Baucus Trims Health Care Bill Down To $1 Trillion

Senator Max Baucus, one of the key players in crafting health care reform, broke some big news on Thursday, when he announced that the Senate Finance Committee he chairs could get a bill done for under $1 trillion.

"We are much closer on the scores for a health care reform package than were at this point last week," he said, according to remarks passed along by his staff. "We have options the Congressional Budget Office tells us would cost under $1 trillion and be fully paid for. Based on these developments, I'm even more confident in our ability to move forward. And as I've said before, we will not put out a mark until we are sure we have it right. I'll continue to work with Senator [Chuck] Grassley and members on both sides of aisle to turn these options into a package that can pass the Senate and become law this year."

The details of the Montana Democrat's cuts and proposals have yet to be fully fleshed out, though they likely involve drops in the percentage to which the bill would expand coverage and additional tax increases. An aide on the Finance Committee said that members would be working through the details during the afternoon.

Either way, in the context of congressional politics the pronouncement of a trillion dollar bill is big news. The Finance Committee's initial proposal had come in at a cost of $1.6 trillion, a number that was met with heavy criticism from Republicans in the senate. Even the Obama White House had to backtrack from the prospective bill, saying it was stage one in an ongoing legislative process.

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Comments

[Highwind]

Why don't you guys cut the funding for the F-22, like DOD suggested and cut payments to big agriculture. We have many, many ways to pay for health care. I hate these corporate pawns.

[aofh]

Time to start looking for primary candidates for House and Senate who will support single payer. People have to understand that primaries are the most important elections because they are where the real agendas get set. I don't think Baucus or Grassley are up for re-election this time, but every Senator and Representative who is needs to have a strong challenger in the primaries who supports single payer. The time for them to start their run is now.

It is my hope that the Hoffington Post and other news outlets start to canvas the fields and let folks know that such candidates are out there. This is the only way that the Baucuses and Grassleys will know that we the people mean business.

[VikingQuest]

LOL, "trimming" means $1 trillion?

If I am not mistaken, the CBO report issued said $1 trillion only covered 16 million people and nothing else . . .

[tapley]

That was an incomplete plan without the public option.

[VPN]

That's over a TEN YEAR period.

[Mister Wu]

So that a quadrillion dollars over the next ten thousand years. We can't afford that.

[Lori Bowles]

I wonder if doctors will accept the patients on the plan if it passes. Their are a lot of doctors in my area that will not accept my insurance, its through the military for retired vets.
Most people see Tricare prime (which I pay for) as a great option, its not, granted its better then nothing, but doctors don't like it, I have to travel to see a specialist 60+ miles and most of the time there are no specialist that take the insurance. On top of that the big fall back most people have is go to the VA, well that doesn't work because their are no specialist at the VA for retired vets.
I wonder if the public health care plan is going to run into the same elitist problem.

[Mister Wu]

Great doctors who won't accept insurance and insurance companys who won't pay doctors. What's this we are buying again?

[dizmo4]

Why does no politician ever bother to mention that the CBO study was of an "Old" version of the bill that did not include a public option?

The ineptitude of Senate Democrats continues to amaze me. When this "Health care bil" finally gets out of Congress, its not going to be worth the paper its printed on--it'll be so watered down, stripped of anything that could remotely be considered effective.

Senate Dems are pathetic.

[PiscesPrincess]

and Senate Republicans are more pathetic.

[polybius]

Agreed. NOW everyone is concerned about the money. But if its a bank's black hole that financed already too rich rethugs bonuses, then its full steam ahead! 1 Trillion?? how many weeks is that in Iraq?

Pathetic leadership in the Senate. If (WHEN) they fail, then we need to Tehran their behinds, and take to the streets.

GOD IS GREAT! DE*TH TO HUMANA!! DE*TH TO BLUESHIELD!!

[ohiomark]

"Down to $1 trillion"?

This will be a disaster any ANY price. Everything that the government does ends up costing way more than "predicted". Even the military can't stay within budget.

Government needs to get out of the way and let me manage my own healthcare.

[VPN]

You'll have that option, if YOU want to continue with the most expensive Health Care System in the world and continue being 37 in effectiveness, have at it. Those of us that want a single payer public option don't want to continue paying twice as much and getting half as much out of it than the rest of the industrialized world.

[ohiomark]

When the government (who doesn't have to show a profit) runs the private insurance companies out of business or my employer decides to dump our coverage, then I won't have any choice but to get in line with all the drones who want government run healthcare.

