The news are flying fast and furious over the public option in health care reform, and let us remember, the devil is always in the details when it comes to the public option. Let me give you an example of this from the Blue Dog Democrats in the House of Representatives in their paper which they released, and for starters, they're opposed to a Medicare-like public option, which is what we've been fighting for all month long:
We are concerned, however, about a “Medicare-like” public option and its ability to achieve all
of the benefits put forth by its proponents. How a public option is constructed and allowed to
compete are critically important to ensuring families have the ability to keep their current health
coverage and continue to see the doctor of their choice.
While the Blue Dog membership has not endorsed a public option, we feel that should a public
option be included in comprehensive health reform, it should adhere to the following conditions
at a minimum:
• Adheres to the Free Market: Medicare payment rates, which include structural payment
inequities involving lower reimbursement to rural areas, must not be used as the basis for
reimbursement. Rather, rates must be negotiated between the plan and its providers as is
the case currently for all health insurance plans.
• Voluntary Participation: Hospitals and doctors should not be required to participate,
nor be banned from participating if they don’t take Medicare, in the public option.
Networks would be established over time and through negotiation, just like in the private
market.
• Financially Stable: The public option must not rely on the federal treasury for its
operations. Premiums and copayments would cover claims.
• Actuarially-Sound: The public option must be required to establish a reserve fund to
cover incurred liabilities and be actuarially-sound. This is currently the case for private
insurers.
• A Level Playing Field: The public option must adhere to the same rules and regulations
as all other plans. This includes: community rating; guaranteed issue; limits on
marketing; risk adjustment; pre-existing condition exclusions; and transparency.
• Independently Operated: The public option should be administered by a separate
agency than the one selected to run the Exchange.
• Covers Basic Needs: The public option should offer the same minimum benefit design
as all other plans in the Exchange. This ensures individuals and families are able to get
access to basic health care services and care.
• Equal Assistance: Should Congress provide assistance through subsidies or tax credits
for the purchase of health care, individuals and families must be permitted to apply it
toward public and private plans equally.
And they had this little caveat at the end. They only want the public option as a "trigger" in the same kind of thinking as the so-called Democrats in the Senate such as Senator Ben Nelson.
• Available Only as a Fallback: The availability of a public option would occur only as a
fallback and in the absence of adequate competition and cost containment. Fundamental
insurance market reforms and increased choice through the Exchange should improve
access and contribute to lower costs. However, should the private plans fail to meet
specific availability and cost targets, a public option would be triggered and be allowed to
compete on a level playing field subject to the conditions outlined above.
My sense is that the Blue Dog Democrats are trying to push for the so-called Schumer "public option" compromise, rather than the Medicare-like public option which we've been fighting for, and having that so-called Schumer "public option" compromise triggered as a "fallback" in case private insurance fails.
Brian Beutler over at TalkingPointsMemo has more about this subject below:
The trigger idea is one that's has purchase among conservative Democrats in the Senate, too. It's also an ideas that liberal Democrats call a non-starter. The gist is that the government would give insurance companies a few years to get with the program by meeting heretofore unknown cost-saving and coverage goals, and to only create a public option in the event that they miss their deadline. But triggers are often unsuccessful policy tools, and since liberals are basically running the health care show in the House, there's almost no chance that this will be written into their bill, an early version of which should be released in the next couple weeks.
It should be noted that the Blue Dogs aren't monolithic on this point. Already, Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and Mike Michaud (D-ME) are distancing themselves from this statement--and several others have signaled in the past that they support a public option at the outset. But at the very least this demonstrates that there's still a considerable appetite among conservative Democrats for weakening or imperiling the public option.
And then there's President Obama. The good news is that he re-asserted his leadership about having the public option as an essential part of health care reform. I was told that this letter to Senators Baucus and Kennedy happened because of all the calls you've been making against the "trigger" and in favor of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option.
The plans you are discussing embody my core belief that Americans should have better choices for health insurance, building on the principle that if they like the coverage they have now, they can keep it, while seeing their costs lowered as our reforms take hold. But for those who don't have such options, I agree that we should create a health insurance exchange — a market where Americans can one-stop shop for a health care plan, compare benefits and prices, and choose the plan that's best for them, in the same way that Members of Congress and their families can. None of these plans should deny coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition, and all of these plans should include an affordable basic benefit package that includes prevention, and protection against catastrophic costs. I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest.
