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BAUCUS "CALL TO ACTION" EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
I'm not going to do an in-depth post until I can read the plan in its entirety, but the executive summary of the Baucus plan is available, and I've uploaded it to the TAP server for download. My initial take is that the plan looks like Obama Plus. It's the Obama plan with an individual mandate, without a public insurer (at least in the executive summary), and with, at least initially, the opportunity for folks between 55 and 64 to buy into Medicare. But as I said, more later when I can dig into the details at length.
COMMENTS (9)
When is a politician going to offer us a Bacchus plan?
Posted by: Aaron Kagan | November 12, 2008 11:02 AM
What the heck is left of the Obama plan when you take out "no mandate" and "a public insurer"?
Insurance for sick kids, I suppose. But beyond that?
Posted by: Anthony Damiani | November 12, 2008 11:32 AM
Right. It seems like this is more like "Obama Plus/Minus." Plus mandates but minus public insurer doesn't seem like a better alternative than the opposite.
Posted by: Milind | November 12, 2008 11:34 AM
Why the rush by Baucus -- barely a week since the election?
Posted by: leo | November 12, 2008 11:35 AM
The "without a public insurer" part seems troubling.
Posted by: KCinDC | November 12, 2008 11:41 AM
Well, I guess we should be encouraged that a powerful chairperson has put his name to the outline of a plan.
My first impression is that there's too much Baucus and not enough boldness. Retention of Medicaid and tying it to poverty levels is a continuation of a multi-class poor versus not so poor health system that doesn't work now and without indications on how Medicaid would be improved. Patchwork. Same with Native Americans. And children (SCHIP). And Medicare buy-in for older but not 65. What does a Medicare buy-in even mean? There is no established Medicare Part A premium today. And does that include private Medicare Advantage plans? What becomes of the various health savings accounts?
Overall complaint: the various health plan choices available today (including no choice) make for a bewildering array to put in front of a potential insured.
Those choices, specified only in summary form, are the basis for the 'surprises' patients encounter when actual healh care decisions must be made, and the insured finds that the unspecified fine print says that item is not covered.
I won't nit-pick the rest of the plan. This is just the overview, and it is just the first plan, so overreaction isn't appropriate, yet. But this sure looks timid and overconcessionary to the status quo.
Posted by: JimPortlandOR | November 12, 2008 11:57 AM
Ezra, you might want to update this post, because a public plan is definitely included.
From pg. 17 of full white paper: "The Exchange would also include a new public plan option, similar to Medicare."
So it's definitely Obama +.
Posted by: Steven Attewell | November 12, 2008 12:28 PM
"Why the rush by Baucus -- barely a week since the election?"
I understand there's a turf war between Baucus's Finance Committee and Kennedy's more progressive HELP (Health, Education, ?, and Pension) committee about who's going to drive healthcare reform. Probably a smart move by Baucus to get his proposal out first.
Posted by: Richard Cownie | November 12, 2008 12:57 PM
According to Jon Cohn at TNR a public plan is, in fact, part of this proposal. Looks stronger than Barack's, by virtue of a mandate.
Posted by: brucds | November 12, 2008 1:32 PM