Doesn't sound like much of an option to me.

[reddflagg]

"Manage my own healthcare"? Are you or your wife a physician, with access to medical equipment, testing, medications, etc.? Otherwise you cannot "manage" anything on your own, you must bargain with for-profit firms for access. How much is your life worth? Everything you own? It isn't like shopping for a computer where you can wait for a better deal to come along, eh?

BTW looks like the Repugs are over here.

"And the words that are used for to get the ship confused, will not be understood as they're spoken"
Bob Dylan, "When the Ship Comes in"

[PaiaGirl]

Hey Congressional Dems - with friends like you, who needs enemies?

Single payer health care NOW!

[BabuS5]

Their friend in the corporate america take care of them veyr well/

[VikingQuest]

So if $1 trillion would cover 16 million people . . . well . . . I'll let you do the math on 300 million people needing coverage.

[LEATHERFACE48]

300 million dont need it you dolt

[Realization]

Health care economics are simple. The larger the risk pool the better. Government has less overhead and no one would make millions out of inflicting human suffering by denying care. A universal plan would be less bureaucratic than our balkanized for profit system.

Keep it simple and efficient - Medicare for all with the mandate to provide Americans health care equal to that in other developed countries, with minimum bureaucracy, at a comparable percentage of GDP.

This would be huge savings with added benefits to the real economy that our system is dragging down.

Can government run such a plan? Sure if Congress and industry don't intentionally create a system that can't. The problem isn't bureaucrats. Let the folks who run the plan run the plan - negotiate drug prices, the whole nine yards.

Why should Americans be saddled with a system designed to be inefficient so private firms can compete on their terms? I'm for some "creative destruction" here. Maybe we could create a program to pay health insurance execs to dig holes and fill them in. It would do less damage than the way we are making them rich now.

Where are the churches on all this? They should be squarely in favor of universal health care. Anything else is un-Christian, or whatever.....

[freelyb]

GRASSLEY SO SUCKS. He and Baucus need to get a room.

[rchwel]

I am sure the 2 of them have at the insurance companies expense I heard , after all they ARE the Insurance corps Senators !

[Lori Bowles]

What ever health care bill these people decide on for the American public is what they (in congress and Senate) should be used as the only health care for themselves and there family. I bet they would pass a really good bill and not care about the cost.

[DontJustFollow]

they don't care about the cost now - only getting re-elected.

[tapley]

Let's say three people have a product you need. They charge relatively the same price for similar functionality. No one else has that product so, you must chose one of the three (and some simply can't afford it so they go without). Now, here comes someone offering the same product with some extra benefits at a much lower cost. What I expect to happen is, some will take the more affordable product; others will stay with their tried and true product because of being comfortable, untrusting of the newer unproven product.
Having a public option will not eliminate other insrance plans, it will make them more effective. It will serve the people in quite the same way it now serves government workers. While we're at it, why are we paying for Senators, Representatives and their staff anyways? Let their respective states pay the bill. I believe that will be more than enough motovation for them to seek a better way.

[DontJustFollow]

every employer will stampede to the door for the chance to dump health care onto the government.

there is a very big reason the unions have been so quiet on this issue - they know how hard the workers are going to get hit when Obamacare becomes an option. How are they going to support Obama and tell management that putting workers on his plan is NOT an option ???

Does anyone really think Congress is going to accept the same program as the subjects ???

get real

[tapley]

Why does the right feel the need to use ad hominem attacks to personalize an issue? Fear is best kept to yourself. If, as you say, every employer would choose government care; you entirely miss the point. It is about a public option, the operative word it option which implies choice. Right now the company I work for offers two choices; this will allow them to offer a third.
As to whether or not Congress is going to accept it is irrelevant because it will not happen. My premise is merely since they are elected to represent from a state, that state should provide for them and then they would have a better feel of what people like me is going through.

[Highwind]

The unions are pro public option. Have you not been paying attention to what is going on with Specter in Pennsylvania?

[Jlong]

I also think there will be some people either switching or staying put in the private plans simply on ideological grounds. Those who would want the public plan to succeed will switch to it; those who want it to fail will stay in their private plans.

[tapley]

exactly. Also it is a matter of comfort and trust. But in the final analysis; insurers are more like to bring their rates down and eliminate bonuses, junkets, denial of service, elimination of pre-existing condition clauses and kicking people off rolls to avoid coverage payments.

