Ho, Ho, Ho, Health Reform?
EmailAfter a brief huddle outside the Senate chamber this afternoon, Democrats resolved to stay in session — even, possibly, on Christmas – to get a health reform vote. My colleague Z. Byron Wolf has more: It is day three of the health reform debate in the Senate and there has not yet been a vote on a single amendment. Democrats, with their eye on a pledge to pass a reform bill through the Senate this year, are getting antsy. They broke the debate for an hour to plot strategy behind closed doors and emerged threatening to use parliamentary tactics to dismiss Republican amendments if the delay continues and pledging stay in session on Christmas Day if needed to pass a health reform bill through the Senate. Both sides offered their first amendments Monday. Democrats wanted to create a baseline of preventive services for all women receiving insurance. Republicans wanted to cut nearly half a trillion in cuts to future Medicare costs that Democrats envision as paying for the bill. The Republican proposal would effectively kill the health reform bill by stripping one of its major funding sources. But there has been no agreement to vote on either amendment yet. Republicans say they just want more time to discuss their amendment, which was offered by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “I might say that we — we want to vote on the McCain amendment. we certainly have no desire to delay that vote. but do have a number of people who want to speak to it,” said Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, Tuesday night. Republican leaders said Wednesday they would not be rushed. “The people expect to have a right to weigh in. The Senate is a place where we have generally unlimited debate, generally unlimited amendments, so we’re just getting started on this,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., although he said he was not aware of the specific Republican objections that have delayed the first votes. Democrats say the Republicans are just being dilatory. “How can you have an honest debate about a bill of this seriousness and magnitude if you can't bring a measure to a vote on the floor?” asked Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate’s number two Democrat, in a speech on the floor. “We've talked about (the McCain amendment). We know what's in it. We should vote on it,” Durbin said, arguing, “But the Republicans don't want to vote on it. They want to drag this out in the hopes that our desire to go home for Christmas means we'll walk away from health care reform. well, if a few of the Republican senators could have just left the Democratic caucus, they would know better. we are determined to bring this bill to a vote. We are determined to bring real health care reform to this country. we know what's at stake.” By the numbers, a Christmas health reform showdown is looking more likely. Republicans have argued that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., spent a month and four days crafting the bill behind closed doors in his office, with help from other Democrats in the Senate and at the White House. Staffers argue that the bill should be on the Senate floor at least that long. By that logic, a month and four days from the vote that put the bill on the floor November 21th would indeed be December 25th. That said, lawmakers show a remarkable ability to get things done as holidays approach.
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Please. The concept of the Senate working on Christmas, is hilarious. They rarely work at all, given their productivity.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 2, 2009, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
Has anyone considered the comments of former NY state official McCaughey? She points out that even the CBO has put forth the option of increasing the age for Medicare eligibility by 1 month per year — this would make Medicare solvent for decades to come.
Another point: the concern for a public option is that it dooms private insurers, and that the death knell for private insurers would mean erosion of quality for all. Keep in mind that Medicare is a quality program because its paltry reimbursement is subsidized by private insurer’s rates paid for medical services.
Furthermore, the fact is that the standard of care is set by private insurers, and Medicare is thus pressured to match it. Without private insurers, the standard of care would plummet.
As a solution, why not simply prohibit employers of a certain magnitude, e.g. 125 employees, from utilizing a public option?
Another point: why can’t medical spending increase? This is a natural result of advances in medicine. If we can spend billions on defense, why not on health care, including insuring the uninsured.
Posted by: Steve | December 2, 2009, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
Yesterday a coalition of 19 surgical organizations representing over 240,000 doctors nationwide sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), with copies to the entire U.S. Senate, explaining why they must oppose the Senate’s version of Obamacare.
Posted by: deanbob | December 2, 2009, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
THERE IS MUST BALANCE HEALTH CAR PLAN.
Posted by: helmyelsaid | December 2, 2009, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
Sounds like threats and bullying tactics to me. This is too important to be pushed through with rough playground tactics. Who is going to grow up first. Did I miss the senate hearings from experts in the medical field, or does healthcare reform really have nothing to do with health care for the public.
