Did anybody see this yesterday? Matheson aims to cut public health option

[ej510]

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, will ask House leaders Friday to allow a vote that could strip a public insurance option out of the Democrat's health-care bill.

Matheson, chairman of the moderate "Blue Dog" Democratic caucus in the House, on Thursday released a list of five amendments that he plans to ask the Rules Committee to allow during an expected Saturday debate in the House on the reform bill. The most prominent would strip the hotly contested "public option" out of the bill.

"I agree with my colleagues that consumers deserve more choice and competition within the insurance marketplace. However, I disagree that a government-run-insurance option is the only way to achieve this shared goal," Matheson said in a statement prepared for the committee.

Instead of a public option, "I have filed an amendment to create state-based cooperatives — similar to the provisions included in the Senate Finance Committee — as a means of providing families and individuals with another health-insurance option," he said.

That amendment, and the others, may face an uphill battle. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that Democrats may reject all amendments to the bill, except one that would restrict federal funds going to abortions.

Among other amendments that Matheson said he intends to seek are:
Matheson aims to cut public health option

By Lee Davidson

Deseret News
Published: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 8:55 p.m. MST
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Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, will ask House leaders Friday to allow a vote that could strip a public insurance option out of the Democrat's health-care bill.

Matheson, chairman of the moderate "Blue Dog" Democratic caucus in the House, on Thursday released a list of five amendments that he plans to ask the Rules Committee to allow during an expected Saturday debate in the House on the reform bill. The most prominent would strip the hotly contested "public option" out of the bill.

"I agree with my colleagues that consumers deserve more choice and competition within the insurance marketplace. However, I disagree that a government-run-insurance option is the only way to achieve this shared goal," Matheson said in a statement prepared for the committee.

Instead of a public option, "I have filed an amendment to create state-based cooperatives — similar to the provisions included in the Senate Finance Committee — as a means of providing families and individuals with another health-insurance option," he said.

That amendment, and the others, may face an uphill battle. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that Democrats may reject all amendments to the bill, except one that would restrict federal funds going to abortions.

Among other amendments that Matheson said he intends to seek are:
Story continues below

Creating state-based insurance exchanges, instead of a national one. He said that would "offer flexibility and responsiveness to the health-care demographic differences of each state."

Capping non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000. He said the Congressional Budget Office has said that could save $54 billion over 10 years.

Allowing health-savings accounts in insurance exchanges.

Allowing loan forgiveness for new pediatricians, designed to address a shortage of such doctors. (Matheson's wife is a pediatrician.)

Matheson voted against an early version of the Democratic health-reform bill in committee and has been pushing to tweak it with similar changes for months.

Moving further to the right.

[DireStrike]

1. We should start a campaign to get the media to stop calling blue dogs "moderate"

They should be "conservative" democrats. Or something else, if anyone has a better suggestion.

[ej510]

2. They are republicans.

[Sheepshank]

3. I've written to Matheson

asking him why in the heck he mislead those that voted for him into thinking he was a Dem. Of course this was related to health care. His repsonse was straight down party lines...Republican party lines. The guy has nothing of his father in him. Another that will be waiting for a re-election that will never come!!!!

[ej510]

4. We need the progressives to block the vote.