RIP Public option...

[danzig]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-a...,7688557.story

Instead, the government would essentially contract with a nonprofit insurer to provide a nationwide plan that would serve as the public option, according to officials briefed on the discussions. Combined with a vote earlier in the day that rejected efforts to tighten restrictions on public money for abortion, the compromise kept the Senate moving toward Reid's goal of voting on the healthcare bill before Christmas.

Reid's office issued a statement saying he was "confident" that he could sell the plan to the Democratic caucus. "This has been a long journey," he said. "We have confronted many hurdles, and tonight I believe we have overcome yet another one."

One of the healthcare overhaul's main goals is to reduce the number of uninsured in the nation, providing coverage to more than 30 million additional Americans.

Low- and moderate-income people who selected the nonprofit plan in a new insurance exchange would qualify for subsidies, just as they would if they selected a commercial plan.

The government would oversee the nonprofit plan, ensuring that it met basic standards for quality and affordability. That provision was designed to satisfy demands from many on the left that the government provide consumers with an alternative to coverage offered by for-profit insurers.

The compromise would also create a mechanism for triggering the creation of a more traditional government-run plan like the one now in the bill, if the nonprofit option does not materialize.

Decent compromise imo, focus will be in creating these non-profit insurers which goverment would oversee but not run. One assumes the choice for which one a person has is in the hands of the person pushing competition among them and if by some chance it fails a direct goverment plan comes into play. So basically Reid took 5 seconds to remove his head from his butt listen to conservative democrats aka blue dogs and republican Olympia Snow...who ever would have thought Reid would be capable of such rational thinking after all just the other day he compared people who objected to his plan as akin to being pro slavery.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Its a poor excuse for a compromise when they effectively have done nothing in the way of a public option. The whole Idea was to provide an option other than private insurance and all they have done is create another private insurance agency but with a government stamp of approval. The competition that could of been created with the public option as originally intended may go up in flames if the house bill is also killed.

Anyway the best intentions of this bill are directed at a supposed "Nonprofit" insurer, so until further information comes out theres little else I know about this plan.

Besides I beat you to this development with my "waterdown public option" post at the bottom of the 1st page.

[danzig]

Its a poor excuse for a compromise when they effectively have done nothing in the way of a public option. The whole Idea was to provide an option other than private insurance and all they have done is create another private insurance agency but with a government stamp of approval. The competition that could of been created with the public option as originally intended may go up in flames if the house bill is also killed.

I fail to see why allowing not for profit entities being setup to handle things overseen by the goverment, subsidies if people cant afford it is bad compared to a public option. It atleast allows a measure of choice amoung those who cant afford health care but not poor enough to get medicad. Besides there is already a trigger in the compromise to go with the public option IF this fails. It is a good compromise since it allows conservative democrats and republicans to vote for it. The thing was never going to pass if it went in full public option, the damn public is divided on it and you expect congress to go for it?

Besides I beat you to this development with my "waterdown public option" post at the bottom of the 1st page.

Ooops

[Monarchist]

This is further proof that the government of America needs to be destroyed (along with the European and Canadian ones). That it can even fathom putting one cent into such a private matter as health care is totally evil and morally bankrupt.

[MathiasOfAthens]

LMAO. You are a little extreme there Monarchist. What has Canada ever done to the world?

[Tiberius Tosi]

I don't get what the big damn deal is, just get rid of pre-existing conditions crap (most important thing of all), put a tax or penalty fee equal to the price of health insurance for that individual on a person who does not have insurance. It wouldn't hurt the poor, the poor are already the ones insured by the damn government, it is working middle class who doesn't buy into insurance before they become sick that are the ones getting screwed. If it were actually he poor getting hurt, to be honest and very harsh sounding, no one would give a damn quite frankly. While it may be my opinion that if you don't buy medical insurance for yourself and your family, too bad, it is not fair or your family. Putting a tax or penalty on them, while remaining to pay for those below the poverty lines' medical insurance would cover most everyone. No public option needed, I mean we don't have government car insurance because some people can't afford car insurance. Penalize people for not having insurance and I guarantee you they will get it. All you need is their last years' tax records really to find how much insurance for them should cost.

That's my rant of the day.

LMAO. You are a little extreme there Monarchist. What has Canada ever done to the world?

Have you ever seen Canadian Bacon? They are amassing 80% of their population within 100 miles of the border with the US...coincidence? I don't think so... Preparation for invasion if you ask me.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Interesting, I didnt think they were amassing their people for an invasion but you made a good point there.

The other point, not so much, cars are a choice your health isnt, and the vast majority are unable to pay 70 % out of pocket when they do get hit by a major hospital bill, and on top of that continue to pay half of their paycheck toward health insurance premiums. The private health insurers are for profit not for care.

[Admiral Piett]

this compromise. Normally I wouldn't be as blunt but I'm mad as hell. Now people like me are going to be left without insurance for at least three more years.