[PiscesPrincess]

talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. sigh. well, that's an ideologue for you.

[DontJustFollow]

the most important thing to remember on this health bill is that it has NOTHING to do with health care or health insurance.

all it is attempting to do is to consolidate the power of the government over your life. since Obama came into power he has extended control to the financial system, the automobile industry, he seeks to control all businesses through the cap and trade tax scheme, he put control over the tobacco industry that the states that depend on it in the governments hands, he wants control over all your health records, and ultimately who - how - when we receive medical care.

take a good hard look at how far your rights have been impacted in only 6 months - does anyone honestly believe that the same people that have destroyed education, social security, our military, and the state of California - will now do a 180 and fix the health care "problem" ????

let them fix fannie and freddie and then come back and ask us for a few trillion dollars more - - -

[aofh]

I suppose that it is just fine that private enterprise now has that power over my life. If I have health insurance, the insurance company essentially tells me which doctors I can see and which hospitals or clinics I can go to if I want coverage. They also have a hand in determining which procedures I can have and drugs I can get. As I see it, I have very few rights now with little or no recourse. Corporate "Big Brother" is no better than public "Big Brother."

[MSheppard]

"does anyone honestly believe that the same people that have destroyed education, social security, our military, and the state of California - will now do a 180 and fix the health care "problem"

You must mean the Republicans, of course.

As for "control over all your health records, and ultimately who - how - when we receive medical care." the insurance companies already have that covered - and they are in it solely for the profit. Such a deal!

[hark]

They must have given you placebos for your paranoia. Check with your doc, you'll be fine once the error is corrected.

[VPN]

That's total bullsh**, you whinnyass conservatives need to get real, everyone being able to sign on to a program similar to Medicare is NOT going to turn your life over to the Government. BTW, if YOU don't like the policies that the President is advocating for, toodamnedbad, WIN an election and change it, we the people suffer every time the republickers/conservatives have power, we the people have had enough, your party and cr appy policies were rejected in 08, DEAL WITH IT!

[Vegasfireman]

Yawn, And still you can't get anything done. I have good health care insurance ran by our union trust. Go pound sand.

[reddflagg]

Health care "problem" (in scare quotes)?

Yes, it is a problem when our society spends by far the most on health care (16% of GDP, Canada spends around 4%) and gets the least in return (the US is 47th in life expectancy, Canada is 9th, etc).

As to your paranoid worries about "the power of the government over your life," I must presume that you put more faith in for-profit insurance companies that make money when they don't provide you with care having power over your life. It isn't like their role in your life would coerce you to do things you wouldn't otherwise do, like stay in a dead-end job to keep your insurance, is it?

[Vegasfireman]

Depending on which source you quote, Canada gets over all 2 years more life. About the same for men between the US and Canada, and more for women.

I would say this is more of a socal issue than a healthcare issue. Substance abuse, motor vehicle accidents, crime etc play a larger part than trying to pass it off as poor health care in this country.

[theone718]

His bill is worse than the one AHIP WROTE. I mean this is bipartisanship at it's worse. Less expanded coverage, less money for the people that need it, less health care for the people that need it, less incentives for actual CARE and not insurance. I don't know who I detest more Max Baucus or Chuck Grassely.

[den1953]

The damm trouble with the insurance company's they bleed you dry with paying the premiums and deny almost every claim they need to be regulated as far as AIG they should have let them sink!

[elimenez]

Not good folks Baucus got over $2million from the health industrial complex in 2008 for his reelection campaign. Whatever his cuts are they aren't public friendly.

[DontJustFollow]

spot on - and remember Obama tried to slip Daschle into the drivers seat !!!!

forget about his tax oversights, the guy was bought and paid for by the insurance and healthcare people...

put a wall street golden boy in as SoT and look what has happened.

What a scam and how dense does Obama and his people think we are ???

[Highwind]

Obama has nothing to do with this. This is Congress. The public has always had a low of opinion of them b/c they are the gatekeepers on legislation. Most of them are corporate pawns. Capping the amount of health care to 1 trillion is kind of ridiculous because that is like budgeting what will we can't see down the line. You are against Obama because he is a Dem and you hate 'government' in your life (whatever that means). WE are against Congress and will against Obama if he doesn't do what the majority of Americans want.

[hollybork]

Sickening. Is that true about his take from health insurance? And this guy is writing the bill? Give me some laughing gas so I can see the dark irony, or I am going to be sick......