Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will announce this afternoon that he plans to push ahead with a public option vote – most likely one that includes an opt-out provision for states – even though he’s currently short several votes for passage, according to people close to the situation.
The Nevada Democrat has 3:15 p.m. press conference to discuss details.
Reid, who spoke with virtually every member of his 60-member caucus this weekend, currently has between 56 and 57 votes for a proposal to create a national insurance plan but allow states to opt out of it, according to Democratic aides.
Read the full story, over here.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:43 PM
A public option is necessary for true reform.
If it doesn’t get the necessary votes,my hope is that it will be put to a straight up or down vote on the floor(reconciliation). Thus, needing only a simple majority to pass,which the democrats obviously have.
Bring on the change the majority of Americans want,and voted for.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:07 PM
A recent article from AP says that insurance company profits are not extortionary (in the neighborhood of 4%), and that the drug and other medical industries have far greater profits. So how does restructuring the health insurance reduce the cost of medical care - the original objective of this whole exercise?
October 26th, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Profit is a funny thing.
It’s not the money you have left over after you pay for staff and claims and overhead,
it’s the money at the very bottom of the ledger.
Calculated after bonuses, stock-options, taxes, private jets, corporate perks and all executive compensation.
The idea behind a government payer is that overhead will be the only debit other than claims.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Making matters worst is even worst than doing nothing at all:
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_13603658
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Keep the pressure on Obama and the Dems to give a viable public option in the health reform bill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzNdyXHd0oQ&feature=player_embedded
October 26th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Make sure you know what you are fighting for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jijuj1ysw&feature=related
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Nice AFY, an inane clip from PJTV and an opinion piece. Not too much in the way of real information there.
You could learn something from citizen though.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:31 PM
I feel that, with a public option, the government will eventually be forced to curb the underlying cost-drivers in our broken healthcare system.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:39 PM
You could learn something (those who choose to learn, but no one has to for sure) from both the clip and opinion piece in me opinion!
Sounds like it is time for another opinion piece, it only gets better, don’t ya know!
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/16182
“If capitalism is no longer going to exist it’s a waste of time to put time into such things as unemployment or business. It’s only a matter of time before everyone who works will be working for the state and those that aren’t working will be taken care of by the state.”
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Relax AFY. Health care reform is not going todestroy capitalism. Might destroy a bit of socialism for insurance companies, though. Lay off the Glenn Beck.
October 26th, 2009 at 6:40 PM
I found this interesting:
Healthcare system wastes up to $800 billion a year
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE59P0L320091026?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
October 27th, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Yeah, like there’s NO waste in government for sure!
So the system needs improving because big bad insurance companies make a profit so lets turn it over to government so they can screw it up like Frannie May, Freddie Max, Social security, Medicare, post office, etc, Yeah the government has a great track record for running things right (& into the ground & bankrupt)!
Here’s a question, say you have a fender bender and you take it to get it fixed, ever had the question asked, Is insurance paying for this? You know why, cause if you are paying for it direct, it will be cheaper, do you think it will be any different if it is government insurance or private insurance? Same works for medical insurance!
Here’s another question say you are from Canada you want medical treatment down here, if you pay cash it is cheaper (then work is normally charged insurance), why do you ask? Cause when paying cash the insurance companies ain’t involved and you don’t have all of the paperwork (mostly required by government) to go thru for one!
Ever think how many employees hours doctors have to pay for (which goes against medical insurance cost) because of the paperwork required by government mandate!
There are many ways to save money but government is a big part of the problem today and more government will only make it worst!
http://www.moneyshow.com/investing/blog.asp?aid=Blog-16669
Medicare is a disaster when it comes to cost!
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:36 AM
You know AFY, there is some middle ground between 1)insurance companies making out like bandits, turning an obscene profit from life and death issues involving our health…and 2)turning it over to the government. So far the health reforms being discussed are just a tiny step in the direction of 2), but you’d never no that listening to the fear and myth makers on the Right and at their Fox News network.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Loooking there is a middle ground and it is the people, give more power to the people and less to the the insurance companies and government is true reform, but you know something THAT IS THE LAST THING THAT SPECIAL INTEREST want or will allow!
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Screw special interest!
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!
October 28th, 2009 at 3:21 PM
AFY, it sounds like the reform you would advocate is giving everyone XX dollars to spend on health care as they choose.
Also, a public option would not destroy capitalism or lead to a government-ruled economy. Various industries already have a “public option” and a thriving private sector. Private shippers compete with USPS, private campgrounds compete with national parks, etc.
What is interesting is that private shippers and private campground are 100% dependent on their public competition. USPS and Fedex depend of the USPS zip code and street address system, while private campgrounds often would have no visitors without nearby national parks. I wonder is this kind of thing would happen with a public option for health insurance?
October 29th, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Consider: if a health insurance type system existed for auto insurance, it would certainly result in those quick lube oil changes costing about 95 dollars instead of something like 29. It would require an army of public and private sector bureaucrats to shuffle mounds of paper with hundreds of mouse clicks to make sure you were eligible for your lube job, that you paid your 10 dollar “lube co-pay” and that the remaining 85 bucks was eventually approved by a Chevy lube specialist underwriter.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/06/health_care_is_not_that_compli.html
Government and insurance comapnies are not the solution, they are the problem, if we want to save costs for health care then lets get rid of bureaucrats and not add more!
Give more power to the individual to make their own decisions is the only real answer.
There are proposals out there that would do that but it is all about special interest and not the individual, drug companies(they will get their peice of the pie) & unions (lots more members) are driving this push towards a bigger role for government.
AFY!!thesheepdog!!