Excerpt:
Senate Democrats have ceded two key components of President Obama’s health care reform proposals: The proposed Medicare buy-in for those ages 55-64 and a public option.
These components of the bill were apparently dropped in a cave-in to Republicans, centrist Democrats, and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Sen. Lieberman, a crucial vote if the bill is to garner 60 votes, threatened to join Republicans in a filibuster of the bill if it includes either the Medicare buy-in or a public option. On CBS’s Face the Nation, Lieberman said that in order to get 60 votes in the Senate, “You got to take out the Medicare buy-in. You got to forget about the public option. You probably have to take out the Class Act.” According to The New York Times, “Mr. Lieberman is also insisting that he will not vote for a fallback public option that would create a government-run program if the legislation otherwise fails to accomplish its goals. The Class Act is a reference to a proposed long-term care insurance program that was included in the bill.” Lieberman’s other condition is eliminating a government insurance program focused on home health care for the disabled.
Some Senate Democrats attempted to rationalize the concessions by suggesting that the passage of any bill is better than no bill at all.
It is unclear exactly what Democrats are referring to that will remain in the bill constituting significant health care reform besides a ban of insurance companies denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions. The bill would include mandatory private sector insurance, which would be a profit windfall for big insurance and pharmaceutical companies on the backs of millions of the poorest Americans who currently cannot afford coverage.
Any bill that might pass Congress at this point will be a flawed compromise, one that will deeply disappoint the Democratic base-and one that will leave unaddressed major flaws in the health system. Perhaps no bill at all may be a better choice at this point.
Read more here: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23316-Madison-Independent-Examiner~y2009m12d15-Senate-drops-public-option-Medicare-buyin-from-health-bill