A Strong Public Option

Fighting to improve health care for people in my state of Connecticut and across the country has been a crusade of mine for the last 25 years. The ability to care for yourself and your loved ones and to live a long and healthy life shouldn't be a privilege. In this country, particularly in 2009, it must be a right. You shouldn't have to be well-off to get well.

Because you and millions more across the country worked for change, we have the votes to pass a bill that expands coverage to millions of Americans, improves quality, protects patient choice, cuts costs, and averts disaster for our economy and our families.

But, as frustrating as it is to you and to me, I don't know if we have the votes to pass a strong public health care option. What I do know is that whether we can get there or not is still an open question. What I do know is that I plan to fight hard to convince my colleagues on the committee and in the full Senate that we need a public option. What I do know is that I'm going to need your help.

When my friend, Senator Ted Kennedy, asked me to take the reins on this historic legislation, I did so with the full knowledge and understanding that it wouldn't be an easy task. All of us involved in this legislation are under an immense amount of pressure from all sides. That's why Congress has historically failed to reform health care. After all, presidents since Harry Truman have tried to do it. And here we are in 2009.

I really do believe that this time will be different. Many who once opposed our efforts are now sitting at the table with us as we work on these complex issues. The forces of reform are stronger than ever, thanks to so many grassroots activists fighting for change. And I am committed to passing a bill -- this year. You and I are both committed to fighting for that bill to contain a strong public option so that we can keep costs down and offer more and better choices to American families.

As I said, it remains to be seen whether we can pull together the votes to make that happen. But I've learned in my time in Washington that compromise is important, but it's always worthwhile to stand your ground on the issues that matter most. That's how we passed the Family and Medical Leave Act, credit card reform, FDA regulation of tobacco, and many other issues I've worked on over the years. We can't give up on a public option even if it is an uphill battle. And so I won't. And I know you won't, either.

This post originally appeared on MyLeftNutmeg.com

Comments

[MaxBet]

One more thing.

Have you considered the fact that the Republicans will one day retake the White House and the congress they -they- will be in charge of your healthcare? They will be able to twist and turn it any way that they want, heck they could put Dick Cheney in charge of it.lol

Look, the -government- in 1942 changed the tax law so that insurance was no longer tax deductible for a person by himself, and only deductible through an employer, killing the kind of health insurance we should be able to buy. In 1973 the -government- can up with the HMO, yes the Government, it was Ted Kennedy's bill, HMOs have led us to where we are today. In a world of hurt.

They have set the stage for us to be so unhappy we would gladly give our Freedom of Choice, and hand -control- of our health care over to -them-.

Chris Dodd says right in the article he wrote that they have been trying to do this since Harry Truman! They want this -power- over us! Don't give it to them! Demand that the laws be changed so that we can cover ourselves again!

[yokid]

AMEN!!!!!

[lvogt]

The basic laws of supply and demand do not exist in healthcare.
The insurer holds all the cards.
They decide who can buy in and for how much.
They decide what and when they will pay and to whom.
Every dollar that goes to an insurance company does not go to healing a patient.
Every dollar that goes to healing a patient is a loss to the insurance company.
The interests of the insurer and the patient are set in direct opposition.
Insurance companies add nothing to healthcare. They only diminish it.
Vouchers? Just so insurance companies get a cut? We pay twice as much as Canadians or the British and despite their flaws they have much better care and outcomes than we do. America ranks 37th in the world. Appalling.
The single largest reason for personal bankruptcy in the US is due to healthcare costs and most of these people are employed. This does not happen at all in the rest of the modern world.
Single payer only replaces insurance. The doctors and hospitals remain independent businesses.
70+% of Americans want a government option but it's not on the table because too many legislators are bought off. This is shameful.
Pressure your legislators for single payer or, at the very minimum, a government option in the healthcare plan. Go to http://www.sanders.senate.gov/issues/health.cfm
Read, sign the petition and pass it along.

[Firbolg]

Excellent analysis.

[theone718]

Senator, warn your collegues. If they dare pass a bill without a public option.........they won't make it past their next primary.

[barkrudedog69]

That would be great then.

[jme-SD]

The uphill battle you will see, Senator, is having votes for your party's candidates ever again if you don't do what 70+% of the people want which is to pass a real public option that WILL compete with private insurance. Only a politician with the most flawed sort of thinking wouldn't embrace something so clearly demanded by the people and which was promised by their own party. You all should fear the consequences of not passing the legislation. Aside from all the reasons we must have it for public health and economic well-being which everyone knows, politically all it would take for Democrats to lose big would be to fail on this issue, because no one will be volunteering and no one is going to bother to show up to the polls. Why would we bother?

Use the budget reconciliation process and reduce the number of votes you need for final passage to 51. We are done waiting for action on this.

[ScottontheSpot]

It seems to have escaped everyone's notice that health care expenses are due to rise at LEAST 9% for the THIRD year in a row next year. This is industry cooperation?! We need a public option to keep the private insurers honest, as Obama said. We need Single Payer to keep health Insurance Costs from rising so fast. We need evidence-based medicine to keep expenses flat. We need lifestyle reform and digital records to actually lower costs over the long term.

[Whitley2009]

My latest mantra: no member of Congress should have a better health care plan than our American citizens.

[GoldsteinD]

dream on (no matter what outcome we have for healthcare reform)

[ThomH]

Senator Dodd, you and Senator Kennedy should be ashamed of yourselves for attempting to foist such a mendacious plan on the American public.

A "public option", strong, weak or medium, is irrelevant, mere persiflage distracting us from the real issue. Any "reform" that keeps the healthcos in the act, as does the Kennedy/Dodd plan, increases the national healthcare bill and serves only the interests of the healthcare lobby, which gets more customers via government mandates forcing the purchase of insurance, with government subsidies paid directly to insurance companies to make it "affordable" . Healthcos love this faux "reform": it raises both their evenues and their profits. And they will see to it that any public option that makes it through the Congressional meatgrinder is an option in name only.

