Just In From RawStory: Democrats Cede More On Health Bill, Including Medicare Buy-In

[WillyT]

Looks like we caved to Lieberman.

Democrats cede more on health bill, including Medicare buy-in
By Stephen C. Webster
Monday, December 14th, 2009 -- 8:20 pm

<snip>

Senate Democrats have ceded yet more crucial components of President Obama's health reforms, dropping proposals for both a public option and Medicare buy-in, apparently caving to push-back from Republicans and centrist Democrats, according to a published report.

"The general consensus was that <...> we shouldn’t make the perfect the enemy of the good and in order to get all the insurance reforms accomplished and a number of other good things in the bill,” Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) told reporters, according to Bloomberg News. Dropping the Medicare expansion “would be necessary to get the 60 votes,” he said.

Democrats had wanted to see Medicare expanded so that people aged 55 and over can buy in to the government-run plan, which currently covers senior citizens aged 65 or older. A public insurance option would have offered competition to high priced private insurers and allowed citizens to purchase low-cost policies through government markets.

"This bill, without public option, without Medicare buy-in, is a giant step forward toward transforming American health care," said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). "That’s reality, there is enough good stuff in that bill that we should move ahead with it."

Senator Harkin had formerly been the public option's greatest champion.

“Mark my word — I’m the chairman — it’s going to have a strong public option,” Harkin said at an Iowa fundraiser, adding that it would pass “by Christmas.” Harkin replaced Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) as chair of the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee.

"I want to tell you, we could pass a health care reform bill this week with more than 60 votes and it would be bipartisan if we just took a few things out of the bill as it is today," Lieberman told CBS' Bob Schieffer during a Sunday broadcast.

"Give me the list of things that have to be taken out to pass," Schieffer prompted.

"From my point of view, no public option," the senator replied. "No Medicare buy-in. Class act, which will add to our debt in the future, ah, it doesn't take much more than that. You'd have a great bill left."

Lieberman's threat to filibuster the health reform bill if it included a public option or Medicare buy-in sent ripples through the Democratic party, prompting centrist Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) to join him.

<snip>

Link: http://rawstory.com/2009/12/democrats-cede-health-bill-including-medicare-buyin/

I think I'm gonna lose it... :nuke:

[janx]

1. OK...Where did RawStory get it?

Does RawStory have its own reporters, or does RawStory simply grab stuff already published /posted on the Internets?

I really wish people would pay attention to what they're reading.

[WillyT]

7. Yes, They Have Their Own Reporters

:shrug:

[Wapsie B]

2. Do this at your peril Democrats.

Medicare buy-in made the most sense at this point in time and even that's too much for the DLCer's? Exactly what benefit did we have by winning the White House and a majority in both houses of Congress other than not having Palin as VP?

[HillGal]

14. Medicare buy in would've cost minimum $600 for people under 65, who could afford that? NT

[Wapsie B]

15. Where'd you get that number?

[HillGal]

16. From here

http://www.slate.com/id/2237780/

Adverse selection does appear to be a problem. Politico reports that that the estimated unsubsidized monthly premium for the Medicare buy-in under discussion would be $600 per month. I presume that's for an individual rather than a family policy. For comparison's sake, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that seven years from now average monthly nongroup premiums for individual policies will be $483 if health reform passes, and $458 if it doesn't. So, yeah, the buy-in will require subsidies to be price-competitive.

[MichiganVote]

3. And the winner of the Can't Get A Damn Thing Done Right award goes to....

Congress. Dem or Repub. Useless.

[DrToast]

4. LOL....have you been reading the board?

[sandnsea]

5. So we stand by the House

and fight for the Public Option in conference. I still say the subsidies are the most important. Without the House subsidy schedule, this bill will bankrupt people before they have a chance to get sick.

[Cha]

6. rawstory's been wrong before.

[ima_sinnic]

8. gee, didn't Obama just meet with the Democratic senators like a week ago?

I see he really pumped them up to work for meaningful health care reform for Anerica's working families ... :eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

9. All Obama wants is any bill to sign, with 'Health Reform' on the cover page

Pretty much as the SNL Biden parody of a few weeks ago.

[rug]

10. I can tolerate mandates but I'll be damned if they concede my pancreas.

[DJ13]

11. Now available at Democratically controlled precincts nationwide in 2010

[PurityOfEssence]

12. How is it that the Senate's ceded elements of "Obama's health reforms"?

Let's get serious here: our President has steadfastly asked for vague reforms and left it to Congress to stick its collective neck out on the thorny issues, yet when this ethereal will-o-the-wisp gets fiddled with, it's somehow some big betrayal of Obama by these grubby little legislators.

Blame is to be spread far and wide, and I'll say it again: if he had stood up and flatly said what he wanted in the first place and uncharacteristically taken the fore on this matter, it would be one thing and a reasonable complaint when good things were pared away from it. This is simply not the case. Plausible deniability and ultramoderate tippy-toeing are the M.O. of this operation, and slagging the Senate as some villainous pack of invertebrates betraying the steadfast visionary leader is too much for my already spinning head to take.

This is the Potemkin Village of health care, and the blame deserves to be shared.

Somehow, to so many, the premise that our President is a great and altruistic champion of the little guy must be sustained, regardless of any contrary evidence. It is simply unthinkable that any good doesn't stem from him personally, and similarly heretical that any missteps or capitulations aren't the craven acts of those who defy his transcendent will.

What will become of us if this posturing hogwash doesn't end is a cheapening of everything we hold dear as we walk a middle ground with a casual-dress war, the limp efforts to rein in privileged greedheads playing with our economy, a tepid tack on climate policy and every other favor-currying, namby-pamby bit of half-produced, staged-reading showbiz.

Feh.

[ima_sinnic]

13. absolutely, amen to that. +++1x10^9 (nt)

[SoCalDemGrrl]

17. Say it ain't so Joe (Snicker...)

[AllentownJake]

18. Run Away Run Away