Pelosi Promises Passage of Health Reform Bill With Public Option

Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed on Wednesday that the House would pass a health care bill before the August recess, and she said in no equivocal terms that it would include a public insurance option.

"I promised the president that we'd have a health care bill out of the House by the August break, and we will do just that," Pelosi said in a speech at the Campus Progress National Conference. "And it will have a public option," she continued, to a thunderous applause.

Pelosi's remarks came at a critical juncture in the health care debate, as a government-run alternative to private insurance faces serious opposition in Congress.

She noted the arguments of her critics and borrowed some of their language to rebuke them. "We're trying to pull the insurance companies out from between you and your doctor," said the Speaker.

But Pelosi wasn't naive about the challenges she, and the bill's proponents, will face. "I'm willing to take the heat as long as we get the bill passed," she said.

In her closing remarks, she urged the young progressives before her to reach out to their senators and representatives to help make sure Congress passes a bill that provides affordable, quality care to all Americans.

President Bill Clinton, who followed Pelosi in his keynote address, said he fully supported the Speaker and expressed confidence that Congress and President Obama would succeed at reforming health care this year.

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Comments

[ntmessage]

If Nancy was a private citizen the credit card companies with have cut her off a long time ago. Right now, she just wants to spend more on top of a system that already wastes over a Trillion dollars per year and raise taxes to pay for it.

This is the EXACTLY BACKWARDS business as usual government that got us into this mess.

The REAL bipartisan compromise is this:

No Tax Public Option.

Pay for it by cutting the waste and what will be redundancies with any new program.

Plus we save the economy and the counties health.

[PaxEterna]

The reason Single Payer is the only option: everyone gets the same coverage at the same cost. If the rich want something different or more, let them find it elsewhere and pay for it, so be it.

What is not fair is tiered health care whereby those who can't afford to pay high premiums get limited care, the worst hospitals, and the worst docs. This is what "universal coverage" has meant in MA, where I live. Do you think Kennedy would go anywhere other than MASS General by helicopter at the taxpayer's expense? I want his coverage, and as far as I am concerned he ought to be fighting for me to have it..

In other civilized countries, insurance cos, docs, and hospitals are not allowed to operate for profit. They are highly regulated, paid salaries, and are dedicated to caring, not getting rich. This is how the Mayo Clinic works, and everyone there makes a fine living, the patients get great care, and the outcomes prove it. AND IT COSTS LESS THAN MOST OTHER PLACES.

"Public Option" until much better defined, is at best a token program for the poor, the unemployed, and the un/under-insured. It is NOT thus far a prescription for the nation's health, and it will permit the insurance cos and the pharmaceuticals to rig the game in their favor whereby they continue to make obscene salaries and profits off the average person.

SINGLE PAYER MARCH ON WASHINGTON: AUGUST 29th, 2009 - BE THERE!

[eXcommunicate]

If she sticks to her guns on this, I'd be willing to give her some props. It would be a welcomed step in the right direction for her. However, I won't be holding my breath.

[SpeakSense]

I'll believe it when I see it. Speaker Pelosi has been a disappointment from the moment she said, "impeachment was off the table."

[Avanti2]

I am in a Single Payer Government Controlled Medical Plan where the Benefits of the Plan are Dictated by the Government. I have been in this Plan for a little over a year. When I first entered the Plan, I was encouraged to get an annual Physical, which I did. The Plan covered the cost of the Physical and the cost of the Blood Tests.

Now, one year later, I visit my Dr. for my second Annual Physical under my new Plan and to my shock, I learned that Annual Physicals and the Blood (Lab) Tests are not covered. That preventative Medicine like an Annual Physical and Blood Tests are only covered the first year when you first enter the Single Payer, Benefit Controlled, Government Plan.

I ask what my options are, and there is only one, pay 100% the cost of the Physical and Lab work. I did but i AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. Preventive Medicine is one of the main ways Health Care costs can be lowered and the quality of life improved.

Oh, the name of my new Plan is MEDICARE and it is the only option I have because the Government will not let Private Insurers offer coverage in competition with Medicare !

[Tim303]

Still you wouldn't swap it for nothing I suspect.

[TrueSense]

You have probably left the board, but here is something for your consideration. The right wingers have privatized much of Meidcare so people could profit off it. It is more likely to improve under the Dems.

Lastly, if you are old enough for Medicare, I ain't isuring your high risk and expensive backside.
Also, they opened it up to private insurers, premiums paid by the government. After some initial excitement, a few years later, the plan has pretty much collasped. Like I said above, you are likely to be expensive and not worth the trouble. Plus, you have not taken care of yourself before or had no or bad insurance, you arrive to Medicare in worse shape !

We cold have great healthcare. Better than France and Scandanvia. Look how we spend money on War and weapon systems we do not need.

[Steward Clinton]

There is a big difference between what you have and a Public Option. I am seeing that the confusion is being made greater by those who are only pushing for the single payer and trying to defeat the public option. The president has stated repeatedly that the proposal calls for "Single Payer with a Public Option" to compete against the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies who increase the rates to the point of maximizing government spending via medicare beyond what they can afford to cover. The Public Option is the only way to bring those costs down. But correct me if my interpretation is off.

