Kay Hagan, Key Senate Democrat: "I Support" Public Plan

One of the Democratic senators who was on the fence when it came to backing a public option for health insurance coverage is coming out in support of the measure.

On Thursday, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) offered her support for the health care overhaul proposal put forth by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which she is a member. In the process, she issued a statement that removed any doubt about where she stands on a publicly run insurance option.

"My colleagues and I on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee have been working on a plan to reform the health care system in this country," Hagan's statement read. "We have crafted a plan that will stabilize health care costs and includes a Community Health Insurance Option, which I support. It is a backstop option for people without access to affordable coverage. Health care providers will not be required to participate, payment rates will be set in a competitive fashion, and the community health insurance option will compete on a level playing field with private health insurance plans in the gateway."

The public plan portion of the proposal, known as the Community Health Insurance Option, would be overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, but follow the rules set forth by the private market. At the same time, it would lower the costs of health care by pooling the purchasing powers of its participants and it would drastically lower the administrative costs customary to private providers. In short, one source on the committee said, it is the robust proposal that progressive wanted. And now Hagan, as her office confirmed to the Huffington Post, supports it.

For days, even weeks, the North Carolina Democrat had been pinpointed as a possible roadblock towards getting a strong public option out of the HELP committee. Progressive groups were running advertisements in her state to compel her to support the provision. Local pressure on the Senator was intense as well as it was widely believed that she was trying to water down the public option during the committee's drafting process.

In the end, Democrats say, Hagan was much more solid on the idea than media reports were letting on.

"The Left is wrong about Sen. Hagan on this," said a Senior Democratic staffer. "For others to attack her as standing in the way of progress on public choice just isn't right. She worked right up to the wire with other Democrats on the Committee. In the end, it will be plan they created together that will pass the Senate, guarantee access to affordable coverage for those who don't have it and preserve the options of those who do."

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Comments

[pissedmichael]

Remove 'option' from the argument. I do not want the HMO's to have any say, other than to help supply the work force that will be needed with a government run single payer plan.
The HMO's had their chance and switched their allegiance from the payers of premiums to the shareholders--from the beginning. If they are permitted to continue in the game, I am convinced they will seize every opportunity to undermine the public 'option' and sabotage its goals. I've had enough. Forty years of their bull was enough to convince me, and it embarrasses me that it took that long.
I would rather support a single payer plan who's ultimate goal is to get us healthy and thereby eliminate the need for so much of the 'over treatment' that is largely responsible for the unnecessarily high cost of health care. So much of medical treatment today is unnecessary anyway. I want a system that promotes good health and less bolstering of the private industry we are plagued with today.

[Bardmess]

I'm sending her thank you note right now.

[Hope Lives]

Sam, I have total respect for you, but a few weeks ago I read a statement by Senator Hagen saying that she would never support the public option. I've written 1000 comments, I've written to her many times. I was telling another blogger, who had written 1000 comments about her, and written to her so much she said "at least they're sick of me". So, while I give all credit to Kay Hagen for changing her mind, especially because NC is the HQ for Blue Cross Blue Shield, I don't think she started out that way. I won't believe it until I see the legislation, but now I am hopeful. I do think it shows that our Senators, when they hear from us by the hundreds of thousands , will change. So, you do make a difference people. I have insurance, but I can name 100 families in 1 minute that have been really hurt by this. We have HEALTHSCARE. It does not discriminate. I know many middle class families who are terrified something will happen. I know a woman, once worth 5 million dollars who is down to 3. She will go to zero to keep her daughter (age 34) alive. Then the mother will die of a broken heart. Her daughter paid the premiums on BCBS for 10 years, got sick, got dropped. Imagine how it feels when you can't keep you child alive for a week.

[biglover]

I agree. She isn't such a great lady. But at least she realized her position was the wrong one. She had better vote for public option or she's gonna be a one-termer.

[D-V-H]

People wonder how the government will pay for public health care insurance. First off, when we stop paying a 20-45% markup for private insurance instead of the 3-4% Medicare costs, we will immediately have a large savings. In 2007 the average cost, per person was $7900. This would be a minimum annual savings of $1200 per person. Taken out to the whole country we are talking a savings of $379,200,000,000. If we go to the upper range of private health insurance overhead/profit we could realize a savings of $853,200,000,000 per year.

In other words we are throwing away $380-850 billion every year to companies that provide nothing more than being money shufflers. These are just the numbers from 2007. The projections for 2017 estimate an almost doubling of these numbers(80% increase) putting the amount private insurance skims from our health care on the order of $680 billion to $1.5 trillion every year.

