Democrat Pingree: Public Option Is The Key To Health Reform

By Chingyu Wang - Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and leaders from the organizations Democracy for America and Progressive Change Campaign Committee argued Thursday that the majority of Americans would prefer having the controversial 'public option' be a part of healthcare reform.

"New Research 2000 polling shows voters in state after state hate the current Senate bill, overwhelmingly support the public option, and want senators like Tom Harkin, Byron Dorgan, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, and others to fight harder for the public option," said Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) Co-Founder Adam Green.

According to a recent New York Times poll on public option, 59% of Americans support the public option, Green added.

Pingree said he believes the public option, essentially a government-administered insurance plan, is necessary to reduce the nation's deficit, as well as to inject competition in the marketplace. The combination of a public option plan and a repealing of the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies will greatly improve things, added Pingree.

"It's important for this bill for reducing the deficit, and for really injecting competition into a field," she said. "The House took its historical vote yesterday on repealing the antitrust provision -- the exemption that insurance companies have had; we took an important step but the public option will take it all the way."

Weiner said he was hopeful that the public option would be discussed during Thursday's healthcare summit involving Members of Congress and the President, stating his desire that the politically poisonous provision wouldn't be neglected in the name of bipartisanship.

"We have to not see this urge for bipartisanship as being a substitute for our elective responsibility to make good law," said Weiner. "The Republicans have expressed their imperatives, which is to try to stop the President from being successful."

Senate Healthcare Bill Is The 'Framework' For Further Reform, Says Key Democrat

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told reporters Tuesday that although the Senate healthcare bill may not contain a medicare expansion or a public option, she will vote for it.

Said Stabenow, "We’re in a legislative process where we have to bring everyone together and get the very best that we can, and then keep working.”

“This is about a framework...and that will change the debate going forward,” she added.

The Senator from Michigan advocated passing the healthcare bill rapidly so it can then be melded with the House bill and sent to the President's desk by the end of this year.

Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) said during the press conference that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) currently does not have the 60 votes needed to pass the bill.

“The goal here is to get the job done...to get 60 votes so that we can proceed and overcome the actions of the Republicans, that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on,” Cardin said.

Stabenow and Cardin denied to comment on Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) refusal to support the bill if it included a medicare expansion provision.

Senate Public Option Plan To Be Finalized 'In The Next Few Days,' Says Stabenow

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said Monday that final negotiations over a public option plan in the Senate health care bill will be completed “in the next few days.”

Most recently the Senate has debated the non-profit funded insurance plan; a plan which parallels the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The proposed plan offers Americans a variety of private non-profit funded insurance plans, overseen by the Office of Personnel Management.

Expressing her support for public option in the final bill, Stabenow added, “the critical issue is not what we call something, it’s the end result.”

Stabenow said she does not support the amendment proposed by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) to restrict federal funding for abortions. She said based on her understanding of the amendment it “parallels” Rep. Bart Stupak’s (R-Mich.) Amendment which also prohibits federal funding for abortion. The Stupak Amendment passed in the House last month.

“I don’t believe [the Nelson Amendment] is going to pass, I truly believe the votes are there to stop it in the Senate,” Stabenow said.

Many Things To Like About House Health Bill Says Reform Advocate

Travis Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Following the release of the House Democrats' health care reform bill, Larry McNeely with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group expressed his support for the legislation.

McNeely said that he believes the House version is strong in that it will develop a national health insurance exchange that will allow customers throughout the nation to negotiate better health care rates for themselves.

“Our hope is that in conference, it leans more towards the house bill [that] is going to be a national exchange, which is important because attached to the exchange is a pool of all participants in that exchange to negotiate better deals. This pool is going to be a lot bigger nationally,” said McNeely.

McNeely lauded the House's inclusion of a public option, or government-run insurance plan, which, in his opinion, will "[provide] a competitor for states with one or two providers that dominate the insurance markets.”

He also delighted over a provision in the bill that would ban the private insurance industry from dropping patients or refusing coverage to them based on their having a preexisting medical condition.

“It’s really an incredible step forward. Not only does the...bill ban preexisting conditions abuses...consumers and families can finally have the security of knowing their insurance will be there when they expect to,” said McNeely.

Pelosi Unveils House Health Care Reform Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) introduced the final draft of health care reform legislation Thursday that, like the recently announced sister legislation in the Senate, will include a government administered insurance option.

“The [Affordable Health Care For America Act] will expand coverage, including a public option to boost choice and competition in health insurance reform,” said Pelosi during an unveiling ceremony with other House Democrats at the U.S. Capitol.

While the public plan introduced Thursday is likely to satisfy moderate Democrats, it runs the risk of upsetting progressives, who have long been pushing for a more “robust” option. As it now stands, the public option grants health care providers more leverage in reimbursement rate negotiations.

Still, Pelosi lauded the bill during the ceremony, claiming that it will be deficit neutral, close the Medicare Part D coverage “donut hole” and extend coverage to 96% of Americans. Pelosi also promised that the bill will be available online 72 hours before it reaches the floor.

The Speaker’s remarks were briefly interrupted by megaphone wielding pro-life protestors. Pelosi responded to the distraction, quipping “thank you, insurance companies of America.” The demonstrators were not permitted entrance to the closed ceremony.

At the ceremony’s close, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest serving member of the House, presented the Speaker with the gavel used during the passage of Medicare.