I am such a political nerd. I watched the healthcare summit yesterday and loved every minute of it. I generally listen to talk radio while working; instead, yesterday, I used my auxiliary computer screen to live stream the healthcare summit on C-Span. If you weren't able to watch it, here is the C-Span link where you can watch the recorded broadcast. Yesterday evening National Public Radio also aired an hour-long analysis of the summit, but it really paled in comparison to the real thing.
President Obama set the tone at the beginning by reminding the attendees that the purpose of the summit was to find bipartisan consensus on healthcare-- not to talk about process, not to campaign, not to dredge up differences, and not to spout hackneyed talking points. Throughout the day, he had to remind attendees why they were meeting.
Everyone had stories about constituents who gone bankrupt or lost loved ones because of poor insurance coverage or no coverage. Several-- including the President-- had stories about pre-existing conditions, and there was consensus that if they were not covered by the government's Cadillac health plan that they would have a hard time buying insurance on the open market today. I was impressed with their thorough knowledge of the problems. (Of course, they have been talking about healthcare reform for a year!)
The other consensus--besides recognition of the problems with the current non-system-- was the identification of the common enemy-- health insurance companies. The health insurance companies were vilified by Democrats and Republicans alike for raising rates, for dropping sick people, and for strict-- and sometimes absurd-- rules about pre-existing conditions. Although pre-existing conditions were discussed at length, the Republican's plan would expand coverage to only 3 million Americans-- compared to 30 million under the President's plan-- and would not get rid of pre-existing conditions, according to NPR.
Over and over again-- ad nauseam-- the Party of No said the Congress should start over, which in an election year means: "Let's just forget about this for a while." Despite repeated Republican calls for a "clean sheet of paper," President Obama and the Democrats pushed for comprehensive reform and expanding coverage throughout the day.
The other Republican suggestion was to address a piece of the problem-- rather than tackle comprehensive reform. Which piece was not clear. (This way, they could go back to their constituents and say they did something.) The Republicans also were clearly more worried about tort reform, the cost of healthcare to the government, and deficit spending than expanding coverage for uninsured Americans. (Ironically, the cost of Medicare skyrocketed under the Bush Administration with the prescription drug bill that does not allow the US government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies-- so Republicans created this problem. Also, the Republicans under President Bush didn't worry about deficit spending. )
The Republicans-- including Arizona's Jon Kyl-- railed against "mandated coverage" because it would be too expensive and because people want choice. Basically, what they are calling "mandated coverage" the President calls a "minimum benefits package." He used the example of the fictitious Acme Car Insurance that he purchased as a college student, but when he was rear-ended, it didn't cover the repairs to his car. He said we have to eliminate insurance coverage that doesn't really cover anything and eliminate lifetime caps on coverage. Now people have the "choice" to buy really cheap insurance that in the end may or may not be adequate. Kyl said that these mandates would raise rates for some Arizonans; the President's point was that it may raise rates for people who have the really cheap policies that leave them underinsured.
One high point of the day was when Arizona Senator John McCain began grandstanding, and President Obama reminded him they were no longer on the campaign trail. Of course, McCain is on the campaign trail, since he is up for re-election, and conservatives, independents, and progressives in Arizona are not happy with his performance.
One of the day's best statements originally came from Senator Harry Reid but was repeated a few times by others. Reid reminded Republicans that they were entitled to their own opinions but not their own set of facts.
If you want to learn more about the different healthcare reform ideas and see your government at work, turn off the pundits and watch the C-Span live videos of this summit.
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Comments
I love how you distort the facts to get your point across. You're like Fox News only liberal. lol
It's difficult to understand how someone can follow the healthcare debate carefully and fail to read the underlying two bills passed in the House and Senate. Clearly the reason for the thousands of pages in both plans were due to the multitude of amendments to the Internal Revenue Code. How does the IRS related to a healthcare system? Nothing at present involves the IRS in our healthcare, however, if Obama is successful in pushing this monstrosity through, the IRS will be in charge of collecting premiums for the plan. Currently, a person with health insurance is free to lapse his coverage. Once either of these bills is passed, the IRS will do the collecting through their tools such as wage garnishments, levies on bank accounts, and liens on homes. Ultimately, Prison time is provided for those who refuse to participate in Obama's plan.
Hey college student, do you have health coverage? Folks who suffer and are without are not lol-ing. The fact is health care in America sucks and the party of NO does not care. To me that is no joking matter since we recently lost a friend because of no health coverage.
College Student and UVM, did you watch the summit? UVM, you sound like Jon Kyl: "Oh, this is too long."
I think we should have a system like Canada's. Did you know that when Canada passed universal coverage the bill was 8 pages long (according to NPR) and everyone understood it. Unfortunately, our Congress doesn't do brief.
When Republicans were in control of all three branches of government, Democrats & the majority of the media were saying that Republicans needed to be bipartisan. Republicans didn't even have a filibuster-proof majority - ever - then. Now that Dems are in charge of all three branches, Dems & the majority of the media are STILL saying that Republicans need to be the ones to be bipartisan.
Up until Scott Brown was elected, Republicans couldn't stop any Democratic legislation due to Dems having a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate to go along with their strong control of the House. Yet Republicans have been called the Party of No all along.
No one is buying your bull here in your article or the bull coming from Democrats or the media. Obama & the Dems want Republicans to rubber-stamp ObamaCare, while they continue to say NO to the major Republican proposals like tort reform, competitition across state lines, portability from job to job, health savings accounts, tax credits.....
I agree with the need for tort reform; deleting all of the sweetheart deals that Senators have tacked onto this (and other legislation); getting rid of waste, fraud, and unnecessary tests; and increasing prevention services and incentives-- all Republican proposals from yesterday. I just don't think they go far enough to increase access to care.
Cnada's system is good? Yeah, Newfoundland & Labrador's Premier Danny Williams came to America to get the best care for his heart. He didn't want to wait in line like all the other regular folk have to in Canada.
The rich & powerful in Canada (and there are many far more powerful and rich that Danny Williams ) & in the U.S. (and even many in the upper middle class in the U.S. & Canada) will always find a way to get the best care & will always find a way to step to the front of the line for health care. That is what elitists do.
You see, all three classes (Upper, Middle & Lower) can all be broken down into three levels (upper, middle & lower).
The top 4 classes (Upper Upper Class, Middle Upper Class, Lower Upper Class, Upper Middle Class) in America would continue to get good health care. Obamacare would take the next 5 classes below them & lower the quality of care and availability of care for all of them in the name of "fairness."
Sorry, most Americans don't want it.
Per your first response...
In order to increase access to care, Obama wants health care coverage to be mandated while changing the rules that say that people with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied. Problem is, is that Progressives see this as lining the pockets of Big Insurance & Big Pharma & Conservatives see it as unconstitutional to federally mandate health care coverage. Sure, car insurance can be mandated, but only for those who drive cars & only at the state level. Federally mandated HC coverage is unconstitutional. I think that even Obama knows this, given that at one time he said that this couldn't be mandated anymore than home ownership could. And he was right then. That is why he said then that we needed an exchange with a public option - which I have no problem with.
Obama, though, became a sell-out. He met with the insurance & pharma reps behind closed doors. Everyone knows this. Obama & Reid talk of using reconciliation - but not for the public option.
Continued...
The public option was already passed in the House. The Senate has enough support for a public option - if they use reconciliation. Back when Lieberman and a few others in the Senate were saying that they couldn't support the public option and would join Republican opposition and force a filibuster, the other Senators caved in to them. Next, Reid said that the House bill would have to acquiesce to the Senate bill.
There was never any talk of using reconciliation to get a public option through.
A public option that is funded by the premiums of those who use it, and those who are poor that use it would pay what they could, is a great idea.
But Obama and the other sell outs in the Senate don't want it now.
Progressive Change, Fire Dog Lake and several other blogs and sites have documented that Obama was once strongly for the public option. They have several videos of this. But, alas, Obama sold out.
So, then, Ray, the solution is universal coverage! Cool, I agree. Have a nice day.
UVM, sounds like B.S to me. Point me to the language that explains your claim. Another death panel ploy from the right to scare Americans.
@Pamela
Yes, the solution is a public option & Obama, Reid & others are sell outs.
You never mention these things.
Please be a true progressive & tell the whole & true story. The Repubs had no power to stop anything before Scott Brown was elected. The House had the public option & Reid could have used reconciliation then to get the public option through. He still could with enough votes (52-53). But he & Obama are sell outs to Big Insurance & Big Pharma. Biden could easily be the 51st vote.
I have already figured out that you do lean left politically, but you are far from being a true progressive.
The Repubs, for all their faults and shenanigans aren't the problem. The problem is fellow Democrats. Yet you focus on Repubs when the Repubs have no power to stop reconciliation or the public option being pushed through.
Now that you know what to say and what to focus on, will you start doing what you need to do and be real.
Have a nice day!
Forcing people to buy healthcare will not solve the problem. It is like telling the homeless that they must buy a house or be fined, then if they cannot afford the fine be jailed. The individual mandate violates a a persons rights. By the way, I can no longer afford car insurance so I am riding a bike. I can't stop living to save on money.
Pamela, Thanks for the article. and all the links. I appreciate that your report presents a coherent viewpoint on a critical national challenge. I appreciate remembering the the facts and history as well as your perspective and comments. Good job!
I too will be watching the summit while I work. I don't trust any party line any more. It's too complicated to reduce to politics. But I already know this:
National Healthcare reform has to value the health of its human citizens over the artificial value of corporate 'artificial persons'. The health of many is greater than the wealth of a few.
thanks for the good summary. I sincerely hope that the Obama and the Democrats will forge ahead. It's obvious the Republicans are in the pocket of insurance companies and will do nothing. To College Student (above) who claims you distort the truth, Pamela, disregard those clueless comments from someone whose daddy is still taking care of him and who doesn't have to worry about health care. I'm self-employed. I canceled my health insurance a few months ago when the monthly premiums went to to 30% of my entire annual income and I don't have any serious health problems!
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