Obama offers new plan to revive healthcare push

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

President Barack Obama tried to rejuvenate his stalled healthcare overhaul on Monday with a revised plan designed to make coverage more affordable and bolster federal authority to regulate insurance premium hikes.

The proposal comes three days ahead of a bipartisan White House healthcare summit on Thursday as Obama tries to rally flagging congressional and U.S. public support for a sweeping overhaul that would tighten regulations on insurers and expand coverage to tens of millions of Americans.

Republicans have demanded that Obama scrap the healthcare bills passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate and House of Representatives last year. But White House officials rejected the idea and said they hoped the new plan would resolve the differences in the two versions.

"We took our best shot at bridging the differences," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said. "Hopefully this will move the process forward."

The new plan, which revises the bill passed by the Senate last year, would cost $950 billion over 10 years and would not expand the deficit, White House officials said.

It expands tax credits for middle-class workers to make insurance more affordable and strengthens federal oversight of insurance premium hikes.

It also eliminates a controversial Senate deal exempting the state of Nebraska from Medicaid increases, closes a "donut hole" gap in prescription drug coverage and incorporates a January deal raising the income threshold for a tax on high-cost "Cadillac" insurance plans.

The proposal provides more tax credits to small businesses than either the Senate or House bills and provides all states full federal funding for increases in Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor, for four years, the White House said.

Congressional leaders have scrambled for a way forward on healthcare since a surprise Republican victory in a special Massachusetts U.S. Senate election cost Democrats their crucial 60th Senate vote and brought negotiations on merging their two bills to a halt.

One option would include a budget process called reconciliation that requires only a simple majority -- 51 votes in the Senate -- and would bypass Republicans. The White House did not take a stance on how Congress should proceed.

Pfeiffer said Obama wanted an up-or-down vote in Congress on the healthcare bill, and the changes offered on Monday were "designed to provide us the flexibility to achieve that."

Many congressional Democrats are anxious to turn to job issues and put aside the unpopular healthcare bill ahead of November congressional elections. Republicans are hopeful of taking control of Congress in those elections.

The White House has pointed to premium increases of up to 39 percent for some California customers of WellPoint Inc's Anthem Blue Cross plans to make its case about the need for a major healthcare reform.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2219009420100222

[one...two...tree 2,762]

from this morning's Plum Line: (bring it on)

In the course of unveiling Obama’s new health reform proposal on a conference call with reporters this morning, White House advisers made it clearer than ever before: If the GOP filibusters health reform, Dems will move forward on their own and pass it via reconciliation.

The assertion, which is likely to spark an angry response from GOP leaders, ups the stakes in advance of the summit by essentially daring Republicans to try to block reform.

“The President expects and believes the American people deserve an up or down vote on health reform,” White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said on the call.

Pfeiffer said no decision had been made how to proceed, pending the outcome of the summit. But he added that Obama’s proposal is designed to have “maximum flexibility to ensure that we can get an up or down vote if the opposition decides to take the extraordinary step of filibustering health reform.”

Translation: If the GOP doesn’t cooperate with us in any meaningful sense, we’re moving forward on our own.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-c...reconciliation/

[Dan J 277]

If you are going to put out an individual mandate, which is good for getting coverage for everyone, it needs to be coupled with either a government plan option, or price control regulation for basic insurance plans. Otherwise its just a blank check to private industry which will milk it for all its worth.

[mawilson 2,133]

The new plan would cost $950 billion over 10 years and would not expand the deficit

Riiiiiight.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

If you are going to put out an individual mandate, which is good for getting coverage for everyone, it needs to be coupled with either a government plan option, or price control regulation for basic insurance plans. Otherwise its just a blank check to private industry which will milk it for all its worth.

The WH is calling for price controls, but Reid has signaled a willingness to add a public option.

[SMOKE 1,426]

http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/Doc...cumentID=171326

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement in response to the partisan health care proposal posted online by the White House for discussion at the upcoming bipartisan health care summit:

“The President has crippled the credibility of this week’s summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected. This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, and slash Medicare benefits.

“This week’s summit clearly has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial for continuing on a partisan course that relies on more backroom deals and parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and jam through a massive government takeover of health care.

“The best way to protect families and small businesses in this time of economic uncertainty is to start over with a step-by-step approach to health care reform focused on lowering costs, and that’s exactly what Republicans are fighting for. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the Republican bill reduces premiums for families and small businesses by up to 10 percent. The Republican bill reduces premiums by implementing common-sense reforms such as allowing Americans to purchase insurance across state lines. Despite their rhetoric to the contrary, none of the Democrats’ proposals – including the President’s – provides this much-needed reform in a manner that can actually be effective.

“Republicans are also standing with the American people by calling for health care reform to protect human life and not use taxpayer money to fund abortion. The Republican bill would codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit all authorized and appropriated federal funds from being used to pay for abortion, which the President’s proposal would allow. Pro-life Democrats in the House have already pledged to vote against this provision. Health care reform should be an opportunity to protect human life – not end it – and the American people agree.”

