Senior Democrats Call Public Health Care Option Essential

Washington Post:

Several leading Democrats voiced concern Monday about an apparent White House shift on health-care reform, objecting to signals from senior administration officials that they would abandon the idea of a government-run insurance plan if it lacked the backing to pass Congress.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[liberalOrgonian]

I am very surprised there is not more written about the millions the insurance Co pay their CEO's.
How insured claims are denied, or insurance is not offered to the sick.
The insurance co are not any better than the wall street gang.
They will happily take your last dime and leave you destitute, while denying your medical claims.
This is the American way?

It is time to bring the Socialist Party back to the USA.

[thepoliticalcat]

Hell, yeah. This is the only industrialised nation that does not have a political party that represents working people! A Labour Party, a Socialist Party, a Workers' Party. Dammit. All our parties represent the corporations and rich people.

[ponderingmuch]

Yeah.

How about Bernie Sanders for President?

[liberalOrgonian]

Why are there so many hateful repub posting on this liberal post?
It has turned into a shouting match of words.
Those that hate government run insurance, you do not have to partake.
Keep you expensive insurance and let's hope they do not drop you from their care.
Go blog on your own sight, I am not interested in your garbage.
These folks that hate the idea of Health Ins for Americans,
You know these Christians who say love your brother, but screw you if you believe in a gov option Ins.
These guys are incredibly self centered.
One can only hope they loose their jobs, home and yes, their health Insurance.

[Subterfuge]

It's easy for them to justify themselves. They use group think to convince themselves that anybody, anywhere, that has run into bad fortune, injury, job loss, benefit loss... are lazy sub-humans with no morals who are looking for a handout.

It's so easy for them to justify their selfishness, and all other negative stereotypes they want to self-righteously throw around.

[PR one]

We owe it to Senator Kennedy and the voters of this country that gave the democrats the presidency and a majority in both houses of congress. Public option.

[dennisrs]

Owe what to Sen Kennedy? Why?

[PR one]

Health care reform

[AtomicSplash]

There’s only one letter you need to send your congressman

__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__

Dear congressman

A Strong Public Option in the up coming health insurance reform bill is important to me and to the future of our country. It is so important that I can promise you this. I don’t care how you vote on the issue. If a Strong Public Option is not in the bill that the President signs, I will not vote for you on Election Day

Signed

__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­_______

Please use this letter. Please pass it’s around to your friends…send it early …send it often

[oldngrumpy]

I really like that. fanned and faved.

Republicans have had a corner on anger and straight talk and it has hurt our cause. We need to convey to lawmakers that this is not about politics. It is about our lives and livelihood.

[ErnestineBass]

Ever notice how the tr0ll brigade here on HP seems to work in shifts?

I wonder how many are in mates being paid by the RNC or one of the Republican PACs to post?

AT&T once used pri son inmates to do their telemarketing, and TWA used them to take reservations.

Hmmm...

[stick458]

What in God's name is a tr0ll? You guys do more name calling than a school yard of 2nd grade bullies! We need a time out chair in here!

[ErnestineBass]

Why, you're a tr0ll, dear.

Surely that's been pointed that out to you.

[Icantbelieveher]

Actually, there is a definition of a troll, of which you fit on the internet.

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional or disciplinary response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[2]"

It has nothing to do with name-calling or bullying! It's just fact. If we went to Fox News and posted things there that had nothing to do with the actual topic or tried putting inflammatory content, we would be trolls, but we don't have to do that -- you guys all come here!

[dennisrs]

stick458 unfortunately that seems to be the nature of the beast on these site.

[dennisrs]

I noticed that same thing about Demorats.

[take10]

You and stick would make a nice jail house couple! Or, if both of you dress like ladies, Big Bubba could handle both of you!

[oldngrumpy]

No progressives need to be paid to post here.

[ponderingmuch]

I really need to make some extra money.

I suspect i can slip in enough progressive stuff under seeming oppressive stuff to help.

Where do I apply?