However, the devil is always in the details. President Obama didn't specify what kind of a public option he was supporting, and he's leaving much of these details up to the Senate Democrats and to the House leadership as well.
Which is why WHENEVER we refer to the public option, we ALWAYS should refer to it as a "strong, robust Medicare-like public option" in our phone calls, e-mails, and letters to the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate.
Here's the talking points that you can and should use when calling in favor of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, and remember, the "trigger" may happen if we don't let up in our opposition to it in our phone calls:
Tell Senator [Name] that you DO NOT want the 7-year trigger for the public option and take it off the table, and that you want him to support an affordable strong, robust Medicare-like public option. We NEED a strong, robust Medicare-like public option NOW OPEN TO ALL AMERICANS AND AFFORDABLE, not more of the SAME broken system that's given us unaffordable premiums, little private insurance coverage, and rising co-pays. Also, DON'T TAX OUR EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFITS. Instead, follow the proposal by President Obama to tax the wealthy above $250,000, eliminate the overpayments in Medicare Advantage, and put tax capital gains to help fund health care reform.
CALL the White House at: 202-456-1111 and E-MAIL them as well!
Please CALL Senator Max Baucus at (202) 224-2651
Please CALL Senator Charles Schumer at 202-224-6542
Please CALL Senator Edward Kennedy at (202) 224-4543
Please CALL Senator John Rockefeller at (202) 224-6472
Please CALL Senator Ron Wyden at (202) 224-5244
Please CALL Senator Kent Conrad at (202) 224-2043
Please CALL Senator Jeff Bingaman at (202) 224-5521
Please CALL Senator John Kerry at (202) 224-2742
Please CALL Senator Blanche Lincoln at 202-224-4843
Please CALL Senator Debbie Stabenow at (202) 224-4822
Please CALL Senator Maria Cantwell at 202-224-3441
Please CALL Senator Bill Nelson at 202-224-5274
Please CALL Senator Robert Menendez at 202-224-4744
Please CALL Senator Thomas Carper at (202) 224-2441
It's really important that we CALL these Senators on the Senate Finance Committee because some of them are still SERIOUSLY considering the 7-year trigger for the public option in case private insurance fails. Well, here's a frickin' news alert--private insurance ALREADY has failed us.
We have to get them to stop considering the public option as a "fall-back trigger" seven years from now, because we NEED a Medicare-like public option NOW that is affordable and OPEN TO ALL Americans.
Also, can you please CALL these THREE chairmen in the House of Representatives, especially Rep. Waxman who's leading the charge on health care reform below?
Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel (202) 225-3625)
Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (202) 225-2927)
Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller (202) 225-3725)
And remember, don't trust whatever Senator Baucus says about a public option in health care reform and we should always verify until we trust.
K STREET MET WITH TOP BAUCUS AIDE: Roll Call’s Kate Ackley reports that Baucus chief of staff Jon Selib met with business interests on Thursday to discuss the public plan and employer-mandated coverage: “Those who attended included Bruce Josten, a top lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Maria Ghazal of the Business Roundtable; Amy Jensen Cunniffe, an in-house lobbyist for General Electric; Nancy Taylor, a health care lobbyist with Greenberg Traurig; Neil Trautwein of the National Retail Federation; Janet Trautwein of the National Association of Health Underwriters; Paul Dennett, health policy vice president with the American Benefits Council; Amanda Austin of the National Federation of Independent Business; Missy Jenkins, who represents the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association; and Katie Braden Huffard with the lobby firm Fierce Isakowitz & Blalock.”
So, PLEASE CALL and let them KNOW that you want a Medicare-like public option in health care reform! Ask them not to pass a bill out of the House that does NOT include a strong, robust Medicare-like public option that is AFFORDABLE AND OPEN TO ALL AMERICANS.
A Medicare-like public option is the line in the sand for me. Is it the line in the sand for you as well?
If so, then CALL, and please help keep this on the rec list so others can see the phone numbers, call today, and help fight against the swiftboating of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option in health care reform.