Leading Health Care Group To Democrats: Get It Done. Now!

[babylonsister]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/leading-health-care-group-to-democrats-get-it-done-now.php

Leading Health Care Group To Democrats: Get It Done. Now!
Brian Beutler | January 21, 2010, 3:54PM


The reform campaign Health Care for America Now has taken stock of the week's events, and have a simple message for Democrats: As leadership, and leading members and labor groups are suggesting, pass the Senate health care bill, tie it to a separate bill enacting key fixes. But more importantly: Get it done. Now.

"We just had a steering committee meeting and it was just--'end the handwringing and get to work' was the theme of our meeting," HCAN's campaign director Richard Kirsch tells me.

Earlier today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that, for the moment, she doesn't have enough votes in her caucus to pass the Senate health care bill. And many members are saying that an easier way forward would be to cleave the House bill into parts and pass the popular elements--then send them to the Senate for separate votes.

"You can't do incremental reform because, for instance, you can't end pre-existing conditions with incremental reform," Kirsch said. "You've gotta do comprehensive reform."

snip//

So how can the House get a hold of itself and put this health care bill to bed? Kirsch sends the following message.

"To progressives: understand that the Senate bill with fixes will be the major advance in social legislation since Social Security and Medicare and it will enable the bill to be fixed more...instead of starting for scratch."

For Democrats worried about politics, they need to understand that the worst politics is to do nothing, and they will be blamed for that.

The progressives should do it because it's the right thing, the conservative Democrats should do it because it's the right thing and the best thing for their political fortune, whether they understand it or not.

[LostInAnomie]

1. I agree.

Pass it.

[derby378]

2. No public option, no deal

This is our chance to deal ourselves back into the game. No individual mandate without a real public option.

[frazzled]

7. There will be no game to deal yourself into if this doesn't pass now

It's over. Kaput. And the Democrats will be swept out of office, because they will look totally inept and will have wasted an entire year of our time.

So if you think you'll have a better chance at a better bill under a Republican regime, keep smokin' whatever you're smokin'.

[Trillo]

8. Precisely. We don't want 'games'!

Making a mandate without offering a "public option" not administered by private companies to all that want it is nothing but a Wall Street game (that is set up so we lose and they win).

Creating something like Medicare for Everyone who wants it is needed to create competition. Limiting who's eligible for it is just another anti-competitive "game" designed to allow continued rises in sector costs.

[jacksonian]

3. pass it

and fix things as we go. No other way.

[Babel_17]

4. "Git-R-Done!" isn't good policy

http://www.google.com/search?q=Git-R-Done

Last truly major legislation I remember that was "going to get fixed" was The Iraq War Resolution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Resolution

Lesson learned, you can't count on getting improvements to fundamental flaws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Resolution#Amendments_offered_to_the_House_Resolution

[ibegurpard]

5. so, pass the senate bill and fix it later...

how are you going to guarantee to me that in exchange for forcing me to buy insurance from FOR-PROFIT intermediaries with no iron-clad regulation or cost controls you will sometime down the line fix those glaring deficiencies? particularly if you end up with a smaller majority? or, heaven help us, a minority again?

[yourout]

6. Politically speaking passing the Senate bill would be committing suicide.

In this case doing nothing would be better than passing the POS Senate Bill.

Everyone I know absolutely hates the Senate bill and if they pass it the Dems may be out of power for a decade.

[babylonsister]

9. Baloney. It'd be a start and needs to happen.

I suspect you don't have any pre-existing conditions. I do, and I selfishly welcome any legislation that will help me to afford insurance without prejudice.

[yourout]

10. I sympathize but a Mandate without a Public Option is a sure loss of both the House and Senate.

With the White House sure to follow.

[TheKentuckian]

11. If you can pay 3X the normal rate + any extra from the toxic "wellness" visits

then I get it. The bill also severely limits your out of pocket liability by percentage of income.

Just keep in mind struggling working class folks will be put into a situation of being forced to buy something they can't afford to use. As far as I can tell this bill most drastically helps those most able to afford care now.

Bill Gates will have the same out of pocket maximum as a working person and that is all this really accomplishes. Sticking it to the little people to make sure the downtrodden upper class and the rich have access and less risk of their wealth.

This is trickle down policy disquised as helping the poor. The poor will still be fucked and on the outside looking in.