[expired]

People, we have to tell the Obama administration that it is time to stop playing the patsy to the cons and stand up and lead this country into a new healthcare reform. President Obama, you have done more than enough to reach across the isle. Enough with the partisanship crap. It is not working. No matter what you do or say, the cons will yell louder. Grow a pair already. We need a strong public health care option sans the concessions for the corporate welfare hounds. Bring it home, President Obama. Bring it home.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[BizHippy2]

Very well stated. I second that!

[stick458]

what a surprise.

[CarmanK]

i read Krugman and he doesn't seem to believe that the co-op idea is so destructive to reform. I am going to wait and see on this one. I hope Howard Dean is right and the president has an ace up his sleeve come September 15. I keep worrying about Senator Kennedy. I pray God he will live to see health care reform passed and signed. I will trust him to tell the truth about the plan.

[stick458]

Just don't ride across a bridge with him.

[take10]

Do you have the ability to elaborate on any of your pointless comments? Your 5th grade posits don't do much to make for an intelligent discourse. In other words, W T F are you talking about?

[take10]

Come 2010, we will see more employers cutting weekly work hours to the mid 30s to avoid the high costs of employee health benefits. If you think those costs are high now, when the industry has its next collusion meeting, there will be absolutely nothing standing in the way of them continuing to price gouge their way to bigger profits and less responsibility. Bet on it! Ask the director of any city, county or state employee insurance division what their rate hike is for the next fiscal year and you will get a sense of how much competition is lacking in an industry out of control and guarded by members of the US Congress. The results will be high premiums and deductibles passed on to employees with less benefits and an uncertain future. Next thing we know, seniors will hit by the same cold hearted, greed motivated support by certain members of congress for a reduction in federal subsidy with increased premiums and copays to the providers of supplemental insurance. They won't have to worry about someone pulling a plug that you can't afford to have plugged in! There will be far reaching consequences of allowing our members of congress, who are paid operatives of the insurance industry, to hijack the most beneficial move on the part of the American people in decades. Up to 99% of the people who were duped into voicing opposition to a public option will have to acquire deep pockets to avoid deep regrets!

[stick458]

"guarded by members of the US congress." Great idea. Let congress overhaul the system. Perfect. Brilliant.

[marco01]

You think HMOs have your interests at heart?

[stick458]

What does that have to do with my comment? Privately held and publically traded companies compete for business. The government competes for nothing.

[worldlyhick]

Good for those Democrats who are sticking to their principles. A strong Public Option is the only real reform element in the proposed legislation.

Hopefully the short sighted, self-righteous group with a totally skewed view of reality will not hi-jack this effort.

[ccpostman]

"Hopefully the short sighted, self-righteous group with a totally skewed view of reality will not hi-jack this effort."

The insurance companies?

[stick458]

"Stick to your principles." What principles? Trickle up poverty? Wealth redistribution? Universal welfare?

[marco01]

And what are yours?

Arrogant judgement of others?

Greed?

Screw you, I've got mine?

[barriosbabe]

"Geez, I vacation next to Brits every year, thats not what they say."

Listen, sparky, If you have a bunch of coverage sooner or later you will find some people that complain (I had to wait, I wanted my teeth done differently). Those experiences and comments are taken completely out of context bythose seeking to put down single payer and public option.

Instead of talking to brits on vacation in mexico about their teeth, why don't you talk to the over 100 million working americans liek myself who have zero or little coverage at all?

bb

[barriosbabe]

Paulita thanks for your excellent posts about health care in Italy; I answered them back there, having a recent opportunity first hand to compare ER treatments in the U.S. and in Italy!

At noon in the Italian ER they come around with fresh food for everybody!

Imaging and radiation decisions are based on what you need, not on what is "covered."

There is a dramatic absence of bureaucrats whose job it is to stop you from getting care!

[My-Two-Cents]

It’s only essential if you expect whatever other insurance reform that might be enacted to work.