It's amazing that it took a CBO scoring to send everyone into sticker shock at its cost, when it was always obvious that it would cost, not save, at least a trillion dollars over ten years.

Please answer this: what "value add" do the healthcos deliver to justify the $45 of overhead costs they add to every $100 of actual heathcare they pay for?

The only reason we can't have what majorities of both voters and physicians want - Medicare For All, which would actually decrease our national bill for healthcare - is that Congress heeds the wishes of donors, not voters. Including, alas, you and Senator Kennedy.

[DantheWright]

I withhold judgment on a public option. In fact, there is such obscure discussion about what exactly that would entail that it's difficult to develop any sort of reasoned opinion.
There are some simple things we can do, however, to fix the system. One is requiring-­-mandating if you will--all residents of this country to obtain catastrophic health insurance (e.g., high deductible health insurance) in the true "insurance" sense, much in the same way we require everyone to obtain liability insurance for their automobiles. Another is to provide all residents free preventive and routine care. I've blogged about this on my own site: www.approximatingpoliticaltruth.com. I shan't take up all the space here supporting these concepts. I will say that, while difficult, this is not an unsolvable problem; it appears more complex, because there are so many entrenched, vested interests.

[sviolette]

The guy that posted after you sure seems to think he knows what the public option is even though not even congress claims to know.

It's rediculous to see how all of these know-it-alls are all over the internet spewing lies about an issue that is so important to America.

Americans need to be vigilant and keep up with this issue so they know what is going to be offered before they start panicing. These people sure don't they are already in panic mode.

And stop listening to Hannity and Limbaugh.

[Whitley2009]

DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO REPUBLICANS CONGRESSMEN

No!

No?

No-no-no.

Oh, no-no-no-

No--

Negatory

Negatively, No, No, No.

Non-affirmatively, No!

Noooooo.......!

No. . .no . . .no . . .no . . .no.......

[DantheWright]

I withhold judgment on a public option. In fact, there is such obscure discussion about what exactly that would entail that it's difficult to develop any sort of reasoned opinion.

There are some simple things we can do, however, to fix the system. One is requiring-­-mandating if you will--all residents of this country to obtain catastrophic health insurance (e.g., high deductible health insurance) in the true "insurance" sense, much in the same way we require everyone to obtain liability insurance for their automobiles. Another is to provide all residents free preventive and routine care. I've blogged about this on my own site: www.approximatingpoliticaltruth.com. I shan't take up all the space here supporting these concepts. I will say that, while difficult, this is not an unsolvable problem; it appears more complex, because there are so many entrenched, vested interests.

[reshas1]

Another Senator that needs to GO.... Read the "LETTER", then sign the petition...

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/8/an-open-letter-to-our-nations-leadership

[sviolette]

No.

[Beachchick]

I really don't care if it is single payer or something like Japan. The most important reform is to make the system nonprofit. Shares of Blue Cross shouldn't be traded like shares of Coke. There is something extremely perverse about profiting by denying treatment to sick people.

[yakmeat]

Please, Senator- listen to what the people are saying. We want a single payer system. If our legislators can grow a spine and vote for what this country wants and needs, they won't have to rely on campaign contributions from insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists in order to get reelected. We'll vote for you if you do the right thing. If you won't support us, we'll find someone who will.

[Diaschisis]

As you sit comfortably in your office, covered by a socialized health plan paid for by taxpayers, Senator, you are misreading the mood of the country. We want a single payer, public plan. It is the only option that makes sense-as the rest of the world knows-and it can be crafted with knowledge gleaned from health plans successfully in place in much of the western world.

We don't need a "bipartisan" plan-meaning a plan that takes into account the interests of pharma and the health insurance industry. We demand a plan that takes into account the public interest first.

[AsISaid]

The difference between expectations and reality, when all is said and done, will result in a huge disappointment I fear. Democrats just don't seem to want to grab the power they have and do something with it. There is an opportunity to really do something great with our health care system and from what I've been reading everywhere, it appears that we will have a watered down plan. The only blame can be laid at the foot of Democrats, who I am convinced don't know how to lead. I hate to say this, perhaps it's a generational thing with this bunch, but I just don't see the actions and heart to make the tough decisions that matches the rhetoric of many of the Democrats we helped elect. Obama can only propose - he can't vote.

[Viper]

I could not even read your post, Sen Dodd. That may be a disservice. But 78% want a public option... why is there a debate? If Private insurance could not provide cost effective healthcare in the past 50 yrs... why now? Too big to fail?

I'm a healthcare provider,. own/operate cancer treatment centers. We also buy healthcare for our employees; have tried everything to keep cost down. Nothing worked. We get 20% increases from insurance companies that cut what they pay us by 20%. We treat 10 percent for free. Insurance companies treat no one; dont provide health insurance for free to anyone.

They are a middleman we dont need who takes between 30-40% of every health care dollar. Trying to get approval for treatments and getting actually paid for treating after the fact adds 10-20% to providers costs.

Employer based healthcare does not work if the employed person gets really sick... he loses his job, his healthcare and his ability to pay for it. We find ourselves paying for patients healthcare insurance in order to keep them covered and keep us getting paid... I'm sure thats illegal... SUE ME/ARREST ME!.

If there is not a public option, there is no reform.

Look at the privitization of medicare... costs the government 15% more per person, they pay the Providers 25-35% less (if you can collect... which you cant 20% of the time.. see Wellcare as an example)... thats better?

Enough! NO Half measurse.

Regards