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

[GeoLee]

I just downloaded all the pages fo the 2009 health plan available to Federal workers who are not post office. The chard lists oly thier premiums and the different plans available allove rthe country. I didnot lookk closely or I never would have clicked print. I left the room for a phone call and 45 pages letter have the whole listing. Talk about government ineficiency. the rate differentials are pretty incredible. But the one think I see is that my coverage through my school system tops every one of their out of pocket part. IF they would allow us to join thier plans, especially the self employed or poorly insured, we would still come out ahead., but I contend that it would cost less than our standard deduction to have every citizen insured.

[Rich Hosking]

UNIVERSAL= everyone
PUBLIC= low cost relative to insurance

Everything else is a scam to pump cash to insurance companies FOR NOT PROVIDING SERVICE, and at the public's expense.

NO!

[Mister Wu]

Just like the trillion bailouts to the financial industry. They didn't waste time when their asses were on the line.

[MSheppard]

More BS from Baucus.

The important factor in health care reform is not what it costs, but what it accomplishes. Why spend a trillion on an inadequate bill that does not reform the system and create substantial cost savings, beyond the CBO centric "costs" to the federal government? A bill without the public option - already a compromise on single payer - will not bring the coverage and savings that are the point of the whole exercise.

Focusing on the costs, and not the benefits, of health care reform is a perversion of the entire process, and is driven by those who wish to scare the public so that no reform will be achieved. Who are they? Well, as the saying goes, qui bono? Who benefits from no real reform? Obviously those who profit from the system as it is, namely insurance companies, and the big pharma and big hospital interests.

[DaneAZ]

The only answer is SINGLE PAYER! I know how they reduced costs - more big give aways to insurance companies and less to the American people. When George Bush gave trillions of dollars worth of tax cuts to the rich and big corporations did anyone ask, "How are we going to pay for it?" When it comes to helping the poor congress' answer is you can go f___ yourself.

[LeeCalif]

Looks like Baucus is going to Senator Grassley, the republican, for advice.

[MaxBob]

Government run healthcare dowsn't work. Medicaid and Medicare are BROKE and trillions in the hole. VA system in cha os. SCHIP is bloated. GOVERNMENT CARE DOESN"T WORK.

[WalkingMouth]

Apparently, your spell check dowsn't work either.

[Chaimirija]

I no

[Vegasfireman]

Nice comeback. That's all you got huh? His point is still valid, but go ahead and point out his spelling errors. Brilliant! lol

[Mister Wu]

Private healthcare isn't working out to well either. That's why real reform is needed. Not just a give away to these corporation protecting profits but not people's lives.

[Antifascist-08]

The bills so far are very flawed.

There are a lot of bills and amendments sitting out there.

I hope O will veto any bill without at least a public option.

Otherwise we are just making things worse.

[JackNasty]

Why that's less than taxpayers were expected to pay for the bail-out of America's biggest thieves, the banks, and less than we were required to pay for Bush's war in Iraq.

Do these self-serving Congress critters really believe we're all idiots?

[TruthandHope]

It's not that they think we are all idiots, they just know that a majority of people are ignorant enough of the issues and their representatives' votes to enable Congress to do whatever they want regardless of their obligation to their constituents.

[dagdavid]

The only answer is SINGLE PAYER! I know how they reduced costs - more big give aways to insurance companies and less to the American people. When George Bush gave trillions of dollars worth of tax cuts to the rich and big corporations did anyone ask, "How are we going to pay for it?" When it comes to helping the poor congress' answer is you can go f___ yourself.

[Golfer59]

Nice picture of two of congress's biggest sellouts of the american people...Bucus and Grassley!!!

[LucieLee]

WE know no single-payer, and with Baucus and Grassley.....no public option either!! They are all so selfish in the Congress.

[TJCole]

The only system that will reduce the cost of Health Care over all and reduce more and more every year is SINGLE PAYER...!

That's why they won't allow it to be debated and endorsed by the experts...but Bernie Sanders was magnificent today on C-Span at the mark up hearings along with Tom Harkin...

Otherwise they are all a pack of jackals and liars ruining this important so called reform...!

A pox on their houses...!

[smchp]

Single payer has ZERO chance of happening. It's not on the table. What part of that do you not understand?

[DaneAZ]

Oh, we get that.
But we're not gonna take it.
This really IS a matter of life and death for a lot of Americans.
I don't know about you out there, but this is a problem that DOES affect me and my family every day.
I'm getting my pitchfork and torch ready.

[stevensnell]

If it did happen, it would cost negative money. Problem solved.

[TJCole]

What I understand as I taught it, is that...

The Purpose of Government is to Serve The People..!

Get it..?

[Mister Wu]

Insurance company lobbyists took it off the table. If people want it, it will be put back on the table. What part of Democracy do you not understand?

[marxmarv]

Maybe not this year. But if the public plan is all it's cracked up to be, it could cause private insurers to have to find a new market.

[escribacat]

I hope he took his own benefits out of it.

[dagdavid]

No doubt. How much would we save by cutting health care to congress? They should NOT receive health care until ALL americans can have the same.