Graham Open To Dem's Health Care Compromise, But Not Public Plan (VIDEO)

Senator Lindsey Graham became the latest Republican and most conservative Senator yet to express a willingness to consider a compromise approach to health care reform based around co-ops providing insurance coverage.

The South Carolina Republican, appearing on ABC's "This Week," set a firm line in the sand when discussing the creation of a public option for insurance, insisting that such a proposal would not pass the United States Senate.

"The reason you are not going to have a government-run health care pass the Senate is because it will be devastating for this country," he said. "The last thing in the world I think that Democrats and Republicans will do at the end of the day is create a government-run health care system."

Later in the program, however, Graham offered what his co-panelist Sen. Chris Dodd and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich (who appeared later in the show) both viewed as openness to compromise. A system of state-based co-ops -- which would be run as non-profit entities, subject to private insurance rules, and operating out of the premiums paid by its members -- could be an adequate substitute for a public plan, he said.

"I think this idea needs to go away," Graham said of a public plan, "and replace it with something maybe like [Senator] Kent Conrad's proposal."

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Comments

[ROBOT8]

THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS ARE 2 THIRDS OF THE TAX BASE AND GET NOTHING IN RETURN....

[donaldw6]

This is surreal. Single payer national health insurance would be as good a shot in the arm as the economy could have. It would help both Main Street and Wall Street, and it would be the right and moral thing to do. But we can't get it past the moneyed interests, and that's the ONLY reason it's not the plan of choice right this minute for everyone involved.

Americans need to demand better of themselves and their government, and much, much better than Lindsey Graham. Single payer now!

[Lorianne]

Forget Graham
Forget the Republicans
Democrats can pass any healthcare bill they want.
Why aren't they passing a universal health CARE bill?

[donaldw6]

Congress has both Republicans and Democrats, and some Democrats are problems, no question about it. But if you have 75% good Democrats and 2% good Republicans, then turn around and blame the Democrats, how fair is that, really?

[dandypuddin]

I have been wondering why President Obama keeps saying 95% of Americans would be covered under a combination of private and public. What 5% of Americans are leaving out? Every American needs health care.

[ChelseaC]

Dandy,
That's because the President has no real plan. Let's hope he gets one for the people because thus far, I feel as though he's more concerned with preserving what he called the "tradition" of our employer based system(private insurance) and when he commented at a town hall meeting in NM a few weeks ago, he stated to change to a single payer system, it would "disrupt" the system--PNHP doctors disagree with this excuse.
See what PNHP doctors are thinking about Obama and if he's serious about change:
http://www.pnhp.org/blog/

Also, here's a video of Obama in 03 supporting single payer. Go down to the bottom of the page:
http://www.pnhp.org/change/

[dandypuddin]

Thank you for his quote. I am going to email it to him to remind him that we have taken back the White House, we have taken back the Senate and we have taken back the House.

[LemonMeringue]

95% is unacceptable

Other developed countries have no problem guaranteeing care for 100%

[Usama]

... Starting with his and his family's. Let him be the first to abandon publicly funded health care. BTW, let he eat fried hog rines and crystals for 40 days straight and we shall see how his private health care functions. Allow him to show......

[ladyvader]

Maybe everyone should start asking for Congress to not get public health care and go on the crap some Americans have for so called insurance.

[dandypuddin]

A system of state based co-ops. Now that sounds manageable. Not.

[Peabodies]

"Co-ops", "triggers", "taxation of employer benefits", and now "mandated INSURANCE" are all gimmicks meant to sink any public plan.

Go for the only sensible route -- demand SINGLE PAYER now!

http://www.pnhp.org

http://sanders.senate.gov

[Rmath]

The death of representative democracy is brewing here..cons­ervatives refuse to recognize the huge widespread public support for single-payer health care. It's going to take a public revolution in order to drive the point home with these despots.

[Lorianne]

Democrats could pass any plan they want.
Why don't they do it?

[Tommygun264]

The voters of South Carolina need to make Lindsay Graham go away.

