the way to do health care reform,” while clearing up “ridiculous falsehoods” repeated at hundreds of town hall meetings by opponents of the Democratic-led effort.
After the “messy” business of legislative wrangling and an intense summer of attacks, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said, Obama intends to “remind people why we’re fighting so hard for this, what it’s really all about. He will tell Americans directly what are the risks if we don’t do this and what are the rewards if we do it.”
One question lawmakers are eager for Obama to discuss is the fate of the government-run, or public, insurance option, which has become a focal point of the debate. Democrats say that a government plan would force competition among private insurers and guarantee affordable coverage for people who are not covered by their employers. But opponents say that such a program could become a precursor to a government takeover of health care – and even some supporters concede that the public option might threaten the larger causes of reducing the number of uninsured and lowering costs.
After meeting with Obama, Pelosi said that he indicated support for a public option, but that he would convey in his speech that “if you have a better idea, put it on the table.” The president told the two leaders that 95 percent of workable legislation exists in various proposals, but that he wants Baucus to complete a bill “to get the process going,” Reid said.
Meanwhile, two prominent House Democrats backed away from a public option Tuesday, providing at least some leeway for Obama. Rep. Mike Ross-Ark., a leader of the 52-member Blue Dog coalition, said he could no longer back a government-run plan. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., said he still supports a public option, but could back legislation without it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signaled in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday that his party may be retreating from the “just say no” approach that proved so effective earlier this summer. Doing nothing, he said, is not an option. “At this point, there really should be no doubt where the American people stand. The status quo is not acceptable, but neither are any of the proposals we’ve seen from the White House or Democrats in Congress,” he said.
What people want, McConnell said, is a less costly effort with a less ambitious scope. “They want reforms, but they want the right reforms,” he said.
Baucus still hopes that the Senate Finance measure will offer an attainable middle ground, because it includes provisions that were reached by consensus and could prove to be long lasting. Instead of requiring all employers to offer insurance, as several other proposals do, Baucus suggests targeting only those with more than 50 full-time workers and only if their employees receive federal subsidies to buy insurance. His plan calls for employers in those circumstances to reimburse the government.
The idea appeals to champions of small business but worries liberals, who note that it would give some companies a huge incentive not to hire people who earn between 133 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty level, the group that would be eligible for subsidies. The plan “would discourage the hiring of lower-income people,” particularly minorities and women, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The proposal also includes the first alternative to a public option: a system of 51 cooperatives that would function as nonprofit, member-run insurance programs. Federal funding would underwrite start-up costs, but the co-ops would eventually be independent entities, although they would be “permitted to enter into collective purchasing arrangements for services and items that increase administrative and other cost efficiencies,” according to a copy of the proposal.
Ancient Roman wrecks found in deep water 
Ninch on September 09 at 9:13 a.m.
If what Pelosi said is true that Obama in his speech will be “clearing up ‘ridiculous falsehoods’ repeated at hundreds of town hall meetings by opponents of the Democratic-led effort”… then it is going to be the same old speech ad nauseum. And what a crock of _______ to focus on Obama’s idea of “risks” is we do not do Dem health “insurance” reform and the “benefits” if we do. (Sounds a lot like that pork-filled stimulus bill risk/benefit speech for which Obama promised unemployment would not exceed 8%… How did that work out for Americans?)
I am still waiting for ANY Democrat to address the issues raised at the townhall meetings regarding intended and unintended consequences of cutting Medicare and having federally standardized health insurance (i.e. minimum basic benefits) as well as shortage of health care providers. Americans have asked for details and it appears that Obama is just giving another cheerleader speech to “energize Congress.” Obama should know how Congress is “energized” because as Senator he got “energized” enough to vote for the controversial Bush/Cheney energy bill (McCain and Hillary did not) in exchange for grandiose pork for corn ethanol in Illinois.
Obama very well knows words do not win Congressional votes. These elected representatives need something to take home to their constituencies in exchange for their vote… and notably it does not necessarily need to be pork but rather something like tort reform (nothing in these health insurance reform bills will reduce the cost of medical malpractice insurance) and/or being able to purchase insurance across state lines (e.g. auto insurance which is very competitive these days). Note—even the plan outlined by Senator Baucus has 51 coop insurance exchanges to leave the present health insurance setup in place for 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Obama is also lying that his opposition has no ideas. Here are some of those ideas that Obama and his Dems dismiss:
1. Tort reform (opposed by attorneys like John Edwards) that includes setting up a special court system with experts for medical litigation to help ensure more equity for all plaintiffs and defendents. Right now we have big winners and big losers, depending on the jury pool and other highly variable factors.
2. Ability to buy health insurance out of state is another good idea. Why are arbitrary political boundaries rather than authentic criteria used to assess which health insurance is available and what premiums are charged?
3. Federal vouchers (not tax credits) for everyone to purchase basic insurance that can be used for employer-provided insurance or individual purchase. This means that the “tax breaks” for employer-provided insurance would disappear and everyone would be treated the same by the tax code. Right now individuals are punished by having to buy insurance with after-tax dollars whereas those with employer-provided insurance are getting tax-free benefits (avg. $12,000-$14,000/family). The unions are standing in the way of this equitable solution.
4. Federally-funded high risk insurance pool for those not able to find affordable insurance elsewhere. Some states already have such a system.
Obama and his Dems seem to want to level the playing field but they are ignoring real solutions to do so.
letsallgetalong on September 09 at 11:22 a.m.
I doubt we will have many “falsehoods” cleared up. Basically this speech is political theater designed to push through a health reform program, the democrats health reform program. Let’s take it for what it is and not expect too much.
While I do not agree with the comments made by “Ninch”, I do think we have a very good reason to fear any government run plan, simply based on the results we have from our current government program, Medicare.
For serious and insightful comments on these subjects I have been reading a blog posted by a health broker, the guy stuck in the middle between consumers and health insurance companies. It is at http://www.myhealthinsurancewa.com/