Let's Pass Ted Kennedy's Health Plan

[kentuck]

<snip>
Let’s get a few things straight:

* Until last year, Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s health care bill (co-authored with with Rep. John Dingell) was a bill known as Medicare for All. Not expensive private insurance for some, but Medicare for All.
* Senator Kennedy encouraged candidate and then President Obama to make health care for all his first priority -- during the campaign and as he took office.
* And Ted Kennedy remained in charge as his HELP (Health, Education and Labor and Pension) Committee wrote -- and then passed -- a new health care bill with a strong public insurance option for those who want it.

I feel the need to remind people of all this because conservatives, and especially Republican Senators, are trying to promote the idea that if only Ted Kennedy were still actively involved in the health care reform effort, he could have gotten the Democrats to fold and embrace a weakened “bi-partisan” compromised health reform strategy. And some are urging that the best tribute we could construct to the great man’s memory is to pass such a watered-down health bill that could win the support of a large number of conservative Republicans.

<snip>
Let’s get another thing clear:

* Republicans don’t want a deal. They want to kill health reform.

Democrats, especially a few in the Senate Finance committee, have for months been reaching out to Republicans with the hand of hopeful bi-partisanship. And in recent months, conservative Republicans have made it clear that if Democrats (like Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus) are going to continue to reach out the hand of compromise, they are ready to bite it off.

As cable television covered this weekend’s memorials to Ted Kennedy, when the talk got around to health care, there was almost always one pundit (usually one without much expertise about health care), who could be counted on to repeat the conservative talking points: “It will take somebody with a liberal reputation like Teddy Kennedy to negotiate a deal with Republicans -- and convince the liberals to accept the compromise.”
...........more

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-hickey/lets-pass-ted-kennedys-he_b_272340.html

[Laelth]

1. Hear, hear.

I much prefer Senator Kennedy's 2007 "Medicare-for-all" bill to any of the measures currently being considered in Congress (except HR 676, single-payer, which isn't really being considered).

:dem:

-Laelth

[kentuck]

2. I think it will also save the Medicare system..

as we know it?

[blm]

3. I noticed on one of the tallies that some Senators specified they support Kennedy's HELP bill and

not just an unspecified public option.

I think backing HELP bill Kennedy led on is where I want ALL senate Dems to commit their vote.

[Romulox]

4. "Until last year..." Please explain? Wasn't Ted pushing a mandated private insurance bill

during the last year of his life? :shrug:

[mopinko]

5. did you read the post?

so, you are either replying to something you did not read, or you are replying with the aforementioned republican talking point. either way, your reply does not speak very highly of you.

[Romulox]

6. I did indeed read the post, and it says he was NOT supporting Medicare for all

From the article:

And Ted Kennedy remained in charge as his HELP (Health, Education and Labor and Pension) Committee wrote -- and then passed -- a new health care bill with a strong public insurance option for those who want it.

The Senate's HELP bill is a mandatory insurance scheme with a weak public option. It's not Medicare for all. So did YOU read the article? :hi:

[bdamomma]

7. I think it way past the time for it to be passed

it is time to give back to Teddy afterall he has been working on since when ??1969???