Health Care: CBO Numbers Are In (Almost)
EmailThat’s the word from Democratic sources. Senator Reid hoping to get final analysis sometime today, to be shared with leadership team and full Democratic Caucus today and tomorrow.
Sources who’ve seen what CBO has produced so far are encouraged, saying the CBO will give Democrats and the White House enough reassurance on cost control, the deficit and coverage to get this bill to the floor.
We’ll see.
Meantime, Republicans reading the latest Washington Post-ABC poll say: bring it on.
The poll shows that public skepticism is hardening. Most Americans believe that reform will make their own health care worse – especially on the key issue of cost – with 54 percent fearing their own costs will rise, and 56 percent believing the costs to the country will increase.
Irony alert: two of the most popular provisions – the public option and an employer mandate — are the items most likely to be dropped or substantially modified by the Senate.
WH officials are resigned to the fact that public opinion won’t move much in the near term.
Their hope: once the bill is signed into law, the public will reward them for delivering on a big promise. But can they deliver on the details?
Here’s my conversation with Diane on GMA:
Santorum: Money Will Not Defeat Obama, Ideas Will 
Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
The Democrats will be rewarded in 2010 with a one way ticket out of Washington.
Posted by: Johnny L | November 17, 2009, 7:44 am 7:44 am
The public option on its own is a good idea, but combined with the personal mandate and forcing private insurance to take on pre-existing conditions, it’s a recipe for disaster – and single-payer trojan horse.
Leave the private market alone, just add a good public option for those who can’t get insurance anywhere else.
Posted by: George | November 17, 2009, 8:03 am 8:03 am
Leave the private market alone, just add a good public option for those who can’t get insurance anywhere else.
George | Nov 17, 2009 8:03:15 AM
A good public option would be so much better than private insurance that private insurance would be killed. At least, that’s the argument Republicans are using in favor of the status quo. Not that private insurance would be legislated out of existence, but competed out.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 17, 2009, 8:17 am 8:17 am
We will reward the WH once signed into a bill???? You got that right if it ever happens, like start packing your bags Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Franks, ect.
Posted by: sammy | November 17, 2009, 9:23 am 9:23 am
The one thing that “healthcare reform” certainly does NOT do is offer “choice”! Quite the contrary. This was made abundantly clear this past Friday in an Op-Ed that appeared Friday, December 13, 2009 in The Wall Street Journal by Andrew Heinze, a registered Democrat from New York. Following are a few words from that article:
“I’m a registered Democrat living in New York City, and I buy my own health insurance. But now, having seen the health-care reform bill that passed the House, I’m preparing for life without health insurance. And unless I’m the only person covered under the Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield “Tradition Plus” plan, a lot of other people will end up just like me, uninsured.
I will gain one thing, though—an annual fine for losing my insurance. The exact amount of that fine isn’t clear yet, but so far it looks like I’ll be paying about the same amount—$2,000 a year—for having no insurance as I do now for having it.”
Mr. Heinze goes on to describe the fact that, today, his minimum cost for a comprehensive major medical plan is $13,000 per year. His cost on a plan that just covers hospital stays is $2,000 per year. Therefore, he chose the less expensive option. He correctly points out that the $11,000 difference would pay for A LOT of doctor visits should that become necessary. Today Mr. Heinze has a CHOICE between these two alternatives. Under the provisions of the healthcare bill passed in The House of Representatives on Saturday, November 7, that CHOICE will NO LONGER EXIST!!!
The irony here is ultra liberal Democrats want to ensure “choice” for abortion in a bill that, in every other respect, takes away freedom of choice from individuals and transfers that choice to the federal government.
Healthcare reform is something that needs to be done correctly. Another irony is the fact that President Obama wants us to rush into this very important decision while, at the same time, the General that The President personally chose to run the war in Afganistan has asked for more troops MONTHS AGO, but when it comes to that decision it’s quite a different story. No rush there according to Obama! The White House says they need to take the time to get it RIGHT! Go figure!!!