And we don't need to go all the way to single payer to have these savings. With the ability to negotiate prices, the public option would be a competitive force acting to keep private insurance costs down. Private insurance companies would have to compete for OUR business, instead of our having to compete for THEIRS. If we could combine these savings with reducing the enormous profits of hospitals (they used to be non-profit) we could see even more productive use of OUR money.

[Daniel Torluemke]

Why would anyone be against a public plan that offers real competition to private insurance? It will force these monopolies to lower yheir prices.

[boilinabag]

maybe she finally looked at the poll numbers...­..........­..

[PR one]

This week I received by mail a pamphlet from Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas here in Florida.Ti­ttle ":Delivering The Health Care Floridians Need". Immediately I called her office and ask as to where does the Congresswoman stand on the Public Option. This is the answer that I got. That at this time there isn't any legislation and for that reason the Congresswoman could not give an opinion. To which I ask the person. If others in Congress and in the Senate were able to take a stand, then why couldn't she do the same?. The reply that I got was that only the Congresswoman could answer that question. I told her office to tell her that if a Public Option is defeated it means that the Democrats do not need the six votes that were cast for them , in the next 2010 and 2012 elections. By the way, the same conversation took place with the same results. With the office of Senator Bill Nelson.

[larmarch5]

Move-on.org just rolled out an ad reminding DiFi why she was elected by a majority of Californians.

[frmme2u]

Let me try to understand this. Our Elected representatives don't seem to care that the vast majority of the American people want a choice and a public plan for health insurance. That it? Let's let them know that we will replace them at our earliest opportunity. Got it? Wanna bet that most change their mind?

[larmarch5]

Glad Ms. Hagen. Did the right thing. Although not from her state, I sent some money to her campaign and was glad to see her defeat Liddy. I would have been really po'd if she had then voted a la Liddy.

[HallStyle]

I'm in NC and trust me there was considerable pressure on Senator Hagan to support a Public Option. Yes she is a blue dog but she is also a Rookie Senator that got elected by a lot of Progressives in NC. She did the right thing and that was to do what her constituents wanted her to do and that is support the public option.

[unpoetaloco]

Thanks for your efforts. I don't live in NC, but I'm a Democrat who believes that we have to hold all of our senators responsible on important issues. I just wish someone could help us with Hutchison and Cornyn in Texas. Sigh... Hopefully we can get a Dem elected to fill Hutchison's seat when she runs for governor.

[claudiam]

Is Hagen one on the so-called Blue Dogs? Ii want to commend the NC's out there that are standing up for true reform or all of us and are taking the time to contact Hagen's office. This is what all of us out here need to do in our respected states & cities. claudiatucsonaz

[helonias]

Kays keepers

ANNUAL COMPENSATION (2006 and 2007):
� Ronald A. Williams, Chair/ CEO, Aetna Inc., $23,045,834
� H. Edward Hanway, Chair/ CEO, Cigna Corp, $30.16 million
� David B. Snow, Jr, Chair/ CEO, Medco Health, $21.76 million
� Michael B. MCallister, CEO, Humana Inc, $20.06 million
� Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, $13,164,529
� Angela F. Braly, President/ CEO, Wellpoint, $9,094,771
� Dale B. Wolf, CEO, Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million
� Jay M. Gellert, President/ CEO, Health Net, $16.65 million
� William C. Van Faasen, Chairman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3 million plus $16.4 million in retirement benefits
� Charlie Baker, President/ CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, $1.5 million
� James Roosevelt, Jr., CEO, Tufts Associated Health Plans, $1.3 million
� Cleve L. Killingsworth, President/CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3.6 million
� Raymond McCaskey, CEO, Health Care Service Corp (Blue Cross Blue Shield), $10.3 million
� Daniel P. McCartney, CEO, Healthcare Services Group, Inc, $ 1,061,513
� Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
� Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
� Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751
� Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
� Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
� Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751

[larmarch5]

Republicans are so weak that these hounds aren't bothering them, or paying them. So all their resources are being funneled to a few key democrats. You must contact those democrats to counter the money from lobbyists. I just sent an email to Kay Hagan telling her I'm glad she came around, and reminded her that I'd sent a campaign contribution.

[Realization]

The plan Kay likes would be run by HHS "but follow the rules set forth by the private market". Now what, exactly, does that mean?

Any good public plan has to be open to everyone who wants it, be national in scope, and be able to use any and all advantages of economy of scale, etc. to keep costs low.

This morning, I saw a TV ad she is running here in Carolina. No firm commitment but it did sound like talking points from the health insurance industry. Don't trust her one bit. Matter of fact, I trust here less since I saw the ad.

Kay needs to feel more heat - lots more heat.

[lornejl]

More customers for the insurance industry.