Short post today, because I’m working full-steam ahead to bring you a whiz-bang April EBN. (Small trade pub trade secret: We work as many as 12 weeks in advance of publication. So send me your ideas now for EBN May!)
In addition to my work on EBN April, I’m also prepping to cover Thursday’s much-hyped bipartisan White House summit on health care reform. Is it me, or didn’t we do this already? Just wondering if I’m the only one with déjà vu.
Anyway, the White House released this morning the president’s priorities for a final health care bill. It looks a lot like the Senate version, to my eyes, but let me know what you think.
What do you think of President Obama’s proposals: Would you rip them to shreds or rave about them from shore to shore? Or, somewhere in between? Will Thursday’s summit change anything – decrease public dissatisfaction, increase bipartisanship … actually produce a bill that can get passed and signed?
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3 Comment(s)
Posted by: Dave Fletcher | February 24, 2010 9:01 AM
As one who has supported health care reform from the beginning, this is very disappointing. Most of the same provisions as before which were really not acceptable to many; retention of Cadillac plans with pre tax dollars, no selling across state lines, no mandated mediation of malpractice claims as is requied in Europe. It is almost as if more than the Republicans in Washington want this to fail. Piecemeal approach is only thing that can pass; starting with community rating and the requirement for all employees to be covered either on their own or through their employer. This is the only way reform can be paid for. It is also what insurance has always been about; those with low or no claims must pay for those with many or high claims. No other way can this thing work.
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Posted by: Jim Ricker | February 24, 2010 7:41 AM
From a non-partisan perspective one can say this much - practically the same bill as rejected already and this one costs quite a bit more than the previously aforementioned bill. It is a dog and pony show.
If reform is what was desired they wouldn't be trying to remake the system into the image of other failed systems. We can reform the system without destroying it and replacing it with an even more expensive and worse system.
Jim
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Posted by: Unknown | February 23, 2010 2:05 PM
The meeting is a political effort only. Therefore it would only play into Obama's "agenda" to attempt to approach the meeting as a genuine effort at bi-partisan compromise.
Obama knows the Republicans would like to see care cost containment--yet everything in Obama's proposal is about coverage expansion, price controls and expenditure limitations. This will initially result in eroding choice and eventually--rationing.
The Republicans need to keep doing what they have been doing--shining a light on the facts. Because it is the American public armed with the facts that have been the only reason this bill hasn't passed. Every one of the Democrats have dutifully followed step on this issue and yet Obama can't get it done. Clearly this summit is just another effort of Obama's to try and pass what hasn't flown already.
Be Careful--be very, very careful. Nothing good ever happens after 2:00 a.m. in the city and the rooster has already crowed on this bad boy--it's time to let this one die!
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