Howard Dean: ‘Kill the Senate Bill’
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: For all the renewed optimism around health care’s prospects emanating from the White House, a reality check this afternoon courtesy of Howard Dean. Dean, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and medical doctor, said in an interview set to air this afternoon on Vermont Public Radio that the removal of the Medicare buy-in means the Senate health care bill is no longer worth supporting, according to Greg Sargent of The Plum Line blog. “This is essentially the collapse of health care reform in the United States Senate,” Dean said, per Sargent. “Honestly the best thing to do right now is kill the Senate bill, go back to the House, start the reconciliation process, where you only need 51 votes and it would be a much simpler bill.” Listen to Dean's comments HERE, courtesy of Vermont Public Radio.
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finally i agree with howard dean…kill the bill.
Posted by: catman | December 15, 2009, 4:52 pm 4:52 pm
The whole bunch should be ashamed of themselves they have had months to get this done. It has gotten out of hand because it served thier needs to get out of hand. It takes the spotlight off of what is really happening THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE WINNING!
Posted by: Bonnie Kimberly | December 15, 2009, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
Insurance companies are winning? Stupid
Posted by: Jon | December 15, 2009, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
I agree with Howard – kill the bill, I think there are so many other solutions that cost the taxpayers next to nothing that can help the health care issue, I would rather not resort to large collective central health care planning.
Posted by: Brian Defferding | December 15, 2009, 5:50 pm 5:50 pm
I agree, I was asked to retire when 60 and found it very hard to get insurance because of cost, what I finally got was something through AARP called a supplement and offered by different insurers for people between 55-65. I was covered but not in all the ways I was used to and thank god never really sick — Medicare should be offered to those 55 and older and I hope since they have stripped the public option and lower medicare rate they have also stripped any mandates — Barack I have stayed with you until now — let Lieberman go he isn’t worth it as we in Connecticut know. And Hadassah being in with big Pharma — old Teddy must be turning in his grave!!!
Posted by: paulet | December 15, 2009, 7:15 pm 7:15 pm
Agree with Howard Dean… KILL THIS BILL if something like a Medicare Buy-In, or a Buy-In to the Federal Employee Health Benefit program is not included.
NOTHING else in this bill will put enough competition against insurance corporations to drive down cost.
Kill the Bill and… just as “Judas” betrayed Jesus… all should remember that “Judas Joe” betrayed the American people. (That’s your new nickname Joe Lieberman)
Posted by: DaveVirginia | December 15, 2009, 8:55 pm 8:55 pm
I just love how most of you people have never even seen a real hospital bill before.
Posted by: deficitsgalore | December 15, 2009, 10:25 pm 10:25 pm
I agree. Its time to say good-bye and start from scratch. (And yes, I have seen a hospital bill before)
Posted by: lovebugs | December 15, 2009, 11:03 pm 11:03 pm
Add a strong public option and the medicare for 50 and older. Then force the republicans out o their constituents can see who they are! Force a filibuster!
Posted by: rightbehind | December 15, 2009, 11:37 pm 11:37 pm
I agree and support a smaller smarter bill
Thank u Dean
Posted by: izzy | December 15, 2009, 11:57 pm 11:57 pm
Insurance companies are winning? Stupid
Posted by: Jon | Dec 15, 2009 5:48:15 PM
_______________________________________
Yeah! What is it that you don’t understand? The more sick people, the more money they make. Then the survival of the fittest come into play. The poorer you are, the quickest you die. The richer you are the better health care you get. All poor people dead, only the rich survive. Therefore middle class is simply history. The insurance companies get richer with The few poor people left, will take any jobs offered by the wealthy just enough to “hang on” and live from the “trickle economy” of the rich. I call that bread crumms. Bravo America!
Posted by: garcia | December 16, 2009, 1:27 am 1:27 am
How can any one want Obama’s and the Democrat’s health care bill? If the bill is to benefit citizens why are the democrat’s using mob tactics and bribes and threats against other democrat’s who feel the bill is not good for America. How can any citizen trust the democrat’s when this bill is loaded with bribes and threats and pay offs. How can this bill be addressing citizens needs with all this corruption attached to it. Dean is right kill the bill totally. 65% of citizens don’t want this corrupt health care bill. This is gangster politics. American’s citizens are being fleeced by these democrat’s crooks in Washington.
