Jon Walker: How To Build The Best Health Reform Bill In Conference

[Hissyspit]

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/01/04/how-to-build-the-best-health-reform-bill-in-conference/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CampaignSilo+%28Jane+Hamsher+Campaign+Silo%29

How To Build The Best Health Reform Bill In Conference

By: Jon Walker Monday January 4, 2010 3:33 pm
 
If I magically had the power to build the best bill possible in conference out of only components from the House and Senate bills, this is what I would do. (Of course there might not even be a conference committee and any bill can still be filibustered by Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln, etc., so the hope of building the best bill possible in conference is almost zero unless progressives in the House threaten to reject any bill that is just a massive giveaway to the insurance companies.)

House Bill

I would take the House bill as my base. In almost every way, it is a much better bill. The components which are best in the House bill and not found in the Senate bill are:

1. Millionaires’ tax instead of excise tax on employer-provided insurance.
   National public option.
   
2. National exchange with national insurance commissioner.
   
3. Repeal health insurance companies anti-trust exemption.
   
4. Real employer mandate (Senate bill has only a weak “free rider” provision which will result in a net decrease in employer provided health insurance).

- snip -

Senate Bill

The Senate bill is, overall, a very bad bill with few redeeming qualities. There are a some provisions from Senate bill not in the House bill that I would want in the final bill:

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[rosesaylavee]

1. Link?

:hi:

[Hissyspit]

3. Fixed.

Sorry 'bout that. Thanks for pointing out. :hi:

[rosesaylavee]

4. I sort of miss the snarky requests for links... :)

Just that I liked this enough to put up on my facebook and needed a link to do so. My friends are following this conference closely and I don't think they are comfortable at all coming here on DU or sim liberal forums to look for stuff yet. Tho some are lurking here on DU more and more I think.

Thanks for posting!

[Laura902]

2. Im in agreement,

the house bill is much better than the senates, i doubt the senates bill would do anything positive for america