I’d be shocked if all the proposed restrictions on health insurance were enacted and it resulted in little more than individual subscribers fighting armies of insurance lawyers for years. If people have a genuine alternative to accepting abuse it’ll be in the privates insurers’ interest to play nice, and offer a good value.

[jmpurser]

Agreed.

[rubygreen]

Conrad is on msnbc still touting co-ops even though they are a bad decision for health care reform and financially.

[Grunty1]

Of course he is. As long as it is good for insurance companies, right?

[barriosbabe]

did you see weiner this morning - awesome

[paulita]

I put this on another story, but really, I think this person said it all and exemplifies the importance of reasonable Americans to continue to fight for good health care reform.

This is the type of health care system we could be getting!

"As an ex-pat living in Italy, I can only add, that since I have been living here in Italy AND on the state health system, I have had the BEST care! In fact, just a high level view of something that had cropped up on me last year, which was a thyroid nodule, but the battery of tests I had and doctors I saw here were fantastic. In fact they said I had had this nodule for years and 'shame on the American doctors' (their poor English words) for not testing me while I was in the US. They were the most thorough set of tests I have ever had, no wait, and only about 30 euros for all of them, which included, ultrasound, Nuclear medicine testing, and aspiration (biopsy).
One last point about my personal experience. I (of course), was scouring the internet for thyroid information, and read all the Johns Hopkins notes....and everything they suggested if this happens to someone is EXACTLY what the Italian medical system did. US had done nothing but say, oh maybe you have a swollen lymph gland!!!! All this had been uncovered during a visit to a hospital emergency room for an ear infection!!"

[barriosbabe]

Good post. I was recently in a hospital in Italy. Extraordinary care, happy doctors, top treatment, decisions based on what you need not on what you are covered for! Astounding! This was in March in Milan. In what was described to me as a "just okay city hospital." oh my gosh.

BTW at noon in the waiting room two women rolled in a big steaming tray of fresh food - would you like some roast chicken? some broth? etc?

I had to cringe thinking how this compared to my struggles back home in the U.S. in hospital ER rooms!

bb

[ssg13565]

It may also be doctor dependent as well as system dependent. In the same system, I have had doctors who took it as a crusade to find the cause of my symptoms and other doctors who said that if they couldn't figure it out it must not be too important.

[alienobserver]

I am so confused/irritated. What is the danger of including the public option? That it may work? That people will no longer be slaves to their employers because of healthcare? Please, some one listen to us, don't let the insurance industry and their lackies, republican reps, do this in, we, the people, want it. America must progress if it is to survive the globalisation of the world.

[rubygreen]

Please, many of us are feeling exactly the same. I just start e-mailing the obstructionists and the WH and supporters of the public option.

http://www.weiner.house.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov
http://www.grassley.gov
http://www.conrad.gov
http://www.house.gov/pelosi

[stick458]

Pay for your own medical care - then you won't be "slave" to anything! No, "we the people" want no more government intrusion. Yes, you are confused. Too much misinformation.

[Grunty1]

Because everyone knows that anyone can easily pay a million dollars for cancer treatment, even though the average American only makes 2 to 3 million IN THEIR LIFE TIME.

[ssg13565]

stick458 is right. If you don't waste money on insurance, you get to keep more of what you earn. You may even become wealthy as long as something unexpectedly bad doesn't happen to you.

If the unexpected happens, tough luck. There was nothing you could have done to protect yourself from the unexpected.

Oh, wait, is that what insurance is for?

[ponderingmuch]

Pay for your own roads, highways, emergency rooms, bridges, schools, fire departments, police departments, cit council people, senators, house reps. extra percentages for all of this from people like me....I do assume you are rich, like ,make millions, or you would not be sane arguing the points you are.

Most of us use these socialized items. And what an easier life it would be if business stuck to business and everything human was not subject to the lack of morality of business.

Make billions selling chic clothes or bubblegum or the seemingly best new software or ,,,phone... fine with me.

But humans deserve to be healthy, and deserve help to get or stay that way, regardless of how much money they make.

I would love to be on some panel that decides the relative humane effect of many enterprises.