Edited February 22, 2010 by SMOKE

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

While there's nothing wrong with keeping a close eye on the blood-sucking PHI, what's really missing is effective cost control. You can't restrict premiums while the cost of heath care keeps increasing like there's no tomorrow. That's just not going to work - unless you want to put PHI out of business.

[Dan J 277]

While there's nothing wrong with keeping a close eye on the blood-sucking PHI, what's really missing is effective cost control. You can't restrict premiums while the cost of heath care keeps increasing like there's no tomorrow. That's just not going to work - unless you want to put PHI out of business.

It can work actually and has in places like Japan. Japan uses a single payer system and had set low reimbursement rates for things like MRI's. At first they were very expensive, but providers soon found ways to provide MRI's within the reimbursement limits.

Nothing will make a business more efficient than being forced to provide a product or service within certain price limits. If they don't exist, businesses will soak up the cost of inefficiency.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/Doc...cumentID=171326

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement in response to the partisan health care proposal posted online by the White House for discussion at the upcoming bipartisan health care summit:

"The President has crippled the credibility of this week's summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected. This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, and slash Medicare benefits.

"This week's summit clearly has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial for continuing on a partisan course that relies on more backroom deals and parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and jam through a massive government takeover of health care.

"The best way to protect families and small businesses in this time of economic uncertainty is to start over with a step-by-step approach to health care reform focused on lowering costs, and that's exactly what Republicans are fighting for. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the Republican bill reduces premiums for families and small businesses by up to 10 percent. The Republican bill reduces premiums by implementing common-sense reforms such as allowing Americans to purchase insurance across state lines. Despite their rhetoric to the contrary, none of the Democrats' proposals – including the President's – provides this much-needed reform in a manner that can actually be effective.

"Republicans are also standing with the American people by calling for health care reform to protect human life and not use taxpayer money to fund abortion. The Republican bill would codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit all authorized and appropriated federal funds from being used to pay for abortion, which the President's proposal would allow. Pro-life Democrats in the House have already pledged to vote against this provision. Health care reform should be an opportunity to protect human life – not end it – and the American people agree."

Boehner is such a bonehead.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It can work actually and has in places like Japan. Japan uses a single payer system and had set low reimbursement rates for things like MRI's. At first they were very expensive, but providers soon found ways to provide MRI's within the reimbursement limits.

Nothing will make a business more efficient than being forced to provide a product or service within certain price limits. If they don't exist, businesses will soak up the cost of inefficiency.

Yes, the might of a single payer. That's not being proposed either, though. The fragmented insurance system has proven quite ineffective in being a driving force when it comes to cost control. Not sure that caps on premium increases will change that.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's enough to drive anyone crazy, this so called health care reform. One of two things will happen, nothing will change or this 'non' reform reform will pass and make things worse. I tend to agree with those that are suggesting that this version of reform will be nothing but a license for the private insurance companies to rip off everyone, not just those who think buying health care insurance is the responsible thing to do.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

On a positive note, this just might be a good starting point. As it stands now, except for the union concessions, all the sweetheart deals have been removed. There is enough there to piss off the Progressive wing, in that despite what the Senate Majority Leader is saying, the Government option is all but dead. However, Carter style price controls will piss off the right. If everybody walks in the room with a chip on their shoulder, then this summit is dead. The leadership can claim, "We tried," and retreat back to Rahm Emmanuel's office, to finalize the bill they will try to pass under reconciliation.

I foresee some dramatic shows on both CSAN's, as arms get twisted in the House, with the vote held open until 3 am, and of course, VP Joe will get to cast the deciding vote in the Senate. This one is going to be a squeaker!

[lostinblue 1,989]

It can work actually and has in places like Japan. Japan uses a single payer system and had set low reimbursement rates for things like MRI's. At first they were very expensive, but providers soon found ways to provide MRI's within the reimbursement limits.

Nothing will make a business more efficient than being forced to provide a product or service within certain price limits. If they don't exist, businesses will soak up the cost of inefficiency.

"When you can't get enough money out of the taxpayers, then the

political formula is to confiscate private money by the back door,

by imposing price controls on businesses. Media pundits seem utterly

uninterested in the actual economic consequences of price controls,

even though the history of such consequences goes back for centuries

in countries around the world. Those consequences have repeatedly

included shortages and quality deterioration -- which can be matters

of life and death when it comes to medical care. But who has time to look

up facts when there are exciting political strategies to chatter about?"

-- Dr. Thomas Sowell

"Asking liberals where wages and prices come from is like asking

six-year-olds where babies come from." -- Dr. Thomas Sowell

http://freedomkeys.com/pricecontrols7.htm

Just study your history and see what Nixon's price controls did to the economy.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Now they are saying, all the sweetheart deals are back in, except for Nebraska's, which was withdrawn by Senator Ben Nelson.

But, of course, "Everything is still on the table."

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Now they are saying, all the sweetheart deals are back in, except for Nebraska's, which was withdrawn by Senator Ben Nelson.

But, of course, "Everything is still on the table."

Maybe it's time to switch to a Parliament?