Did progressives win anything in the health reform negotiation process?

[babylonsister]

http://www.openleft.com/diary/17895/did-progressives-win-anything-in-the-health-reform-negotiation-process

Did progressives win anything in the health reform negotiation process?
by: Chris Bowers
Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 15:48


The entire reconciliation bill now posted on House Rules Committee website. Did progressives win anything?

Changes from the Senate bill

Politico has a long summary of how it differs from the Senate bill. The very existence of the reconciliation bill comes from a refusal of House members, most of them Progressives, to just pass the Senate bill as is. Every single change Politico lists is thus a concession to House Progressives, and supplements the other ways that the bill became more progressive progressives.

Number of people on public insurance

Compared to current, 16 million people are projected to receive public health insurance as a result of the reconciliation bill (PDF, page 7). This compares to 21 million projected in the House Ways and Means bill, and 14 million people in the Senate Finance Committee bill (page 14). That is closer to Baucus, but it isn't nothing.

While it is true that there is a substantive difference between Medicaid and a public health insurance option tied to Medicare rates in the exchange, it is also true that the bill strengthens Medicaid in important ways. By moving most of the funding to the federal level--a $99 billion addition to the Senate Finance Committee bill--Medicaid recipients in red states are now in little or no danger of having their public health insurance taken away by local right-wing governments. Cutting Medicaid now becomes nearly as politically difficult as cutting Medicare.

Number of people receiving public primary care

Additionally, there is $11 billion extra for Community Health Centers in the reconciliation bill over five years. At current rates of patients receiving care (20.27 million annually) to federal funding for Community Health Centers ($2.5 billion annually), that projects to an additional 17.8 million patients receiving public primary care from the bill. This compares to zero extra patients in the Senate finance committee bill, and 22.7 million extra in the House bill in November.

Since this concession was directly made to win progressive votes, again I guess it means Progs got nothing.

****

It is factually untrue that progressives won no concessions in this bill. People are free to debate over whether the concessions are enough either to support the bill or to demonstrate increased influence, but it is simply untrue that they won nothing in return for their support.

[RoyGBiv]

1. Good news ...

Thanks for this.

[eridani]

2. We don't need this stupid fucking bill to get community health centers

--although if you are being fucked, I guess a reach-around is a nice afterthought. What about a public option open to anyone, no benefits tax, and ERISA waivers for states to implement single payer if they can, right now? If those things were there, the bill still wouldn't be all that good, but I'd support it for sure.

[babylonsister]

3. You're just working yourself up over something you have

no control over, so why put yourself through that? The Congress and the CBO have spoken; if we get anything, it's what was scored by the CBO yesterday.

But have at it; it's your blood pressure.

I do wish you'd come up with ingenious ways of improving upon what we might be about to get instead of all this wasted energy.

[dionysus]

11. answer: perpetual outrage is a security blanket for many folks. they love being miserable, and they

won't be happy unless they can make you miserable too.

[eridani]

29. Read Barbara Ehrenreich on the curse of the terminally perky n/t

[kestrel91316]

24. Don't waste your breath. After it passes, half these people will disappear,

and the other half will fight endlessly in support of RW attempts to repeal rather than improve the bill.

We all know what's really going on here.

[eridani]

30. And when someone files an amendment for an ERISA waiver or a public option--

--and gets told to fuck off, we've already done health care, your plan is what, exactly?

[Hekate]

33. They'll need someplace to continue marinating in their own bile, poor dears...

... someplace else, I hope.

Or therapy, that would be nice. And affordable medication. :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

Hekate

[eridani]

28. You didn't get my memo?

ERISA waiver for state single payer
Eliminating benefit taxes
Public option that anyone can buy into.

[freddie mertz]

4. A scrap here or there, at most.

Nothing compared to the concessions to Conservadems, Repubs, Insurance lobbyists, and Big Pharma.

[babylonsister]

5. Yawn. nt

[Clio the Leo]

6. Say that to the 1 million additional people who'll now be able to get insurance. NT

[Donnachaidh]

10. you say that to the 16 million who will NOT be insured

All the rah-rahhing in the world doesn't cover that FACT.

[Clio the Leo]

12. And neither does all of the pissing and moaning. NT

[dionysus]

14. sad you have to resort to the default "if we can't save everyone, save no one" shtick.

[Hello_Kitty]

20. Well, until supporters need to resort to the "if it saves ONE child it's WOORTH it!" ploy.

Seen that one here several times.

[kestrel91316]

25. How does that 16 million compare to the number who RIGHT NOW do not have insurance??

I guarantee you it's substantially less. But you just go on with the BS......

[phleshdef]

9. At this point, you just sound like a petulant child.

[freddie mertz]

21. Open wide and take your medicine!

Tastes like piss, but it'll be good for ya....

[rucky]

35. My understanding is people can get routine care without a copay with this.

That seems pretty huge to me.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. This stupid t-shirt? nt

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dawgs]

13. Yes. We will very soon get a public option bill passed.

I can see it happening in 2011.

[Romulox]

16. Right after the President is done renegotiating NAFTA, you mean?

:silly:

[vaberella]

17. I'm with you on this. I think this health care thing will go well when things start moving.

If Grayson builds and controls enough momentum he'll have that medicare PO version which is helpful and I do believe Bernie Sanders' state single player plan might be in this bill...we'll see.

[Cleobulus]

22. If its not going to pass this year, what will make 2011 any different?

The Democrats may pick up a few seats by then, but that's no guarantee that it will help pass a Public Option bill.

[eridani]

31. And when whoever files the amendment gets told

Fuck off! We just did health care--your plan B is what, exactly?

[Romulox]

15. LOL. Now BICAMERALISM itself is supposed to be taken as a "liberal" victory?

Reach much? :eyes:

"The very existence of the reconciliation bill comes from a refusal of House members, most of them Progressives, to just pass the Senate bill as is. "

[vaberella]

18. Babylonsister...Do we know if Bernie Sanders state single payer provision is in this bill? n/t

[babylonsister]

23. No, I don't know. I haven't read it, but if I come across something,

I'll let you know. :hi:

[LatteLibertine]

19. I believe

eventually Progressives will be happy. These efforts will be built upon.

Hopefully down the line we can completely dismantle "for profit" health insurance. I know that will never be possible if we don't take the first step.

IMO It might be possible to get a separate bill that allows folks to buy into medicare, which would be better than what we have.

Hell, near anything is better than the status quo.

[kestrel91316]

26. Dismantling the health "insurance" scam for good is indeed the goal, but

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Baby steps.......and I say this as a victim of the status quo.

[IndianaGreen]

27. BOHICA plus one tube of KY Jelly

The largest transfer of wealth from the working class to corporate America since Bush's tax cuts.

[Hekate]

32. 5th Rec, Babs. I have a feeling this thread has already had a 5th Rec before now...

... but the poutrage is strong with unrecs tonight.

Hekate

[babylonsister]

34. Yes, it is strong. And here I thought this might be good news. Go figure.

:hi: