Pelosi: Health Care Reform Can't Pass Without Public Option

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the Huffington Post Thursday that a health care overhaul that did not include a public option wouldn't make it through the House because it "wouldn't have the votes."

At a press conference earlier in the morning, Pelosi had been asked if including a public plan that would compete with private insurance was "essential" to health care reform.

"Can you have effective health care reform without a public option?" a reporter asked.

The goal, she responded, was affordability and accessibility. "If you have another way to do that, put it on the table. And that's where we are. Everything should be on the table," she said.

The open-ended answer led some reporters after the press conference to wonder if she was backing off her statement to MSNBC Wednesday that a bill without a public option wouldn't get out of the House.

Not at all, she said. Asked by HuffPost if she would allow a reform package without a public option out of the House, she responded: "It's not a question of allow. It wouldn't have the votes."

The bill would lack the votes because the GOP generally opposes Democratic reform proposals, and the 77 member Congressional Progressive Caucus -- rarely heard from on the Hill -- has been particularly vocal in its commitment to oppose any reform that doesn't include a public option. The public plan's popularity extends beyond progressives and is broadly popular with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and even two-fifths of Blue Dogs, the conservative Democratic coalition.

Pelosi, during the press conference, also rejected a compromise proposal by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) to create private, nonprofit, regional health care cooperatives instead of a national public option.

Pelosi wasn't having it: "Not instead of a public option, no," she said.

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Comments

[MKMD]

The public option will become the only option in time. Those who love government control are salivating over the prospect of government run single-payer health care. Money (someone else's) is no object. Rather than strive for excellence, we can aspire toward mediocrity for all. For more, see www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com

[proggirl]

Those who love staying alive are salivating over the prospect of finally having insurance.

[zest]

Here, here!

[ldcbl]

and those who have had their medical decisions made by insurance adjustors would be very happy to replace them with the government. the rethug argument that govt will get between the patient and their doctor are pandering with fearmongering and not being truthful

[zest]

Yeah, like your insurance company isn't between the patient and their doctor.

[Christian]

The question is, will Obama fight for it and so far he has not shown the backbone to do so. Where is Hillary when you need her, I have no doubt she would fight.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

I agree about your first statement but am afraid you are way off about Hillary.

She likes $$$$ even more than Obama!

[jazzman]

To fight or not to fight? That is the question. Obama must be willing to bloody the noses of all the Republicans and many of the blue dogs if he wants to get real reform. Will he do it? We don't know but let's hope that 'he's got game.'

[raker]

The only "public option" worth supporting is one that's better than Medicare. It must have no deductibles and no co-insurance (seniors are forced to pay a small fortune for "Medicare supplement plans." It's outrageous); it must be available to all; it must have no "doughnut holes" like the outrageous Medicare Part D; it must not be built around insurance, with huge sums going to for-profit insurance companies; and most important, every hospital, doctor, pharmacy and health care provider must accept Public Option allowances as payment in full - no rejecting patients, and no balance billing.

Tax us what you must for this coverage, it's bound to cost significantly less than the thousands a month we have to pay for family insurance premiums and thousands a year in co-payments.

[Pablo175]

Medicare is broke. And you want better?

[RuWii]

Better than a broke system?

yeah, that would make sense wouldn't it?

[Alexander Hamilton]

The Dartmouth Atlas Project (better known as the Dartmouth Study), used repeatedly by President Obama's henchman, Peter Orszag, to push through a Nazi health care system in this country, was derived directly from the Tony Blair-created NICE's proposal to cut health care costs in the British Isles by evening out disparities in medical costs between different postal zones.

Tom Rosenthal, MD, the UCLA Medical Center's chief medical officer, said the Medicare claims used by Dartmouth researchers in the 2008 Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care do not capture some unique demographic and workload issues facing higher-spending hospitals. For instance, Dr. Rosenthal said UCLA — one of the highest spending hospitals in the Dartmouth Atlas — has far more patients waiting for heart transplants and requiring costlier care than does the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Take the question on whether a negative CT scan of an injured knee is wasteful spending, Dr. Rosenthal said. Lawmakers must ponder whether there is value in a patient feeling better after knowing the results. "Is that waste?"

Research by Dr. Robert A. Berenson, who was a Medicare official in the Clinton administration, and Jack Hadley of the Urban Institute, suggests that much of the geographic variation in health spending can be explained by differences in "individual characteristics, especially patients' underlying health status and a range of socio-economic factors, including income." Dr. Berenson said, "There remains too much uncertainty about the Dartmouth findings to ground public policy on them."

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

Hope this 1d1ot doesn't own any guns!!!!

[RuWii]

Denialist

We should have a flag for them.

[theone718]

YEAH!!! Now THAT is what I like to hear. We have a powerful coalition in the house, close to 100 members that would NEVER vote for a bill without a robust public option, KEEP UP THE FIGHT IN THE SENATE. THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO WORK OUR HARDEST. CALL YOUR SENTAORS NOW!

[mero909]

I said this in another article and I'll repeat it here.

Universal Healthcare is NOT in the Constitution. I don't even want to hear someone say "promoting the general welfare" line in the preamble because that has NOTHING to do with Universal Healthcare. If you don't believe me, research it yourself.

So with that said, I'm still on the fence about Universal Healthcare. Is Health care an individual's unalienable right? I think it may be. The problem is that our taxes will rise and the health care will probably be really crappy.