[mirza]

Graham needs to go away--clearly in the pocket of the AMA

[seanseamour]

"it will be devastating for this country" - what can be more devastating that our #37 rank in terms of quality and availability - the real problem is accepting that the state provide "certain" services and the belief among some that such policy leads to socialism, but those are just scarecrow words, the real problem is the private sector competition and the sacrosanct notion of profit. Well the lack of the first (that exists in socialized medicine) and the "wall street greed" type excesses of the second make health care make a devastating problem that our legislators will not address as their real master are not their constituencies but the industry and their K street brokers.
As Robert Reich recently coined "capitalism has swamped democracy" http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06122009/watch.html
I see only one solution to what appears to be the majority desire for a single payer system, that this be submitted to the People under a referendum. Beware Congress, you may be thinking that coffers need to be filled for the next elections, if you betray the will of the people the backlash will change the political spectrum.

[dandypuddin]

Fanned.

The profit motive must be removed from our health care system. Profit and health care are a conflict of interest.

[seanseamour]

There is room for profit, I am an expat living in the country rated #1, largest socialized HC (universal, everyone covered) which costs 35% less that we have in the US. Everything is regulated yes, the private insurance works in supplement and profitable enough to invest heavily in the US (AXA / Allianz), I can choose the doctor I want, the hospital I want, the specialist I want -- try doing that with an HMO (a bad form of socialized medecine). That is how you take the burden off future generations. By the way, all studies show life expectancy is higher in socialized HC countries.

[dandypuddin]

Profit in health care is a conflict of interest. If you are an insurance company with the goal of paying out as little as possible in claims and I am the insured and need top notch, expensive care in order to survive, who wins that fight? The insured would have to go along with whatever the insurer decides.

[ChelseaC]

Fanned indeed. Robert Reich is a cool guy--he gets this whole issue--he supports single payer.

Sign Bernie Sanders's petition:
http://sanders.senate.gov

[socalgal38]

Dear Mr. President,


We, the people, DEMAND that Single Payer be included in whatever Helth Care Reform legislation you pass. We will be watching you closely, so keep the following in mind before casting your vote and make it count for all Americans :-



Health Care Reform is MEANINGLESS if:



1. There is no Public Option (Condition-free).
2. Everybody is not covered. (Without Exception)
3. Coverage can be denied or reduced based on "Pre-existing" conditions.
4. It does not contain Patients' Rights.
5. Strict Regulations are not imposed on insurance plans.
6. Affordability and costs to consumers, as well as providers, are not addressed.
7. Accessibility, delivery and quality are not maintained and/or improved.
8. There's NO oversight from a medical, financial and nat.io.nal sec.ur.ity persp.ecti­ves.
9. Profit motive is NOT REMOVED.
10. Innovation, Research guidelines and funding are not addressed.

Health Care For Patients, NOT For Profit because Health Care For Profit is Health Care DENIED.

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should an insurance middleman come between a patient and his/her doctor - particularly, if the insurance middleman stands to gain from it.

IT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

Insurance has no business being in Health Care. They contribute nothing towards it. NOTHING!

Single Payer For All Now! ( S*P*F*A*N ) Everybody IN, Nobody OUT.

It's THE ONLY RIGHT CHOICE - there's NO EXCUSE for anything else.

Respectively,

[lvogt]

The basic laws of supply and demand do not exist in healthcare. The insurer holds all the cards. They decide who can buy in and for how much. They decide what and when they will pay and to whom.
Every dollar that goes to an insurance company does not go to healing a patient. Every dollar that goes to healing a patient is a loss to the insurance company. The interests of the insurer and the patient are set in direct opposition.

Insurance companies add nothing to healthcare. The idea that the government could pay vouchers for healthcare insurance is an even more incredible scam. Cut out the useless middleman.

The single largest reason for personal bankruptcy in the US is due to healthcare costs and most of these people are employed. This does not happen at all in the rest of the modern world. Single payer is the best option. The doctors do not work for the government.

70+% of Americans want a government option but it's not on the table because too many legislators are dependent on the insurance companies for campaign money or the promise of a big job when they leave office. Shameful.

Learn more and pressure your legislators for single payer or, at the very minimum, a government option in the healthcare plan.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/issues/health.cfm
Read, sign the petition and pass it along.

[treetracker]

Excellent post that tells it exactly as it is.

It is time for the American people to start pushing back - hard. emails, petitions, phone calls are not working. We need to march 1 million strong to D.C.

[Acidic]

Try 25, a statement must be made.

[TheBaffler]

Don't worry, Graham, O and the Dems will capitulate as usual.

[patrickgarret]

75% want it. Graham should be cast away. What a traitor to the people.

[treadway123]

Bet ya I know who supported Grahams campagyn, the ins. companies!