Democrats should still support the Senate healthcare bill
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Despite Joe Lieberman getting essentially everything he wanted – the limelight, really – Democrats can still get basically what they’ve wanted all along as well: a major overhaul of the American healthcare system. It’s certainly not perfect, for either conservatives or progressives or – for that matter – every day Americans. I don’t like plenty of things about it. I don’t think it contains costs enough, for one thing. I don’t think it provides affordable enough insurance for the middle and working class either.
But it does insure millions more Americans and it does make some overdue changes like putting an end to denial of insurance based on pre-existing conditions. These are good steps. They’re not enough, but they move us in the right direction. The exchanges may be the most important addition to the American healthcare system, and they can be improved in the future as more people are allowed to participate in them and the cost-sharing pools grow over time. The exchanges were always a more fundamentally important piece of reform than the public option was. And even if it makes more sense to simply expand Medicare, doing that without accompanying cost-containment will backfire in the end.
This isn’t perfect, and Joe Lieberman is certainly a disingenuous opponent, but throwing him a bone or two to get reform passed is not the end of the world. It’s silly for progressives to call for the bill’s demise. What can we expect in our imperfect system that will be any better than this?
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tweets Tube, E.D. Kain. E.D. Kain said: Democrats should still support the Senate healthcare bill http://tinyurl.com/y9bkmyz @trueslant [...]
Mr. Kain,
Here is the real politics, next year is an election year. The Democrats, including Mr. Obama want add another “W” to their stats for this election. They want to pass any “health care reform” to claim that win. The progressives are generally in very safe seats, they aren’t too worried about not getting re-elected because of a lose on health care reform. They are holding the other Democrats hostage, “If you really want that ‘Win’, you had better put in something of substance in the bill or you can chalk it up in the “L” column”. This has been Mr. Lieberman’s game all along (who is notably not up for re-election).
When do we get to see a copy of the bill so we will all know what we are talking about?
No, I don’t agree. Whatever good argument you have, the bottom line is it all could be a lot less complicated. If we can’t pass “reform,” which is a simple straightforward single-payer system, then open Medicare and Medicaid to at least some more folks and do it without any caveats. That takes about one page, maybe one sentence. Pass it. Then get back to figuring out how to nurture a new and healthy economy toward growth. One way or the other the People will figure out the rest, starting with firing every single one of those men (mostly) and women in Congress and the Senate. And if that doesn’t work, the time will come all too soon when only the very rich will be able to afford health care. Isn’t too difficult to figure out what will happen then …
The issue isn’t really just about how complicated it is. As I continue to point out, a very short bill will simply have to be added to enormously after the fact by unelected bureaucrats. I don’t think that’s preferable to a bill largely written by the staffs of Congress-people who are at least somewhat accountable and who can provide much better checks and balances.
In response to another comment. See in context »You may be correct. Perhaps I should have used the word “compromised” instead., and added that it is my impression, rather than the “truth.” I get the impression as well that it is too Byzantine. Doesn’t matter though. They’ll do what they will, whatever the people think or say or vote for. At this point, I just hope whatever dreck comes out of this process helps more than it hurts.
In response to another comment. See in context »According to a Senate aide, the White House is now threatening to put Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC list if Nelson doesn’t fall into line.
Offutt Air Force Base employs some 10,000 military and federal employees in Southeastern Nebraska. As our source put it, this is a “naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson’s vote.” They are “threatening to close a base vital to national security for what?” asked the Senate staffer.
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/15/white-house-using-base-closure-process-to-extort-nelsons-vote-on-obamacare/
I understand why Democrats want a bill but how will the bill score with CBO? If everyone has to get insurance for the current cost of private insurance with it 27% overhead, will that be deficient neutral? How will the average American respond to a mandate to buy expensive insurance even with help from the government? What will keep insurance companies from raising rates when they know the government would have to pay?
Let me relay a little story about the effect insurance companies have on costs. Recently I had a plumbing incident in one of our apartments. I called one of those “like it never happened companies” and found their rates extraordinarily high. For instance $12. a yard to replace padding. Now I could replace the entire rug and padding for far less at any carpet company. Their response to justify the costs: That is the going rate in the insurance books.
Now never mind what the buyer (me) can bear it is what the insurance company is crazy enough to pay.
Its nuts and so is the current Senate Bill.