Here's a good forum arguing whether the US should have Universal Health Care.

http://www.topix.com/forum/topstories/TC1719PI15A46O62E

Enjoy.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

spam

[thaneb]

Neither is the Air Force, whereas the Army and Navy specifically are in the Constitution.
So let's compromise. We'll do away with 1/2 of the un-constit­utionally-­supported Air Force and fund un-constit­utionally-­supported health care with the savings.

[Christian]

Crap, you are not on the fence so don't even try to play the roll. When you have an industry that has a 30% overhead and you match it with one that can operate in a 3 to 5% overhead, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know which can save you money.

[watchful123]

Neither is increasing my premiums every 6 months.

[D-V-H]

Section 1 - The Legislature

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
****
In case your reading skills have atrophied, that means Congress gets to pass laws. And when you couple it with the preamble, yes the preamble is part of the Constitution, they have ample authority to enact public health insurance. Otherwise Medicare, Post Office & Social Security would be unconstitutional.

[cornagainstsorcery]

We're going to win this one. If we keep the momentum going the next four months.

[mero909]

Welfare State, higher taxes, crappy health care, incoming!

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

billo on a bike

[Cheryl2]

What planet do you live on? Healthcare is in more of a crisis than ever with all the people that have lost their jobs. So is medicare all crappy too?

[proggirl]

It's not a welfare state, it's a PEOPLE's state as intended by the Contsitution! Government of, FOR, and by the people! You don't like it, move to another country that has a private health care system...w­ait, you can't, there aren't any.

[Bronxdude]

In collusion with health insurance corporations, pharmaceutical manufactures, and physicians who regard healthcare as only a revenue stream, the Reagan deregulated, for-profit medical culture has methodically raped America, while complicit, unscrupulous, and self-serving republicans silenced by special interest, graft, and kick-backs acquiesce. Since obstructionistic republicans support the systematic plundering of the middleclass by ruthless corporations like UnitedHealthcare, this is why we need government oversight between the public and greed-driven health insurance providers. Profit at the expense of human suffering is a republican engineered abomination. Bipartisan or not, true non-profit health insurance reform will provide affordable and cost-effective options that include a public offering. Since Georgia is self-insured, state employees have no due process patient protection rights, which means UnitedHealthcare can deny medical care and authorize exorbitant copays and deductibles with no appeal oversight. Real, quality-driven reform will end the monopolistic strangle-hold enjoyed by morally bankrupt health insurance corporations. In Georgia, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare officials colluded with state republicans to eliminate Blue Cross and Blue Shield as a competitor, narrowing the slate of choices to two, with the end result being higher premiums, bigger profit, and reduced benefits. Mr. Obama: The health insurance industry (and the despicable republicans they bankroll) will not retreat quietly from billions in annual profits! I want the same affordable, universal, federally subsidized health insurance Congress and their families enjoy. When compared to the average American, why do politicians live longer? Answer: universal, affordable health insurance.

[judgejay]

The last thing we need is another entitlement program. Our country will be 1.8 trillion yes trillion in the hole by the end of this year without this additional spending. What has our government ever run without wasting billions of dollars.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

YAWN!!

[mero909]

Cover your eyes and ears! God forbid you hear a logical thought.

[urweatherman]

Thats the problem with you progressiv­es.....fel­l asleep in school, and now haven't a clue about anything!

[mero909]

"What has our government ever run without wasting billions of dollars."

Social Security? Wait... nevermind.

[scooperss]

Nothing that's why people are SCREAMING for transparency and accountability for EVERYTHING.

[RuWii]

And, please, tell me, what giant corporation has ever been run without wasting billions of dollars?

or do you think that's not the case?

[Lynne Parker]

"Pelosi, during the press conference, also rejected a compromise proposal by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) to create private, nonprofit, regional health care cooperatives instead of a national public option."

Judging from another story on HuffPo, Conrad not only did not propose a compromise but he showed great disdain for it:
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said Wednesday that he is "frankly not terribly interested" in what the major health care reform coalition thinks and is pushing ahead with a proposal the group rejects.

"I am unaware that HCAN has any votes on the floor of the United States Senate," said Conrad when told that the coalition Health Care for America Now opposed his plan to create regional health care co-ops instead of allowing consumers to have access to a public plan option.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/10/conrad-to-health-care-ref_n_213918.html

Poor reporting.

[judgejay]

What the hell do you mean Health care can't pass with out a government program? WHAT HAS OUR GOVERNMENT EVER RUN WELL WITHOUT WASTING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS? Our country will be 1.8 trillion in the red by the end of the year without this added entitlement. Has everyone lost their freakin mind! We can't just keep printing money or borrowing money by issueing bonds.

[jeremyemilio]

Sorry, but the so called Public Option is unworkable. If you want to full coverage, and an elimination of uninsured citizens, you NEED a single payer system (or at least mandatory insurance).

[tompoe]

Noone cares about public options, except Pelosi and her fellow elected officials. Single payer healthcare is what everyone cares about. She needs to have someone slap her about the head and shoulders, and let's get single payer passed.

[000Jade000]

Well, she did just say that EVERYTHING is on the table, didn't she? Would EVERYTHING include single payer this time?

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

GOD BLESS YOU NANCY!!!!!

[scooperss]

It isn't very long until 2010.
Some people better start watching how they vote on issues now.
I know I'm watching them.

[urweatherman]

Dont forget to track the results of all the bills being passed also.....W­hen unemployment reaches 10 percent you will know you had it wrong!