Posted by: John Demeter | December 16, 2009, 1:36 am 1:36 am
You cannot force people to get health insurance. If i dont want to pay insurance premiums i have the choice not to aquire possessions that require mandated insurance. I CANT NOT AQUIRE MY LIFE. ITS A POSSESSION I CANNOT PART WITH. That being said, the logical choice would be to volutarily aquire healthcare. But MY LIFE is MINE alone and its MY CHOICE to make.
Posted by: HA! | December 16, 2009, 3:50 am 3:50 am
Re introducing the bill for reconciliation is what Dean is talking about. 51 votes will get the public option in that case. The gop will also freak the hell out
Posted by: bob | December 16, 2009, 5:34 am 5:34 am
Thank god for Joe and the Repubs!!! This is the worst bill of all time. Drives up cost of insurance, drives up taxes, takes money out of a dying Medicare and still doesn’t cover 23 million people. Americans, like myself, pay more taxes for 4 years, before any benefits even start. I work and pay y own way, so I would see nothing except for higher healthcare costs. For who? For what?
If the Dums were really serious about reforming health care it would have been very easy. Insurance across state lines…FREE. Tort reform…Dums couldn’t upset their trial lawyer buds. Buying meds for other countries…Dums couldn’t upset big Pharma cash cow. Health savings account. And tax credits for the poor. Add in the provisions on health insurers to not allow someone to be declined and make insurance portable. Wa La!!!! A good, inexpensive bill. Of course it doesn’t lead to big government and a push towards socialism, but atleast some of the Dums might have got to stay in Nov. 2010.
Instead MAKE HISTORY!!! WORST BILL EVER. Congrats.
Posted by: Tony T | December 16, 2009, 5:39 am 5:39 am
deficitsgalore said “I just love how most of you people have never even seen a real hospital bill before”….Yes, I have, and I don’t want to be picking up everyone elses. Where do you think the money is coming from? The taxpayers. Plus, in addition to the health care costs, you’ll have to tack on the government’s administrative costs, which can be nearly as much as the benefits.
Posted by: Linda | December 16, 2009, 6:27 am 6:27 am
For once I agree with Mr.(Yehawww)Dean, KILL THIS BILL!
This bill does nothing to help Americans and the democrats only want to pass SOMETHING to save the presidents ratings.
This bill FORCES people to get health insurance and those that can’t afford it, get a government subsidy. So how is this different than the other options that have been thrown out? It still will become a government entitlement program. IDIOTS ALL OF THEM.
Posted by: indymind | December 16, 2009, 6:42 am 6:42 am
There are two schools right now. Those that are greedy and selfish and don’t care about other Americans. THose people want the bill dead for the wrong reasons.
This current form of the bill does nothing to help those in need.
I see people come into my clinic everyday that lost their job and are now on the verge of bankruptcy due to a child’s hospitalization.
This is despicable.
Posted by: Tylerkad | December 16, 2009, 7:01 am 7:01 am
My best friend and I from elementary school both delivered papers at 13, went to work in a grocery store at 16, got similar jobs at 22 after attending the same college. We bought similar homes within a block of each other, both had two kids, and proceeded to work our butts off and save for 27 years. I was able to retire at 52 and he and his family are now living in my basement. Why? His wife got cancer and his insurance company dropped him. His wife died and he had to declare bankruptcy. Both of us did what what we were supposed to do. He was just unlucky.
This is what the conservatives want to do, support the insurance companies and destroy the unlucky among us. For them, I wish the worst of luck and disaster in their lives. Perhaps then they will finally understand that effort and luck are entirely different things. May conservatives all have the worst of bad luck.
Posted by: Rob | December 16, 2009, 7:14 am 7:14 am
Howard is correct to pass a bill,just to say you passed a bill is stupid.Why would anyone want to pass a half a$$ed health care bill? why not do it right and start over with real competition and Tort reform? After all it does not take effect for(4) years.
Posted by: stormerF2 | December 16, 2009, 7:19 am 7:19 am
Obviously Lieberman’s main constituent is the Harford based healthcare insurance companies. Not the 495,000 Conneticut residents who do not have healthcare, not the 47 million Americans who also don’t have healthcare insurance, and certainly not the remaining 275 million Americans who are currently at the mercy of their healthcare insurers. I have a message to residents of Conneticut….What where you thinking when you re-elected this guy?
Posted by: A.Lincoln | December 16, 2009, 8:04 am 8:04 am
I don’t understand why all this health care mess is not on the balot and let the people decide,could that it is such a mess that the clowns in DC can not explain it in a way that the people could understand?
Posted by: john houghton | December 16, 2009, 8:35 am 8:35 am
I agree with Dean too. I’ve been unemployed for 6 months; with no healthcare insurance, but I’ve found that when I need medical care, I can go to the hospital for treatment and not have to pay the bill. The hospitals can write those costs off and they’re in a better position to do that than I am to pay. The government gives them big deductions for bad debts. If they pass this bill, people like me will be forced to get insurance that they can’t afford.
Posted by: PurplePeopleEater | December 16, 2009, 8:47 am 8:47 am
Oh yeah…trust me, INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE WINNING. Whats so stupid…I work for one. HULLO?
Posted by: Cara Dee | December 16, 2009, 10:11 am 10:11 am
The poor are dying not because they don’t have insurance but because their diets are bad. Instead of changing their lifestyles they like to pop pills.
Skip the fries, get off the couch and you’ll live.
Posted by: Kristina | December 16, 2009, 10:45 am 10:45 am
Bonnie Kimberly wrote: “The whole bunch should be ashamed of themselves they have had months to get this done. It has gotten out of hand because it served thier needs to get out of hand. It takes the spotlight off of what is really happening THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE WINNING!”
Exactly. And if it’s possible to dig up my comments from a few months ago, you’ll see that this is exactly what I predicted, except I thought they might keep the “public option” alive solely for the purpose of dumping the most expensive cases into it – and saving the insurance companies more money.
Note that the reason this takes so long is that some Senators want to be able to say they voted for things like public option, non-denial of insurance, and be able to say the voted against the same things, depending on the mood during election season next year.
Posted by: The_Mick | December 16, 2009, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
And yet the latest Spam Email from the White House has this for a headline “A Dream for Insurance Companies? Must Be News To Them”. It talks about how this legislation is the best thing since sliced bread.
Boy them Democrats sure know how to band together, don’t they?
lololol!!!
Ha Ha Ha Ha haaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Mark | December 16, 2009, 2:59 pm 2:59 pm
People. get a grip.
The primary reason for the high cost of Health Insurance is not because of Insurance companies, it is because current law forbids competition of health plans across state lines.
The Republicans have argued since day 1 that this is the first thing to be done to improve competition and lower costs.
The second thing is to allow Small Business organizations to band together to form Insurance Trusts, which is what Unions have been doing for years, which is why the Dems are against it as they want to maintain the sanctity of these Union plans.
Driving everyone into Government-run plans such as Medicare or Medicaid will not drive down pricing but will significantly REDUCE ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE because of the lower reimbursement rates, especially Medicaid.
No doctors will see a Medicaid patient which is why these segments of the population get their medical services at Hospital Emergency Rooms, and this won’t change.
And the same LIMITED ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE WILL OCCUR IN MEDICARE if the Dems plan to cut $500 billion out of that program comes to fruition.
Private sector competition and innovation is the only real way to REDUCE COSTS while maintaining the QUALITY OF CARE 84% of Americans enjoy now in the world’s best health-care system. It’s not perfect, but it is “fixable” with incremental changes vs. a complete dismantling and rebirth as a European-style socialized medicine cesspool. Why do you think those with Government-controlled systems are trying to change them?
Remember, the Obamacare is not about Reform, but about Control.
Posted by: Ed | December 16, 2009, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
What a bunch of idiots you people are. Medicare is almost bankrupt. Adding more people will not help it. Orginially medicare was suppose to cost very little, but it now cost billions of dollars more than it is taking in.
Posted by: norms | December 16, 2009, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm