Arianna Weighs In On The Senate Health Care Bill And The Challenges Ahead

Arianna appeared on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann on Monday to discuss news that the Senate's health care bill would include an opt-out public option for health insurance.

While Arianna considered the bill's inclusion of a public option to be a step in the right direction, she also pointed to the troubling aspects that remain in the legislation.

"There's is still a lot in the bill which is very troubling. There is the concession to Pharma, which means we cannot negotiate for lower prices because of economies of scale that the government has. There is the fact that the public option would only really reach about 10 million people. It would not affect anybody who already has insurance through their employer. And there is of course the opt out, which means that many, many, millions of people potentially, may not be able to have access to the public option. So there is a lot that is troubling, but it is definitely a step in the right direction with many road blocks remaining."

Arianna and Keith went on to discuss the possibility that Democratic Senators Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Ben Nelson of Nebraska may not support the Senate health care bill.

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Comments

[CanadianBeef]

Keith nailed it: the insurance industry is the real obstacle to reform. Years ago (early90s) we tried to get public auto insurance in Ontario, but it ran up against the industry, which waived 10,000 jobs in front of voters. REAL health care reform in America would have to dramatically shrink its unproductive health-insurance "industry."
It goes against much of American thinking when I say this, but not every economic activity is helpful. Not every private-sector job is worth doing. Maybe insurance employees could be recycled into more productive work, like actually providing health care in a public system instead of denying it in a private one.

[GrizzlyBowman]

Hear, hear to 3:04 to 3:45: Why make people suffer so long? The only reason I can think of is to give the contributors to the current broken system a chance to try to squeeze blood out of a turnip before they're forced to take their medicine.

[CalousteGulbenkian]

Progressives should keep pushing but let's get real - Democracy is about dialogue and compromise. The final product will be a compromise.

Democrats have been too willing to compromise. On the other hand the Republicans are being dumb in saying No No No.

I agree with Michael Moore that Obama and the progressives should have gone for Single Payer and by now, they would be negotiating for a strong public option.

[LITU]

This is not really germane, but you'd think Reid would get that, coming from Nevada.

[GrizzlyBowman]

First, our country isn't Democratic yet; we still have a lot of holdovers from the Republic era. Like the lack of a confidence vote to pull Federal house and senator members out of office before their term is over. And the absence of the public ability to enact Federal statues through a public vote. And the polarization of people and exclusion of potential representation through gerrymandering and the Electoral College. Switzerland is an example of a Democracy.

The progressives have always been for Single Payer. Obama has not been helping nearly enough. One can't say they helped win a ball game without cheering or playing, and neither can they claim party or ownership to the success of a debate while sitting on the sidelines and staying mum.

[dlvme2]

So many are worried about 1 penny coming out of their pocket, yet many pay taxes everyday for programs and other things that they do not approve of. Studies that are wasteful, have been done already or really have no purpose. How many of us are aware of all the programs that our taxes go for? I know I do not know even a small percentage of them. How many things are we paying markups of over 100% at times? The markup on prescription medicine here in the US is terrible. It makes me angry that 2 medications that my daughter and I have to have cost 4 times less if we buy them from pharmacy in Canada and they are the exact same products? Many of the problems in this country are because the public quit paying attention to what the government is doing. Healthcare is one item that is for everyone's benefit. Doesn't everyone know that if people get routine checkups and things are caught in the early stages - it winds up costing everyone less money. Many without insurance are very hard working people, single parents, people who have changed jobs and for one reason or another cannot get coverage, or people that have paid for insurance for years and yet when they need it most their insurance cuts them off. It is sad that so many have lost compassion for others.

[LITU]

It isn't the government (directly) who's stroking you. You want to blame something, blame your conservative mentality.

[LITU]

I have to back off a little on that conservative mentality comment. Sorry. I know you're talking about doing the right thing, but you have not addressed the racketeering by corporations. Instead, you cite government as the culprit.

[dlvme2]

You are really off base as I am by far not a conservative. I blame the government and the public for not paying attention to what our government has been doing which has gone on for a long time. The public is still not questioning things that they should have long ago. On many things the public has waited until it was too late. The public needs to make themselves aware of what the government is doing on the State and Federal level. We need a strong public option and we need a strong health care plan that helps everyone not just a few. It is not possible to comment on all the culprits responsible for the problems we have.