[heal57]

President Obama wants PREVENTION covered. A shingles shot for people over 60 cost $200; no insurance will pay for it. However, the disease is nasty and painful, and costs a lot more than $200 for treatment. When will Medicare and insurance companies wake up? Do they really want to save money; somehow I doubt it.

[epiphany1234]

I will forgive every one of her other failings since she assumed the leadership -- including the infamous "off the table" stance -- if health care with public option passes as she promised today.

[heal57]

Agreed.

[Marconiusrex24]

I applaud the Speaker.

The American people demand that their politicians stop pandering to special interest groups and “fat cats” in the health care and health insurance industries. This entire system needs to be overhauled and it needs to be overhauled now! The time for stalling and political games is over. The American people demand quality healthcare for everyone! Let's get it done!

[KQuark]

Speaker Pelosi has a bigger pair than Reid. Go Speaker!

[SlimPickins79]

ah geez...her guaranteeing it happening pretty much ensures its not gonna happen.

[marlovian]

Nancy, we who pay your salary only want the same benefits as you have.

[jwredd]

Here's some math for all those scared that insuring everyone will be too costly:

Average administrative costs for private insurance backed healthcare- %30 of overall costs
Average administrative costs for Medicare- %3 of overall costs (difference of 28%)

That means for every dollar spent to privately insure somebody, it costs 72 cents for the same medicare coverage.

Total population- 304 million.
# of uninsured- 43 million
# of insured- 261 million

Let's say we spend $1000/yr. per person on healthcare (arbitrary round number).

Cost to privately insure 261 million= $1000 x 261 million = 261,000 million

Cost for government to cover EVERY CITIZEN= $720 x 304 million = 218,880 million

Obviously this won't sway those that are scared we will be known as a "socialist' nation, it should take away the "but how are we going to pay for it?" rational.

[Avanti2]

But Medicare is deeply in debt. Obviously the Gov. Benefit Controlled Single Payer Model, which is Medicare for the past 40 years, needs substantial improvement and overhaul before such a single payer public plan be forced on the remainder of the population.

[Tim303]

So let's sort it out and universalize it.

[heal57]

If the politicians didn't spend the money, it would be there!!!!!!

[PaxEterna]

"Public option" means public restroom for the masses.

The rich, including our elected leaders, will continue to be able to buy solutions the rest of us won't be permitted to ask for, let alone obtain.

Single Payer is the only solution, and yet our President wiped it off the table before the debate even began.

So much for change we can believe in.

Wake up, America! Beware the language being used to frame the issue, and hide the true policy.

[silverslipper]

Even if we become a single payer, the rich (oh, those terrible people!) would still be able to obtain health care options that the poor will not be able to obtain. I say, so what ?!... that's life. Who knows, maybe one day you or I may become rich. Could you place yourself in that position? Let's say you become a billionaire and then you get cancer. There's a clinic that sells a chemotherapy agent that you know works but the government­/insurance plan doesn't pay for. Do you think that you wouldn't use your money to privately obtain the chemotherapy that will probably save your life? Or do you think you would say .... Oh, well, my insurance doesn't pay for that. I have no more right to receive this other chemotherapy than the average man does. The government doesn't pay for it, so it must not work. .....

Hmmmm ... I wonder which you would choose?...­..........­...

[IcanDreamIn08]

I have a question. Are you receiving good health care?

I have an excellent health care plan, but I want others to have a medical plan. Their lack of good effective health care affects my pocketbook.. This is America, we will not fail. I understand your desire for single payer. The Dems and the Repubs will not vote on any bill with this language. The Insurance Companies will be elimated on a single payer system. And we all know that Congress get big contributions for the Insurance Companies. So lets compete with them

Illness is a large part of our economic downfall. Something is better than nothing and you better get it now.

If you have a bill it can always be admended in the future. Just get that bill! ;-)

[socalgal38]

I do not agree with your thought process. Insurance companies would be competing for better perks than what a single payer will offer. The insurance companies now deny coverage and are not held accountable for the deaths they cause, they should be put into a catagory that would not involve someone's health care but could offer specialized services like catered care, private rooms, home nursing staff, ambulance service and the list is endless. They may not make as much profit as they are making now but they will still be able to provide real service to the ones that cater to their service.

It would be a win win, they would have the rich that needs that entitled option and we would have the real health care.

[socalgal38]

i totally agree with you. I have read the plans that are being considered and not one of them will be anything more than a failure. We have already given the insurance companies a chance to be honest and they have failed, now it's time to leave them to themselves. Let them compete with Single payer and modify their duties to those who want more than just the single payer option. If that don't bring their prices down to a level that a lot of people will want both coverage to maximize their special perks, you know the rich entitlement group. It would also be a hiring tool for employers to offer insurance thru their companies, instead of paying outrageous prices they are paying now. Who knows employers might be able to raise their salary structure because they don't have that insurance company eating their profits.

[Coinyer101]

single-payer or put it in yer ears. Nothing else will do enough to solve the problem.

[silverslipper]

What's the problem?

[socalgal38]

you are so right.

[MAH999]

What we need is single payer with a private option.

[eugenegerard]

THE ONLY WAY IT WILL WORK> SINGLE PAYER