CBO Gives Boost To Obama Health Plan

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives pounced on a congressional budget analysis to bolster their plan for a government-run health insurance option on Monday, as party leaders said they were closer to agreement on healthcare reform.

The report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the public option proposed by Democrats would not drive private insurers out of business and most people would still choose to get their medical coverage through employers.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[sterlingsilversurfer]

05:53 PM on 07/29/2009

The World Health Organization Ranks the US 24th in life expectancy, behind virtually every European country as well as Canada and Australia (which of course the US doesn't want to be like).
The US ranks #72 in Health Performance behind countries like Cuba #36, Columbia #51, and Mexico #63.
Where the US leads is in total health expenses as a precentage of GNP at #2. In the world only the Marshall Islands are more expensive.
When politicians tell you that the US has the best health care THEY ARE LYING TO YOU.

[Leahk]

06:40 AM on 07/29/2009

46,000,000 minus 12,000,000 equals 34 plus millions of people still uninsured if the co-op idea is accepted.

What am I missing?

[Halfwit]

12:59 AM on 07/29/2009

I think the not-for-profit co-op idea is a good one. I'd rather have a public option, but a a successful non-profit will obviously be cheaper than a for-profit and may eventually drive for-profit insurance out of business.

[Lilith33]

09:36 PM on 07/28/2009

Union members and other health care reform advocates bombarded Capitol Hill July 28 with phone calls demanding enactment of health care reform with a strong “public option.”

The telephone calls came during a nationwide “call-in day for national health care reform” sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Health Care for America NOW. The toll-free number for the call-in is 1-877-702-0976.

This reporter telephoned the Washington D.C. office of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and was put on hold for nearly 15 minutes, a sign of the flood of messages to Cantwell a member of the Senate Finance Committee that is drafting the Senate version of health care reform. Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), in secretive backroom talks with Republican Senate leaders, have drafted a bill that strips out the “public option” and also removes the surtax on the wealthy. Baucus who received at least $3.9 million in contributions health insurance-pharma lobbyists is determined to placate their profit drive and win over Sen. Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats.

[VikingQuest]

08:53 PM on 07/28/2009

"not driving private insurers out of business" is a big win for Democrats?

These bills are seriously going down if this is something to hang their hats on.

[Klimb]

08:33 PM on 07/28/2009

EVERYBODY GO WATCH GOV. HOWARD DEAN HOSTING MSNBC...DISCUSSING PUBLIC OPTION HEALTHCARE!
EVERYBODY GO WATCH, HURRY!

[VikingQuest]

08:54 PM on 07/28/2009

Yeah, pretty boring and just like Keith . . . doesn't dare having anyone on that would not agree with him.

[Lilith33]

09:37 PM on 07/28/2009

No just experts.

[sandals]

07:05 PM on 07/28/2009

If you want to get mad vent your frustration at the Congress, they write the bill Obama just give them what he wants to see in it!

[VikingQuest]

09:05 PM on 07/28/2009

That's great but by all accounts, Congress is getting more anti-HC calls & letters than they are pro-HC.

[Lilith33]

09:43 PM on 07/28/2009

LINK?

[willynel]

10:12 PM on 07/28/2009

Proof?

What accounts?

[Star2000dancer]

06:47 PM on 07/28/2009

Being the Blue Dog's worst nightmare ever since I learned of them, I must say they were a blessing in disguise. The Cap & Trade hasn't passed the senate yet either. It's time to stop the speed passing of huge bills and to step back & take a long look at every single line of every single bill.

[sviolette]

07:56 PM on 07/28/2009

That has never happened before. Why start now? Just because it's the dems in the majority? Ask who read the patriot act bill.

[GoodConservative]

09:42 PM on 07/28/2009

And what condition do think america is in?

[IzzyCA]

05:44 PM on 07/28/2009

Contact the White House, so you can tell President Obama to veto any bill that doesn't contain the public option:

* 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500-0004
* Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: [phone]

TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213

Email form: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

[Dustee]

05:50 PM on 07/28/2009

No try this.......

http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/5/scripts/13/call_sessions/new

[Star2000dancer]

06:59 PM on 07/28/2009

And try this ://www.healthfreedomusa.org/

[ANGEL53545]

04:28 PM on 07/28/2009

THE CBO IS SAYING THAT A PUBLIC PLAN WOULD BE VERY INFERIOR COMPARED TO PRIVATE INSURANCE POLICIES BECAUSES, IF THEY WERE COMPARABLE THERE WOULD BE MORE COMPETITION WITH A GREATER COST FOR A PUBLIC OPTION.

[Dustee]

05:31 PM on 07/28/2009

Do you speak and read English or just Palinease?

[sviolette]

08:09 PM on 07/28/2009

Got a link. This article says nothing of what you speak.

[mollyjackson]

04:05 PM on 07/28/2009

Obama’s new government-run national health plan would compete directly with private health plans in a National Health Insurance Ex­change. Federal officials would not only run the new government plan but also use the exchange as a "watchdog" over participating private health plans. The federal government would decide the level of health benefits that Americans would re­ceive through the exchange. These rules would apply to the new national health plan and all par­ticipating private health plans.

[Weirdwriter]

04:09 PM on 07/28/2009

There is no "new government-run national health plan," doLT.

There ARE five bills evolving that will eventually make up a final piece of legislation that the President has said he will not sign unless there is a public health option included, or some reasonable equivalent.

[claudiam]

04:02 PM on 07/28/2009

About damn time. claudiatucsonaz

[myke3000]

03:50 PM on 07/28/2009

Very enlightening discussion on NPR - economists Paul Krugman (US) and Stuart Butler (UK) - on how to really pay for Health Care reform. It is interesting to hear the perspective from the British economist, coming from a country that has the National Healthcare Service, which is their universal health care coverage.

You can listen to this here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111173038

[Frank Atkins]

02:47 PM on 07/28/2009

I was a victim of a car jacking in Chicago a few years back and was shot, if it was not for victims of vilolent crimes act I would have been stuck with a 50k bill ...the usetting part of it is they were billing me 15.00 for a single every time the changed my gauze the same gauze I could get from Walgreens for 5.49 for a pack of 10. cost are out of control

[Weirdwriter]

04:13 PM on 07/28/2009

That's a perfect example of why we need reform Please consider contributing your personal experience to the White House site collecting such information, HealthReform.gov: http://www.healthreform.gov/

[Leahk]

06:46 AM on 07/29/2009

I feel you. When my daughter was born, the hospital charged almost $5.00 for a plastic container that looked just like an washed margaine container

[Manx]

02:22 PM on 07/28/2009

"Gives boost to Obama's health plan."

I didn't know Obama had a health plan. If so, he's been keepiing it a secret. One moment, he's for a public option and the next moment, he's not. The reason the so-called health care reform has lost momentum is because Obama has been sending mixed signals. If he has a plan, please tell me what it is.

[cjk002]

02:55 PM on 07/28/2009

That's because you've been listening to the media reports about the negotiations instead of what the president has actually said.

The president has always supported a plan that has a public option, that mandates employer coverage, and is debt-neutral.

[Manx]

10:07 PM on 07/28/2009

Favoring a public option is not a plan.

[Fabienne]

03:13 PM on 07/28/2009

Please cite President Obama's exact statements and where they were said regarding his NO being for the public option. You might be the only person in America who heard this. You should let us in on your secret.

[Weirdwriter]

04:11 PM on 07/28/2009

The President has said in his latest speeches -- the AARP "townhall" meeting being the latest -- that he wanted a public option but would consider a "co-op" alternative or any other reasonable plan that would do what he wanted.