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What to Do About the Baucus Bill?
A truism: Nobody likes Max Baucus' bill but Max Baucus (and the CBO, and maybe the president). But Republicans don't like it, mainly because it is a health-care reform bill. Many Democrats don't like it because it's a meager health-care reform bill. Even Baucus' centrist colleagues didn't have the guts to appear with him at a press conference announcing the bill. But given its low price tag, the bill may have the largest chance of passage. Luckily, Ezra has put together some simple steps to improve the bill as painlessly as possible. In summary:
1) Kill the "free rider" provision. Kill it now.2) Increase the subsidies, and in particular, put more money toward out-of-pocket caps.
3) Phase in Ron Wyden's Free Choice amendment.
4) Create real competition in the insurance industry.
5) Create incentives for bipartisanship.
Ezra also argues in favor of a more partisan bill, since Republicans on the Finance Committee don't seem interested in supporting this version even though it looks an awful lot like the Republican alternative to health-care reform in 1994:
If Baucus's Republican colleagues want to support this bill and give him some cover, their presence should be welcomed. But if not, Baucus should loudly and publicly allow the Democrats on his committee to strengthen the bill, as it will be a Democratic majority that passes the bill. A bipartisan group should shape a bipartisan bill. But a bipartisan group should not get to shape a partisan bill, particularly if that bill becomes partisan because they have abandoned it.In 2001, Baucus helped shape the president's tax cuts, and he voted for them. In 2003, he helped shape the Medicare Modernization Act, and he voted for it. He has upheld his end of the bargain of bipartisanship. Now is his moment to demand the same of his Republican colleagues.
Does Baucus have the guts to push back against his GOP frenemies?
-- Tim Fernholz
COMMENTS (5)
Baucus LIKES this bill. Why should he change it just to make some Democrats happy?
Posted by: Bloix | September 17, 2009 9:33 AM
THE BAUCUS REPORT
Finally, the blue ribbon panel of six "wise men" from the Senate Finance Committee has issued its health care reform plan. The elephant has labored mightily and brought forth a mouse. In addition to being a gift to insurance and drug companies, its vaunted goal of bipartisanship has failed to be realized. Practically no one supports this plan.
Rumor has it that this plan could have been released in June. Endless hours of meetings, conference calls, and negotiations produced few changes since then. Meanwhile, the resulting legislative standstill gave Republicans time to organize those loud, crazy performances in town hall meetings that have damaged reform prospects.
Way to go! It was a bad idea to leave so much for Congress to work out and even worse to pursue bipartisanship through this odd committee.
homer www.altara.blogspot.com
Posted by: altara | September 17, 2009 11:03 AM
What to Do About the Baucus Bill?
Shove it up Obama's ass where it belong!
Posted by: Anonymous | September 17, 2009 2:59 PM
To top this crappy bill, even the other gang of six Senators will offer ammendments to this before it is voted on in committee. What the freak is Baucus(D-Doofus) delivering this load of crap after MONTHS of foot dragging by the R's?
Posted by: Shoreline | September 17, 2009 11:28 PM
The State Of "Yes We Can", Minnesota Knows Better !!
1. As regards a make-believe scheme, the source of funding coming from a middle class is utterly against the commitment of Democratic party.
2. No cost-competitive advantage does not clear the grave concern about the unsustainable cost of overall health care program in the long run.
3. Even with some benefit for primary practitioners, the baseless scheme does not come with fundamental payment reform, or a pay for value reimbursement formula. It means that the insurer-friendly scheme is not cleaning up the concerns over a quality issue and $9trillion of deficit over the next decade.
((Here is some of CBO analysis : While the costs of the financial bailouts and economic stimulus bills are staggering, they are only a fraction of the coming costs from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that each year Medicaid will expand by 7 percent, Medicare by 6 percent, and Social Security by 5 percent. These programs face a 75-year shortfall of $43 trillion--60 times greater than the gross cost of the $700 billion TARP financial bailout)).
4. For Medicare & Medicaid system to survive from the most wasteful structure on earth, enough savings by ways of fundamental changes need to be secured, in return, the savings thereof suffice to meet the goal of well-planned public option.
((Even with far less visits to docs, which average a half or a third of them in any other free states, Americans pay roughly twice as much per person right now)).
5. For the record, prior to nation-wide deployment of reform, The State Of "Yes We Can", Minnesota influenced by Mayo clinic spends "20 percent" less per patient than the national average and 31 percent less than in the highest cost state. It highlights that no substantial tax raise is needed at least for sure.
((The $583 billion of revenue package, and the astronomical savings of public option aside, "20%" of $923.5bn (the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost per year, as of July) is around $184.7bn per year and 1.847trillion over the next decade, and this patient-centered value alone could be sufficient to meet the goal of public option)).
6. In brief, the long-awaited and most hopeful health care plan is to meet these criterias : Affordability, Quality, and A Check function against runaway premiums thereof.
Clearly enough, due largely to its lower overhead cost, purchasing power and fundamental payment reform, the well-planned public option would be an even better candidate than the fabricated scheme by THE INDUSTRY in these aforementioned regards.
Now is the moment to turn page to contemporary energy and financial upgrades glossed over in 8 years.
Posted by: hsr0601 | September 19, 2009 5:46 AM