Given the fact that a recent poll indicates the vast majority of Americans believe that JOBS should be the number 1 priorty for the administration in Washington while only 17% believe that to be the case on the subject of healthcare reform, it appears to me that President Obama has his priorities, shall we say, BASS ACKWARDS!!!
For the record, I am also a REGISTERED DEMOCRAT!
Posted by: BorisB | November 17, 2009, 9:24 am 9:24 am
“two of the most popular provisions — the public option and an employer mandate”
Who besides liberal democrats are these provisions popular with? The reform being proposed will raise the rates for just about everyone with insurance especially those in states where insurance companies are able to offer policies based on risk just like auto insurance, homeowners, etc. With the reform the lowest costing plan will be $500 a month for a single and $1600 for a family. In most states you can get insurance for half those costs.
Also instead of fixing the frivolous lawsuit problem this bill enhances it as a reward to lawyers who always contribute to democrats.
$500 billion in cuts to Medicare which will force a cut in benefits. And after this reform Medicare will still go broke.
State and local taxes will go up dramatically as states already can’t afford Medicaid never mind increasing those on that taxpayer plan.
And did I mention the accounting gimmicks they are using to claim these bills won’t add to the deficit. 10 years of revenues to pay for 6 years of benefits! $250 billion doctor payments that they are putting into another bill so they can claim this bill doesn’t add to the deficit.
All because they think Americans are stupid. That why the stimulus job numbers are lies because they think Americans don’t pay attention to the truth and believe whatever they say.
Posted by: ProudToBeAmerican | November 17, 2009, 9:45 am 9:45 am
For a family of four my cost for health insurance 19,000 dollars a year with 600 deductible. I pay one third of this and my company pays the other 2/3. I also have copay with every doctor visit. This cost is outrageous!We should have a right to affordable health care. I want the public option inorder to compete with the private insurance.
Posted by: hybridhealthcare | November 17, 2009, 9:48 am 9:48 am
The Socialist agenda is using all of the tactics that were used by the soviet socialist goverments of the past. The “women’s organizations” listed above do not, I believe, represent the interests of women at all. It is akin to AARP supporting health care reform because they will be able to sell more gap insurance after Medicare gets cut to the bone.
Yesterday the perfect example of why EVERYONE should be fighting against a single payer system was announced by the “Government Taskforce”. They announced that “women should not get screening mammograms before age 50 and should only get mammograms every other year after age 50″. This was also touted by a government taskforce in the late 1990′s under the Clinton Administration at that time. The reality is that the recommendation is in exact opposition to what should be done.
EVERY WOMEN SHOULD GET MAMMOGRAPHY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS STARTING AT AGE 40.
The scientific information has shown that overwhelmingly that the American model for screening for breast cancer has been very successful at catching breast cancer early enough that we can often cure it. The Canadian and Swedish studies touted by those opposed to mammography and breast cancer screening from the 1990s was shown to be less effective because of the way those studies were performed and becausethey were screening women for breast cancer at 2 to 3 year intervals. This resulted in many breast cancers being too far advnaced before they were detected. This resulted in poorer outcomes. There were also problems with patient selection that resulted from the way the studies were set up.
NOW, we are being asked to support a system where a SINGLE PAYER would be able to force on the public the policies that would undermind the healthcare industry’s ability to detect and treat breast cancer in women when we can still make a difference.
Please call your Congressmen and Senators and tell them to kill the Health care bill. There may be some benefits by minimal interventional approaches on healthcare, but as a rule healthcare should not be interfered with. Please let us do what we do best.
Posted by: DoctorT | November 17, 2009, 9:53 am 9:53 am
Why do you leave us hanging George? You wrote that the most popular parts of the bill (public option) might be dropped…can you dig a little deeper and explain that?
Is it because most Senators feel they owe more to their financial backers, the health insurance industry, than they owe us the voters? That seems to be the only logical explanation but it is not pointed out enough or in depth by the media. Please George, call the Senators out on this.
Publish how much money the health insurance industry has showered on them and ask the Senators to return every penny if they are going to vote on this bill. Their votes are tainted if they do not give the money back.
Posted by: Fred | November 17, 2009, 10:02 am 10:02 am
CHOICE NOW!!!!!!!! PUBLIC OPTION…THE REPUBLICANS ARE BLOCKING IT JUST AS THEY DID IN 1934 AND 1964 THEY SAID “NO” TO SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TO RETIRED WORKERS IN THIS COUNTRY…..”NO” TO MEDICARE BENEFITS AND NOW DO YOU REALLLLLLLY THINK THESE PEOPLE ARE HONEST AND SINCERE…DEMS WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING!!!!!
Posted by: sara | November 17, 2009, 10:09 am 10:09 am
How can they even think about taking credit for something so obviously inadequate?
Wow…..talk about tooting your own horn over nothing….but then that’s always been the way of the Dems. Waste and spend, and brag about it.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | November 17, 2009, 10:19 am 10:19 am
The major problem is that the bill passed by the House is really just insurance “reform”, and does nothing to reform the health care system itself or change the structural incentives that promote runaway costs.
Posted by: Tyrone | November 17, 2009, 10:29 am 10:29 am
jhw539, out competed by whom, a gov that has no problems paying $700 for a toilet seat or a gov that owes the Social Security trust fund Billions, or the gov that underwrote over a trillion in bad debt through Fannie and Freddie. The only people that think gov healthcare is good are those with nothing to lose and could care less if others are brought down to their level. If gov can compete with private companies, why do they mandate what privates can do. It’s like gov buying and NFL team and telling the other owners what plays to run, what players to draft and what they can pay their players. Is that what competition means to you. I feel bad that you ended up with the short end of the stick, but I don’t see why you want everyone else on the short end with you.
Posted by: bob | November 17, 2009, 10:34 am 10:34 am
Wait a minute…I thought there was an ABC Poll no too long ago that said viewers were FOR the public option? Im skeptical of these MSM polls.
Posted by: Shawn | November 17, 2009, 10:43 am 10:43 am
George forgets to mention that last weekend, another government organization, i.e. the Center for Medicare and Medicad service has predicted the over 500 billion dollar cut in Medicare spending would severely hurt the access and quality of Medicare service in the future. This news was reported worldwide and have already shock up the senior community .
Posted by: austin | November 17, 2009, 11:20 am 11:20 am
“If you like your insurance you can keep it”…….My employer pays 2/3 of my insurance and I pick up the rest, with a co-pay. Why would my employer pay that much a month when he could just bump me off for a $400.00 fine and leave me with this Chickens–t socialized crappy insurance. I’m for sure voting all these jerks out come the time!!!! BHO knows this is going to happen. Sure I can keep my insurance–NOT.
Posted by: Carol in Alabama | November 17, 2009, 11:52 am 11:52 am
PUBLIC OPTION…THE REPUBLICANS ARE BLOCKING IT – Posted by: sara | Nov 17, 2009 10:09:56 AM
******
The Republicans can’t block anything all by themselves dear.
Even by ABC’s polls, more people oppose government run healthcare than support it.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 17, 2009, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
Posted by jhw539:
“Not that private insurance would be legislated out of existence, but competed out. ”
Actually I would argue, like insurance coverage for seniors, a public option would just push the private healthcare market into supplemental policies that cover the holes in coverage that said public option would leave in the consumers coverage.
There might be a market for the cadillac policies still but they will be inordinatly expensive, if the surcharge provision survives. We would end up with the upper-middle class and above and union workers with high-value, high-priced, private group medical plans, then we would have the bulk of the population stuffed into the public option with between 40-50%(based on the current percent of seniors who have a a medi-gap or med-sup policy to supplement medicare) of the policy holders also buying a supplement, or more than one, to cover aspects of medical care that the public option will miss.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | November 17, 2009, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Its about time that the majority (which happen to be those who haven’t sold out) stick to doing what will help everyone in the long term: pass Health Reform with a Public Option.
By now, ALL OTHER wealthy nations have Public Health Care and it saves each one enormous sums – not only economically, but also in lives. Their populations will never let it be taken away – no not even by the cunning dances of the naked Emperor-CEOs.
Posted by: JerrySumpter | November 17, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
They are going to share it with the Democratic Caucus today and tomorrow. When are they going to let the Republicans see it? Is this Bi-partisan? In the bill that went to the CBO, do we begin paying NOW for something that won’t begin until 2013 to 2014 so it looks deficit neutral? If the President can take his time and “get it right” on Afganistan, why can’t the Senate take their time, put it on the back burner, and address the #1 problem in our country right now, UNEMPLOYMENT?
Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 17, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
jhw539 – You said “A good public option would be so much better than private insurance that private insurance would be killed. At least, that’s the argument Republicans are using in favor of the status quo. Not that private insurance would be legislated out of existence, but competed out.”
The only “TRUE” public option would be one where 100% of the cost (including administrative costs) would be paid for through the premiums collected. No tax money put into the option just the premiums collected. The government CANNOT continue to borrow money to balance the budget. Do you know what the Chinese are quizzing Dear Leader Chairman Maobama on while he is in China? They want to know how he is going to pay for healthcare reform without having to borrow money or print money to pay for it. It’s a fair question as they have so much invested in our country.
Posted by: Sandcrab 1613 | November 17, 2009, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm
Now they have decided that women 40-49 do not need mamograms.that means the 15% of those women will not find out they have breast cancer,and will die. Watch out the Rationing has already begun.
Posted by: strikerF | November 17, 2009, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
The economy will never improve and the deficit will continue to balloon as long as President Obama is hell bent on ramming trough another big spending government health care program. It just defies common to do this when Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Amtrack that are all on the verge of bankruptcy. So why is President Obama so hell bent on spending Trillions of more tax payer dollars on Health Care when it will clearly send the US down a spending death spiral? Answer: Could it be to pay off SEIU president Andy Stern who admitted he holds weekly meetings at the White House and, according to the guest list, several with the president himself. That makes Andy Stern one of the most important in Washington having spent over $60 million to elect Obama. Just think about it. If ObamaCare passes and all health care workers become government union workers, they will get 12 days sick time a year, 12 days of *HOLIDAY time a year and a month long vacation which add up to two months off a year. That is what is provided to the typical government worker. Since they do not have to work hard for their money , they just have to belong to a strong arm government union to get their share of the take others people hard earned money, they could care less about doing a good job as there are no consequences for doing a bad job. If you don’t believe me look up what happened at the Union run Martin Luther King Hospital in LA. Patients died because of all the incompetence and things got so bad the Hospital had to be shut down because no matter what was tried to resolve the problems, nothing worked. So when all the Union workers goes on vacation and there is no one around to take care of the sick and dying, and no matter how bad the care gets, there will be nothing that can be done to fix the problems. The people will have no choice but give in to the demands of the Union workers as they will have the entire US Health Care System by the throat turning everyone into slaves of a bunch of union thugs. Harry Reid and any other Senator who votes for this bill is a traitor to the American people and a lackey of the SEIU thugs.
Posted by: james | November 17, 2009, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
The Hispanic Perspective:
I don’t really understand this debate. Health care can’t get any more expensive or any worse with the reform. The insurance companies keep something like 64¢ for every dollar collected.
The health care legislation debate has nothing to do with providing better health coverage or reducing the cost of Medicare in any way. It is about greed. If the insurance companies reinvested in the health of America, instead of lobbying against health care legislation, the cost of coverage for all of us could be cut dramatically.
Ever wonder why so many politicians are against a reform that attempts to provide better service for less cost? Can you say lobbying? If the AMA has pledged to support for Congressional reform proposals, and the majority of physicians in this country support health care legislation, why is the general pubic up in arms? HMMM… agenda?
Like the banks, the insurance companies are just squeezing every cent out of our pockets. For easy to understand information on Medicare visit
Posted by: Fausto Gortaire | November 17, 2009, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
The same government board that has determined that women under 50 do not need Mammograms, even though they it admit they same live, is the one that is embedded in the House and Senate Health Care Bills who will have the power to determine what procedures are “cost effective”. This is just plain wrong. The government should not be in charge of life and death decisions. The argument that private insurance companies do the same thing is not valid. In the private world, you have a choice and can go elsewhere or appeal the decision if you don’t like it. In a government run system, good luck calling that bureaucrat in DC and getting anywhere. We will all be screwed if government takes over health care. Call all your Senators and tell them now NO TO GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE!!!!!
Posted by: WOMAN UNDER 50 | November 17, 2009, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
Well it is hard to analyze not having seen it. Let’s see if it has our children sacrificing for their parents like the house bill as it doesn’t address costs whatsoever. That was just shameful.
Posted by: jonny | November 17, 2009, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
Lets see: Women under 50, Seniors over 65, Young folks, Small businesses, the Middle Class, and the economy will all be screwed if Obama/Pelosi/Reid get their Health Care Reform Bill passed. Women under 50 will be denied life saving mammograms. Senior over 65 will have their Medicare cut by 500 billion which will result in devastating cuts to services. Young folks will be forced to buy health insurance they can’t afford at twice the cost it would be prior to government run Health Care Reform. Small businesses will be forced to pay for health care insurance they can’t afford which will mean more layoffs. The Middle Class Health Care Insurance Premiums will all go up. The US economy will collapse as taxes and deficit spending skyrockets as all the big government spending programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and on top of that the biggest spending program of all, government run health care, go bankrupt.
Posted by: gary | November 17, 2009, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
Well, the witching hour is coming soon, isn’t it. We shall see if the Senate believes in taxation WITHOUT representation. If they do, the bill will pass, and many of those who voted for it will join the rest of us on the unemployment line. If they vote against it, they have a chance to focus on what really counts; the economy. In my view, failure to vote against it in anywhere close to it’s current form is a career ender next Fall. Your choice.
Posted by: dbc | November 17, 2009, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
Thanks to Republicans Party. America will never have any reforms for its people. Now we can clearly understand why we can not reform health care for more than 60 years! Do not dream for any more reform if you still have Republicans in Congress.
Posted by: sad | November 17, 2009, 6:23 pm 6:23 pm
James – You said “they will get 12 days sick time a year, 12 days of *HOLIDAY time a year and a month long vacation which add up to two months off a year. That is what is provided to the typical government worker.”
Don’t know what your reference is but it is FUBAR. The federal government has 10 holidays in 2010 (New Year’s Day, MLK Birthday, Washington Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). All federal employees earn sick leave at the rate of four hours per pay period (104 hours per year). The employee does not have to use the sick leave as he earns it but may bank it throughout his entire career until he retires. Upon retirement the unused sick leave is credited at a reduced rate to his time of employment in calculating his retirement pay. Federal employees who have less than four years of service earn four hours of vacation per pay period (104 hours per year), employees with more than three years of service and less than fifteen years of service vacation is earned at a rate of six hours per pay period (156 hours per year), and employees with more than fifteen years of service earn eight hours per pay period (208 hours per year). The employee can bank his vacation time with the requirement that at the end of the year his balance must be 240 hours or less or he will forfeit the excess. Upon retirement any unused vacation hours are paid to the employee.
Posted by: Sandcrab 1613 | November 17, 2009, 7:05 pm 7:05 pm
The public option will have higher premiums than private plans, according to the CBO.
Since that means most people who can’t afford insurance now won’t be able to afford it then, Democrats have a solution: a five year prison sentence if you don’t buy insurance.
If you’re in jail, they cover your medical. Problem solved.
Posted by: Joe White | November 18, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
sara | Nov 17, 2009 10:09:56 AM
Who is going to pay for all this? China is getting a little grumpy.
Posted by: TucsonWilly | November 18, 2009, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
I’m a lifelong Democrat, voted proudly for Obama, wanted healthcare reform to do something about runaway hospital and insurance costs.
What did I get? Runaway national debt, a president who wants to make it a crime for people who can’t afford absurdly high insurance premiums.
I agree – Democrats you’re very fast earning a one way ticket out of Washington.
Posted by: Northern Colorado | November 21, 2009, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm