Majority Favors Dem-Only Health Bill With Public Option Over Bipartisan Bill Without: Poll

A majority of Americans prefer that Congress pass a Democrat-only health care bill that includes a public option over a bipartisan bill that does not, according to a new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll.

The poll found that over half the country would prefer Congress pass health legislation that includes "a strong public health insurance option," only supported by Democrats, over a bill with "no public option that has the support of Democrats and a handful of Republicans." This finding holds true for most Democrats and many independents. Eighty percent of Democrats and 47 percent of independents place greater importance on the achievement of a public option than on bipartisanship.

Other polls have found that a majority would prefer a bipartisan bill -- but they asked the question in isolation, without exploring the potential policy ramifications.

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Comments

[liberalOrgonian]

We are watching a mafia style government working for corporations.
Bought and paid for by the Insurance Industry.
Don't you think it is time to put American people first?
The repub and blue dog dems prove corporations are more important than citizens.
The question is, are we working for Insurance Co or are they working for us?
Are we corporate America, or a democracy where people have value?

[lafayette2009]

From todays New York Times:

"With the Senate Finance Committee set to approve its health care bill this week, Democrats are tantalizingly close to bringing legislation that would make sweeping changes in the nation’s health care system to the floor of both houses of Congress.

Party leaders still face immense political and policy challenges as they combine rival proposals — two bills in the Senate and three in the House. But the broad contours of the legislation are in place: millions of uninsured Americans would get subsidized health benefits, and the government would move to slow the growth of health spending."

SOUND GOOD? - Here is the sting-in-the-tail>

"Republicans have said they will fight the legislation at every turn."

[lafayette2009]

I know many of the healthcare insurance companies have other revenue sources other than healthcare insurance, here are some cold facts:

CIGNA 2008 4th Quarter revenue climbed to $4.46 billion from $4.21 billion a year earlier, primarily due to higher premiums and fees from specialty insurance and Medicare Part D. 2008 revenues were up from 17.6 billion in 2007 to $18.8 billion in 2008.

Rival Humana Inc. said fourth-quarter earnings rose 57 percent due to a growing Medicare Advantage business, lower tax rate and the sale of a venture capital investment.

United Healthcare's revenues in 2008 were $81.2 billion CEO Stephen Hemsley saId that "in 2009, we expect meaningful growth in our government­-sponsored businesses as well as a year-over-year improvement in their product mix.” Their profits were down to a meagre $2.98 billion for the year.

“There is strong interest in our Medicare market offerings and continued expansion from our state and public health program relationships, including growth in public-sector specialty benefits,” the CEO added.

Many other healthcare companies are State specific but one interesting tidbit was the the CEO of BCBS of Massachusetts was given a 26% increase in salary in 2008 even though revenues dropped by 49% - eh??

How do you spell PUBLIC OPTION??

[Chem is she]

The entire house is pay to play. They piled up on Blago for this, acting like he wasn't doing politics as ususal.

[liberalOrgonian]

Take Wall Street out of our Health Industry.
When profits are more important than people
we all loose.

[JTPurcell]

So, if we lived in a democracy that fact would be important - but we dont

[SocialistDistortion]

This poll was obviously conducted by a god-hating Marxist polling firm with the desire to crush freedom and destroy the constitution. The American people know better than that. We the people don't buy the government takeover..­.we believe and trust the insurance companies. They know what is best for us. Sure, they might rip us off a couple times a week and fly to their European villas while the rest of us go from paycheck to paycheck, but hey - if you want to make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs, right? Just because insurance company CEO's make mountains of money because profits are huge due to denial of claims...d­oes NOT make them greedy. Maybe we should do a little less complaining and try a little more obedience to these execs who are just trying to make a living.

[lafayette2009]

Just what I needed for Brunch; French Toast laced with a big dollop of Syrupy Sarcasm.

[Omentum]

LET'S DO THIS

AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE

NOT

MORE OF THE SAME.

[zeezan]

Bipartisanship will never happen because the Republicans will oppose healthcare reform forever.

[larmarch5]

Only as long as they're getting paid by insurcos.

[grf67]

Right! The dems should get off of their consensus butts and lead. Tell the republicans to stick it and include the public option the people want. The alternative for the current democrats is to find other jobs after the next election.

[JeanPaulSatire]

Dems seem to have been making bipartisanship the goal itself rather than simply the desired route to the goal.

Rethuglicans have been using Dems' desire for bipartisanship both as a weapon and a shield.

Dems MUST refocus and make passage of meaningful reform their goal -- as opposed to appeasing Rethuglicans in vain attempts to get them to sign on.

[ImissBush]

id love 2 reply 2 all ur witty comments
but
HP
connects me 2 here rather than ur replies

so sorry

[ilse]

Since blue dog democrats are being paid by insurance companies to oppose public healthcare option, make sure you do not contribute any money to their campaigns for re-election. Again, no money contributions for the blue dog democrats. If we want a chance of getting a public option, we need to put pressure on the blue dog democrats.

[thrift]

Insurance companies need regulation and competition to control costs and coverage. As it is now, insurance companies have complete control over the masses. By not allowing affordable health care and arbitrairily deciding what to pay or not pay, they decide who lives and who dies. Is this a class war and are they the tool of implementation?
Public option is the only answer.

[ncmom54]

Bi-partisanship - it happened on election day because Voters are sick, broke, uninsured, unemployed.

if all voters would change their registration to independent or unaffiliated (in NC can vote in either primary) The focus would turn to the will of the people because both parties covet the unaffiliated vote.

They wouldn't know who to pander to and who to take for granted.

[lafayette2009]

If voters were sick, broke, uninsured and unemployed on election day, it probably explained why Obama won with such a big majority because 8-years earlier we experienced the direct opposite of all these situations.

I have no idea if Obama can bring us back to the Clinton days as far as prosperity is concerned but I sure as hell don't want another 8-years like we had under the Cheney/Bush admin.

I will see where we are in 3 years because only then will I be able to judge how effective Obama really is and if he is lacking, see who else is on the scene at that time.

Right now, no-one in the republican party is demonstrating true leadership and that is bad.