Posted by: onevotefromwi | December 2, 2009, 3:46 pm 3:46 pm
We need to go single payer. Anything else is a waste of time. Just need to throw about 4 more republican senators and 1 republicrat out of office to do it. Then we go single payer medicare for all in 2011. Time to end wasting 1 of every 3 dollars spent on health care to line a HMO ceo pocket.
Posted by: rightbehind | December 2, 2009, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
Good thing this bill hasnt passed or obamma’s aunt may not be with us any longer. Quite a story in AP about how she says bush is her number #1 man for taking care of her in her time of need not her nephew obama. George, maybe you can put that story here.
Posted by: patty | December 2, 2009, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
They will sneek it in on a voice vote at midnight during the holiday, just like they did with the Patriot Act. How can anybody be surprised anymore?
Posted by: jafo | December 2, 2009, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
Why can’t the GOP and DEM work together on this healthcare reform? America’s healthcare is screwed up to no ends. It would get fixed if these bozos were on the same plan we have. Social security would get fixed as well!
Stop pointing the finger and work together or get the hell out of office.
Posted by: keb | December 2, 2009, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
the concern for a public option is that it dooms private insurers, and that the death knell for private insurers would mean erosion of quality for all. Keep in mind that Medicare is a quality program because its paltry reimbursement is subsidized by private insurer’s rates paid for medical services.
Steve | Dec 2, 2009 3:35:10 PM
You are contradicting yourself. IF the public option’s ‘paltry reimbursement’ was inadequate to maintain the standard of care then… how is public insurance doomed exactly? You claim it is surviving just find against Medicare, the socialized insurance program with higher satisfaction ratings versus private insurers.
Posted by: jhw539 | December 2, 2009, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
The clowns in Congress will work on Christmas as soon as they vote themselves a raise for doing so.
Corruption at its highest form.
Posted by: enough already | December 2, 2009, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
If you read carefully, not blinded by a partisan mindset, you will see that there is no contradiction. Medicare is a quality program because private insurers subsidize Medicare, thus allowing Medicare to shortchange doctors and hospitals.
Also, the private insurers maintain the high standard of care. If they are too strict on what constitutes “medical necessity” they will be sued. And Medicare follows suit because to do much less would invite repercussions by the huge senior population when they scream that the standard of care under Medicare is different from that for private insurers. The seniors’ votes can sway the politicians.
Posted by: Steve | December 2, 2009, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
When they passed the corporate bailouts the Republicans had no problem with it, but when they are trying to help the average American with healthcare the Republicans slam on the brakes and cry, “Slow down! You are going too fast!”
Posted by: Mark from atlanta | December 2, 2009, 6:07 pm 6:07 pm
A WSJ poll has approval of senate version of Obamacare at a whopping 8.2% with only 91.8% disapproval!
Maybe the senate should take a Christmas vacation!
Posted by: Ed Taylor | December 2, 2009, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
Like most controversial topics in US politics, there are two diametrically opposed viewpoints– the best choice by whichever party holding the White House, and the lousy choice offered by the lunatics who side with terrorists and baby killers. The truth is, the United States government knows nothing about how to run medical care. Pay a visit to any VA hospital for proof– there’s your government healthcare.
Posted by: h5mind | December 2, 2009, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm
What do we need is not a “single player” but multiple prayers that the nonsense bill under Congress consideration would never make it to law!
Posted by: H1N1hysteria | December 2, 2009, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
They’ll be working on X-Mas, ya right!!! The only person who will be working X-Mas day is me….and of course the feds will crush my OT with taxes….go figure!!
Posted by: dk | December 3, 2009, 1:21 am 1:21 am
What are they whinning about, the Democrats have a najority,just afraid to run with the ball and face the consequences? Where is the story about the Falsification of weather data on climate change? Is ABC going to let Fox News Scoop them again as they did with ACORN???
Posted by: lightningF | December 3, 2009, 8:19 am 8:19 am
Boy if the dems cannot see the light that the majority do not want this type of health care reform then next election will be a surprise for them. It will be a long time before they are given the control again. We are campaining against those who vote for this. They are gone.
Posted by: Jim Rod | December 3, 2009, 9:23 am 9:23 am
There’s been entirely too much money and time wasted on something that the people don’t want.
Get onto jobs, and accomplish something.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 3, 2009, 10:46 am 10:46 am
The Democrats are not wanting to pass this in 2009 because they are so worried about us poor American citizens.
They want to get passed and out of the minds of fickle voters before the 2010 elections.
That way they can tell us how wonderful it is when nothing has been done. None of these bills implement anything (but increased taxes) until 2013…after the next Presidential election.
The Republicans on the other hand want to delay it as long as possible for a vote so the bickering will be fresh in the minds of the voters. They can claim that the Obama Administration is “all talk and no action” or some other such nonsense.
The Republicans aren’t concerned about delaying actual implementation because they know it will probably go off on schedule regardless of when the final vote is done.
Republican and Democrats in Congress are being just want they are…politicians!
Have any of you ever gone to the web site for the Library of Congress? You can see exactly what our wonderful congressional reps are up to. I once counte 117 separate bills..each one addressing the same issue with the only change being the specific drug and or medical device.
Our nation is fighting 2 wars and trying to recover from not only financial crisis here but world wide.
And they waste time making pretty speeches to each and accomplish NOTHING!
Posted by: malcat | December 3, 2009, 10:49 am 10:49 am
Conservative Democrats (yes there are some) are desperately trying to pull their party back from the cliff’s edge.
The CBO has analyzed the ‘public option’ (you know, the government plan that is supposed to offer strong competition to private insurors and push prices down?) and determined that the premiums for the public option will likely be the same or HIGHER than that of private insurance.
Boy, when the Democrats set out to ‘help the poor’ then you know you’re gonna see a masterful con job.
oh did I mention that if you fail to enroll in the newly offered ‘public plan’ or in a comparably priced private plan that the Democrats have included huge fines and threats of prison?
Now THAT’s helping the poor, cause once you’re in jail your medical is covered.
Posted by: Joe White | December 3, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
jhw539 –”You are contradicting yourself. IF the public option’s ‘paltry reimbursement’ was inadequate to maintain the standard of care then… how is public insurance doomed exactly”—-
There is no contradiction in the statement. The very reason that Medicare is a viable form of healthcare is that recipients have the ability to purchase copays (Suplimentals) that will cover the deductibles of the standard medicare payment – these are underwritten in part by the government. More doctors will accept medicare since there is a copay that increases the amount of reimbursement they will recieve. The current bill will strip these benefits (these are what constitutes the “waste” in medicare). The result will be either a watered down version of care or recipients will have to cover their own copays.. since most are on fixed incomes, the later is doubtful. the result of which will be that medicare will “slide down” to the level of the public plan – as it does, more and more doctors will drop medicare coverage, and since it will be a non profit that directly challenges the for profit private firms, they will erode as well. The result is that over time we will get a bloated over-used public system that will have to continually reduce benefits to survive.. (i.e.. rationing).
Posted by: arkie vet | December 3, 2009, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND TELL THEM THAT FOR CHANGE WE CAN REALLY BELIVE IN TO SUPPORT PROPOSED SENATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT COE09E33. You can Google COE09E33 to read the simple TWO page bill which is written in simple to understand plain English.
Posted by: Sandcrab1612 | December 3, 2009, 6:32 pm 6:32 pm
Considering the uproar over USPSTF mammogram recommendations what might happen with CER Panel recommendations or even hints during end-of-life counseling!
CER panels, by the way, were funded in the dark behind closed doors as part of the stimulus package. Somehow the mainstream media failed to point that one ou. Were they funded under the stimulus to keep them from showing up in Obamacare? Something sneaky is going on!
Seniors just wait until your QALY numbers are assigned.
Posted by: Ed Taylor | December 3, 2009, 7:23 pm 7:23 pm
Republicans want to cut half a trillion on cuts to Medicare? What?
That is the Same group of Republicans who during Bush signed more money for Medicare ‘WithOut Paying For It.’
Remember?
who ever said, “Republicans are better at financial responsibility”
Must also believe in the ‘Tooth Fairy’
Posted by: Angie | December 4, 2009, 9:26 am 9:26 am