Public Option: "A preliminary analysis from CBO may have sealed the deal. "

[ProSense]

Pelosi Prepares To Move Ahead With Robust Public Option

Brian Beutler

A preliminary analysis from CBO may have sealed the deal. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is preparing to move ahead with a "robust" public option--one that reimburses hospitals and providers at Medicare rates, plus five percent--in the House's health care bill. She is briefing her caucus about the plan's savings tonight, and, pending the approval of a sufficient majority of members, will adopt the measure as part of the complete reform package.

The analysis finds the reconstituted House proposal to be deficit neutral, and require about $870 billion in new spending, over ten years.

The bill remains nominally more expensive than the Senate Finance Committee proposal, but would cover 96 percent of all Americans, providing greater bang for each federal dollar spent. And, aides note, the bill that comes to the floor of the Senate will be a hybrid of the Finance and more expensive HELP Committee bills, so the price is expected to rise.

The move is sure to make progressives ecstatic, and puts Senate leaders, who have been unable to reach any decisions about a public option in their own bill, in an uncomfortable position.

In recent days, Pelosi has insisted that she intends to send House negotiators to a health care conference committee with the maximum possible leverage for the public option. And House health care principals have been working doggedly to keep the price of reform down with the help of the public option--so in a sense, the news of this final push comes as little surprise.

By tying reimbursement rates to Medicare, the government would be able to spend less money per individual on subsidies in the health insurance exchanges. One of the major critiques of the Senate Finance bill is that the spending totals are kept low by denying subsidies to middle income Americans, without providing a systemic corrective to insurance industry waste and abuse. The robust public option addresses that issue.

[Kdillard]

1. Excellent news. Things are moving ahead nicely.

[HopeOverFear]

2. *dances a jig*

[saracat]

3. Good for Pelosi!

[Cha]

4. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi and

thank you President Obama.

[Oregone]

5. Thats a good step, but whats the eligibility criteria of entering the exchange/public option?

And if an employee refuses their employee provided health care, will they have to foot the entire bill for the public option out of pocket (if they are even allowed to do so)? Those are two major concerns that many are asking about

Ill be interested to see the final details about what "robust" really means and if its adequate for this crisis. I hope full details will be released soon.

[ProSense]

6. It's a great step, and eligibility will evolve like it did with Medicare.

Must read

[Oregone]

8. Evolve implies 100% won't have access to the public option, but will still have a mandate to fulfill

[ProSense]

9. No, that's your spin. n/t

[Oregone]

11. So then evolve means 100% have access to the public option on day 1?

You mention the word in context of eligibility criteria....so I'm just asking for clarification. If I was incorrect with my "spin", please correct me.

[ProSense]

13. Evolve means .

evolve

[Oregone]

14. Will 100% of people have guaranteed, via this legislation, access to it at any point?

I'm pretty sure you know how to type

[ProSense]

15. Yes.

That's my opinion based on the language in the bill.

Be sure to check out the meaning of the word evolve.

[Oregone]

16. Well, if anyone could decide to personally opt/buy into it, thats another good aspect

(though, it may not happen, at all. And there is the added concern of having employers pay out if they were already providing an employer plan)

And while I understand the concept of "evolve", unless something is firmly legislated, you cannot count on it happening through some natural process. Having faith and hope in something not on paper is foolish. So to pass mandates and hope the public option may cover everyone, well, may not be entirely sound if that is what you were getting at.

Since you said the language of the bill will allow 100% to choose to enter the exchange, it seems you weren't implying that (though Im not entirely sure that is the truth yet)

[ej510]

7. Can anyone opt in to the Public Option.

[Oregone]

10. As far as I am aware, you won't know until after the final bill is signed off on

There are people trying to allow everyone access (Wyden is one). But the legislative process will produce whatever. I anticipate the details of this

[ej510]

12. Everyone should have the right to buy in.

[vaberella]

21. Buy into the Public Option?

How does that work if we take into consideration an Opt-Out option. If the state opts-out, you can't come in. But then no State with a brain will do such a thing. We'll see what the final bill says. I'm actually game for people who have employee insurance to stay with that.

The thing with the PO is that you get basic care. Normally basic care doesn't cover dental or opthamologists. You'd have to still pay that out of pocket. So if you are getting employee insurance then that should remain the case and those people who get that shouldn't get the PO. Not only that it wouldn't meet their needs 100% all the way. Most employee plans, if not all gives you the option of covering dental. I think it should be for those who don't have insurance or employee insurance.

[andym]

17. excellent news...

it makes sense that the strongest public option (tied to medicare) would save the most.
now, the more people who are eligible the more effective it will be...

[SpartanDem]

18. Damn good news

[Clio the Leo]

19. I think I just figured out my argument!!!!

(that I needed to write my Rep and Senators with)

Since they're Republicans, I cant write them and say, "I urge you to support health care reform because we owe it to the least of these to provide affordable health care." Not when my Rep last summer proclaimed that health care was a privilege and not a right (dont you love the Christian attitude these good old Southern boys demonstrate sometimes?)

But if I go to them with the angle that health care reform would actually LOWER the deficit, well, any self respecting Republican wants to decrease government spending, dont they? ;)

http://www.wibw.com/political/headlines/65103837.html#

[vaberella]

20. Thank you so much Nancy Pelosi....I'm your fangirl for life.

Now all we need is the Senate to dump that Baucus bullshit and move ahead

[harun]

22. I wonder what the CBO said about the Iraq war.

I surmise Congress wonders as well since no one seemed to care about spending if it was for war.

[joeycola]

23. Military spending is excempt from pay as you go deals.

[harun]

25. It is funded and voted on like everything else. They don't need to do a pay as you go

with health care reform, they choose to because it helps get around some of the Congressional rules.

[SIMPLYB1980]

24. Great news!

:toast: