How Pharma & Insurance Intend to Kill the Public Option & What Obama & Rest of Us Must Do (R. Reich)

[kpete]

How Pharma and Insurance Intend to Kill the Public Option, And What Obama and the Rest of Us Must Do
Robert Reich
June 5, 2009, 10:19PM

Enter Olympia Snowe. Her move is important, not because she's Republican (the Senate needs only 51 votes to pass this) but because she's well-respected and considered non-partisan, and therefore offers some cover to Democrats who may need it. Last night Snowe hosted a private meeting between members and staffers about a new proposal Pharma and Insurance are floating, and apparently she's already gained the tentative support of several Democrats (including Ron Wyden and Thomas Carper). Under Snowe's proposal, the public option would kick in years from now, but it would be triggered only if insurance companies fail to bring down healthcare costs and expand coverage in he meantime.

What's the catch? First, these conditions are likely to be achieved by other pieces of the emerging legislation; for example, computerized records will bring down costs a tad, and a mandate requiring everyone to have coverage will automatically expand coverage. If it ever comes to it, Pharma and Insurance can argue that their mere participation fulfills their part of the bargain, so no public option will need to be triggered. Second, as Pharma and Insurance well know, "years from now" in legislative terms means never. There will never be a better time than now to enact a public option. If it's not included, in a few years the public's attention will be elsewhere.

Much the same dynamic is occurring in the House. Two members who had originally supported single payer told me that Pharma and Insurance have launched the same strategy there, and many House members are looking to see what happens in the Senate. Snowe's "trigger" is already buzzing among members.

All this will be decided within days or weeks. And once those who want to kill the public option without their fingerprints on the murder weapon begin to agree on a proposal -- Snowe's "trigger" or any other -- the public option will be very hard to revive. The White House must now insist on a genuine public option. And you, dear reader, must insist as well.

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more:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/robert_reich/2009/06/the-public-option-smokescreens.php?ref=fpblg

[izquierdista]

1. A trigger could work

But where to set it? I know! Let's set it at the percent of GDP that health care took and the coverage levels involved right after the last big health care program was enacted (Medicare). That means if health care is more expensive and covers less people than say 1966 or 1967, then there has been no progress and the public option should kick in.

[Bandit]

2. If there is NO PUBLIC OPTION then it is a failure.

Reich is right as he usually is. Without a Public Option it is little better than what we now have and most Americans are not happy with that. Democrats better start paying attention to the people and not the Insurance Industry or they might find they will not be as popular in 2010 as they currently are.I personally will feel like a sucker and won't bother voting again.

[HelenWheels]

3. I bet the blue dogs are eating this up. nt