On Dkos:