Are the Democrats missing the big picture? If they are, heaven help the sick. Until common ground is found, those millions of American citizens that are sick and without health insurance might not be able to hold on.
There is a debate going on within the Democratic Party over whether or not public options will be included in the health care plan that was voted through by the Senate Finance Committee last Tuesday.
Sparks flew during the Senate and Finance Committee after Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, crossed party lines and voted with the democrats for an $829 billion plan that is expected to provide coverage for an additional 29 million Americans.
The bill, drafted by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, was voted through without the public option that seems to be a main concern for liberal Democrats who oppose the bill.
President Obama's Stability and Security health care reform plan proposes a combination of Democratic and Republican elements to create an all-encompassing plan.
"There are those on the left who believe that the only way to fix the system is through a single-payer system like Canada's," President Obama said during a joint session of congress on health care on September 9, 2009. "On the right, there are those who argue that we should end employer-based systems and leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own."
For those that cannot afford insurance because of preexisting medical conditions, "We will immediately offer low cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill," President Obama said. "This was a good idea when Senator John McCain proposed it in the campaign, it's a good idea now, and we should all embrace it."
President Obama wasn't the only person trying to gain support on both sides. Sen. Baucus had been trying to gain Republican support for the bill also known as the Baucus Bill, but was only able to reach Sen. Snowe during the vote of 14-9 on Tuesday. Snowe was the only Republican to vote in favor of the bill.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, went into closed-door deliberations to merge HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) with the health care bill that was voted in on Tuesday. HELP does include a public option. Whether or not the merger will include a public option has yet to be decided.
The bill is expected to be financed by lowering the monies that doctors get for providing treatment to those on Medicare and by implementing new taxes on insurance companies.
Where does the public option come in?
House Democrats told CNN that they will not pass a bill that doesn't include a public option.
A possible Republican filibuster may ensue if the democrats cannot unify and gain 60 votes in the senate.
The bigger debate is whether the health care reform bill will cost the government more money -- and defeat its intended purpose.
A study conducted by BlueCross/BlueShield showed that after five years the bill would increase premiums for family coverage by about $3,300.
The insurance industry isn't taking legislation lying down -- they have launched several advertising campaigns in opposition of President Obama's health care reform -- he calls them, "deceptive and dishonest ads," and is threatening to revoke the insurance industry's exemption from federal and antitrust laws.
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I would be very surprised if the insurance companies didn't kick and scream and bite and claw every inch of the way on healthcare reform.
AND IF WE WERE TO come up with a health care bill that is $1 Trillion and LESS (as the current bill is), all we would have to do is NOT BUILD 3.....I repeat 3.........THREE........3......F-22 Raptors, we could pay for it TODAY. NOW. RIGHT NOW.
3 F-22 Raptors (a plane that will not have a significant impact in any conflict for the next 10 years, and is not serving in an active combat or near one right now) @ nearly $350 million each, could cover all the uninsured in our country. 3.