[dlvme2]

One thing that I have never been accused of is being a conservative, so you are off base there. The public for far too long has not followed what the government has been doing and they do not pay attention often until it is too late and the damage is done. The public has a responsibility to know what is going on, on the State and Federal level. The condition that the country is in right now is the fault of many and it was not the purpose of my comment to list or discuss all of those. People need to stay educated and involved in what is going on around them. We also need to put people in office that listen to "US." We need to stand up and say exactly what "we" want from healthcare and let our representatives know exactly what we want and keep at it by emailing, calling or whatever it takes until they listen. I voted for Obama because I felt he would bring about the changes I wanted to see in this country and I am still hoping that he will do what he promised.

[PaxEterna]

All the bills are bogus, and the excuse makers are out in droves.

THE ONLY PATH TO HEALTHCARE FOR ALL THAT THIS COUNTRY CAN AFFORD IS SINGLE PAYER.

Until the members of Congress (forget POTUS) come to this realization, they are dithering away, and squandering the American people's money on everything BUT what the people need and want.

[33Greeper]

Call the White House and tell them you fully support the Weiner amendment and that is the legislation that you want passed.

[DJlaysitup]

Actually the "public option" which an available opt out by the states may turn out to be one of the most brilliant political maneuvres we've seen in a long time. If it lessens costs to some degree and insures more people - how can the Red staters opt out? Their options are to opt out (and stick it to their own people out of stubborness) or opt in (in which case the Dems get the credit).

I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't more far-reaching aspects to this plan before it's done. Why would businesses want to be located in "opt out" states if healthcare costs can be reduced in public option states? I wonder if this was partially Rahm's idea?

[Sandmanj]

Bottom line: it's just another version of a sell-out to Big Pharma and the health-insurance industry.

Not even close to "change you can believe in".

[helonias]

So when will anyone discuss what Jesus said about such things

[LITU]

Why do you keep trying to ram that down our throats? Anyone who follows those teachings already knows the answer.

[Lionsden]

And the magic show continues. The magicians are the left-wingers (dems, progressives--aka "liberals"), Ivy League grads, lefti-wing news outlets who are as "news-less" as Fox News would be.

There is no honest debate about health care if the debate doesn't begin with the Constitutionality of such a plan.

It is dishonest to ignore whether or not universal health care is Constitutional.

[LITU]

The issue of constitutionality has already been resolved. As far as I can discern, no litigant has been able to overturn the Medicare Act.

If it were otherwise, you can bet your paycheck someone would have already done it.

BTW, the premise is "Promote the general welfare," something most conservatives abhor.

[Lionsden]

LITU:

This all started with social security, another unconstitutional act by our lawless corrupt leaders.

You don't know what "promote the general welfare" means, so you shouldn't bring it up.

[rubyrubyruby]

be careful what you wish for!

[LITU]

Maybe this interview will help the detractors of real reform who claim that a public option is better than nothing, or that it's a step in the right direction.

The currently proposed public option plan represents only two things: nothing, and the propensity of Democrats to capitulate.

The only viable solution to the healthcare needs of Americans is a single payer approach, run by the federal government.

You can whine and b_t..ch about that conclusion 'til the cows come home, and it won't change the fundamental logic. The currently proposed public option plan is not a solution at all and represents a sell-out.

[nceeno]

No thanks. Don't want any part of that.

[LITU]

I presume you mean single payer. Well, good luck with the alternatives.

[Dbos]

This health care improvement situation makes it very clear, the Senate is totally out of touch with what is really going on in this country.

[LITU]

Maybe this interview will help the detractors of real reform who claim that a public option is better than nothing, or that it's a step in the right direction.

The currently proposed public option plan represents only two things: nothing, and the propensity of Democrats to capitulate.

The only viable solution to the healthcare needs of Americans is a single payer approach, run by the federal government.

You can whine and b_tch about that conclusion 'til the cows come home, and it won't change the fundamental logic. The currently proposed public option plan is not a solution at all and represents a sell-out.

[tbone99]

Don't forget that the health care bill will not kick in til 2013., causing an estimated 135,000 deaths for those who are uninsured and who knows how many through insurance denial.

Yet each death in Iraq or Afghanistan is reported on the front page. Our real enemy is getting away with murder on a daily basis , but all we can do is point to some brown people and call them evil.

From what I understand the "opt out "will not be able to take place until 2014 , as each state will have to go through it's legislature to opt out. We are going to end up with a fifty medical labyrinths to hide the fact that those legislatures are denying people what others have- they will write so man provisions and exceptions that no one will know whats really being offered, ( or denied) much like this bill, but a thousand times worse.

[evgolightly]

They are going to move much faster than that because of the 2010 election.