Finally some good news on the public option.

[Cleita]

Thom Hartmann reporting this morning that Harry Reid is seriously working with progressive Senators like Bernie Sanders, something he hasn't done until now, to make sure that a strong public option is offered in the final bill. Let's hope they convince him that extending Medicare to all is the right solution and one that doesn't have to wait until 2013 to be put into action. It could happen next year because Medicare has all the administration in place. The only thing they need to do is find the tax money to pay for it. There are several ways to do this. They could roll back the Bush taxes, which would also help in paying back our debt. They could add an additional 2% on payroll taxes that pay for Medicare and that everyone who gets FICA deducted from their paychecks anyway pays. They could fine those corporations working out of the Cayman Islands and other corporate shelter nations to avoid our taxes and they could bring corporate taxes back to the thirty percent they were during the Eisenhower administration. Any one of these or combination of these methods would work.

Keep your fingers crossed.

[gkhouston]

1. That IS encouraging news.

:thumbsup: Thanks for sharing!

[bvar22]

2. Harry Reid is seriously trying to cover his ass.

He has heard the outrage from America and needs to have something to point to and say, "Well I Tried".
Harry Reid may be a Centrist Pawn of BIG MONEY, but he ain't stupid.

[Echo In Light]

3. Rec

[sinkingfeeling]

4. I don't think your suggestions for paying the bill will cover it. Today, there are around

41 million people on Medicare and in 2007, the cost to the federal government was $440 billion. If 'everybody' were to shift to Medicare, it would easily triple the cost to over $1 trillion a year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(United_States)#Costs_and_funding_challenges

Edited to add link

[Cleita]

5. Remember part of making Medicare available to everyone is for people to have

a choice of getting it. It means that those people who have fallen through the cracks can take the money, and businesses too, that they formerly paid to worthless private insurance and can buy into Medicare instead. I think I read a stat that the average Canadian spends $125 a month for health care with almost no deductibles or co-pays. I think most working Americans would be happy to spend that on insurance that doesn't discriminate because of pre-existing conditions and doesn't deny health care that they have agreed to by contract and that would be Medicare whether our style or Canadian style. The money is there. It's a matter of diverting it from Wall Street into actual health care dollars. Also, I hope our Congress doesn't allocate any money for the private insurers. If people want to buy private insurance, let them but please don't give tax-payer dollars for it.

[Polemicist]

6. I'm not sure your math is quite accurate...

For one thing, Medicare covers older Americans and disabled Americans. Which are the greatest consumers of medical treatment and the most expensive people to treat medically. If Medicare is expanded to everyone, then healthy people will be paying into the system, people that use far less in medical services than they pay.

What will actually happen, is we will fix the long term Medicare cost issues and balance the costs of coverage, by expanding Medicare. We will actually end up with less subsidy of Medicare costs.

Are you possibly including the cost of Medicaid, which is subsidized medical care based upon income? Or are you just throwing numbers out without any factual basis?

[Cleita]

7. I didn't do the math.

No one did. However, there is math about getting a single payer system going in this country that has been documented from the Physicians for National Health Care, www.pnhp.org. The money this nation spends for health care that goes to the insurance companies and that isn't delivered to health care but to Wall Street covers everyone. Also, others have figured out that the money we have spent in Iraq could cover it. What can I say? Throwing roadblocks in what is obvious is counterproductive. I first came to this conclusion during the Viet Nam war. I said to myself, if we weren't spending this money on that war, we could get national health care to everyone. Nothing has changed except the will of our Senators and Congressmen to do it and those who claim "oh my god, there is no money!".

[eridani]

8. Cantwell has suggested taxing hedge funds for health care

Good idea, but she hasn't put it into legislation. Why not taxes on all unearned income above $25,000? (Leaving life insurance and annuities out of it, presumably.)

[wroberts189]

9. knr

[Hubert Flottz]

10. K&R

I needed some good news!

[goclark]

11. K and R

[annabanana]

12. kicking. . This is the best option for Democrats, politically..

The speed with which this could be put into effect would make an immediate and demonstrable difference in millions of American's lives.

If all the newly unemployed could buy into medicare, solvency problem solved.. and *POOF*. .there goes the Republican party, into the bin with the bullmooses, know-nothings, free-soilers, whigs,etc, etc.

[Allyoop]

13. I agree

with the premise. However, too many doctors are refusing to accept Medicare patients because the government will not reimburse them properly. It's possible that if younger people could "buy in" to Medicare that their contribution could help to increase the amount the government would be willing to pay. Also, government wants to adjust how Medicare works now which could mean cost savings or could mean even more cuts to MDs' reimbursement. Nobody can know at this time if the new rules will work or not.

[TicketyBoo]

14. It's probably different in big cities,

but I don't know of a single doctor in our small city who refuses to accept Medicare patients. Not one.

[Cleita]

16. Me either. Actually doctors who refused my insurance and demanded cash

before I got Medicare now accept Medicare that I have qualified for by turning 65. I don't think many in big cities do either. I think that is another myth like the ones about all the Canadians who come here for health care, the long waits in lines, the government between you and your doctor, etc., etc., etc..

[mmonk]

15. This is definitely the best way to go

and with the greatest positive impact for Democrats in time for the next elections.