Democrats quietly working to resuscitate healthcare overhaul

[kpete]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Democrats quietly working to resuscitate healthcare overhaul

.........................

Reporting from Washington - President Obama's campaign to overhaul the nation's healthcare system is officially on the back burner as Democrats turn to the task of stimulating job growth, but behind the scenes party leaders have nearly settled on a strategy to salvage the massive legislation.

They are meeting almost daily to plot legislative moves while gently persuading skittish rank-and-file lawmakers to back a sweeping bill.

This effort is deliberately being undertaken quietly as Democrats work to focus attention on more-popular initiatives to bring down unemployment, which the president said was a priority in his State of the Union address on Wednesday.

Many have concluded that the only hope for resuscitating the healthcare legislation is to push the issue off the front page and give lawmakers time to work out a new compromise and shift public perception of the bill.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-healthcare-strategy31-2010jan31,0,4131123.story

[polichick]

1. Glad that House members are pushing for a public option - this setback...

...gives them a chance to get it right.

[brewens]

5. The health insurance company's will have to be very unhappy with anything worthwhile.

I worked for five hours in the lobby of a health insurance company last week. I was registering blood donors for their blood drive.
I watched and listened as much as I could as their people at the front desk handled complaints and problems. I've been there about four times a year for the last three years. This day was by far the worst I have seen.
One guy that couldn't afford the premiums for his $7,500 deductible plan was pretty sad. The woman helping him seemed very uncomfortable with what she was doing. She set him up with paperwork to be re-evaluated to see if there was any way they could lower his premiums. I heard him say he couldn't believe they had to raise it again because they already don't cover squat! I think I heard $250 per month.
Another guy had to move his wife out of the hospital because of coverage limitations. Sounded like a bad deal but he was trying to get her into a nursing home. To their credit, I saw quite a bit of work and research going on to see how this was happening. I think they found where the screwup was and were going to inform him that the coverage was extended.
A young woman came in to pay her premium that was $85. She was already aware it was going up but found out it wasn't till next month and said, "sweet"! Hard to believe that one. She must have had coverage at work and was paying her part. Wait till it goes up far enough that her company drops it altogether and see how "sweet" she thinks that is!
The plan our blood center has for us went up again this year but they ate the cost and left our contribution the same. I don't expect that to happen next time.

[dkf]

2. I'd like to see tort reform.

Bad doctors should be stripped of their licenses not sued time and time again

I would also like to see what recourse people who are being forced to buy insurance have when they are disserved by practices such as claims disallowed by paper pushers who get bonused for denying your claim.

[SharonAnn]

6. I would like the medical profession to get rid of their bad doctors. Then I'll support

consideration of something like "tort reform".

Until then, when bad doctors are protected, the wronged patient needs to have recourse.

[dkf]

8. The patient should be made whole. That is paying for all expenses for the rest of their life

The problem is punitive damages. Maybe doctors shouldn't be able to get insurance to pay punitive damages or something. But if the doctor is insulated from the punishment anyway then what is the point? They just pass it down to us and it adds to our healthcare costs.

[asdjrocky]

9. Tort reform is a silly rw talking point.

Don't believe me? Check the insurance rates for the states with the strongest tort reform.

Maybe we should allow insurance companies to sell across state lines too?

[dkf]

10. I just don't think it is appropriate to have bad doctors practicing medicine.

Suing them protects no one but it is the preferred method of punishment.

[No Elephants]

13. It's up to state boards, hospitals, etc. to make sure the doctor does not practice again.

The patient/victim of a bad doctor has no power over that. And again, a lawsuit is to compensate the victim of medical malpractice, not to punish the doctor. A Massachusetts doctor actually walked out of surgery, leaving the patient unattended by any physician. The patient was damaged as a result. Of course, the patient sued. And 5he doctor's medical malpractice insurere paid of the patient. And the doctor lost his license, thanks to the licensing board. The two issues are completely separate.

[No Elephants]

12. Suing is to compensate the victim, not to punish the doctor. The malpractice insurer is the one who

pays anyway, not the doctor and not the health insurers.

[johnaries]

14. I remember hearing or reading a suggestion to make medical

malpractice a criminal rather than a civil issue. Made a lot of sense to me.

[mzteris]

3. if the Republicans had any sense -

they'd go for a joint group of "non-partisans" - and help forge something that actually works and is good for the people.

Understanding that THEY DON'T call the shots, they can be perceived as obstructionist and partisan, or as the non-partisans who put "the people" ahead of political consideration. That move alone will actually give them political capital and possibly restore some goodwill for their party. (Not that I'd like to see that part, but if they were smart that's what they'd do. But they're not, sooooooo........ guess Dems will have to do it without them.

[Solly Mack]

4. k/r

[Edweird]

7. If they were smart the senate bill would be 86'ed. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

The current admin appears to be determined to push failed RW policy.

[RC]

11. If they were actually serious, they would look at all the other countries that

already have Single Payer, Universal Health Care and select the best options for our own Single Payer Universal Health Care.
Put the so-called health insurance companies out of business by going after them with RICO.
Anything else is just continuing the insurance fraud against the working stiffs and unemployed in this country.

If you think you want to know how I really feel about this and a few other topics -
http://www.timws.com/

[Lost4words]

15. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice.......

dont get fooled again.

this last year has taught me how capable GWB & the GOP really was/were/are.

when dimson was given the keys to the WH all I wanted the Democrats to do was exactly what the GOP have done to Obama. But the congress caved to anything W wanted. Phony war, tax cuts for the wealthy, for me the nightmare continues.

I am glad some here are happy with the way things are going, but I am not.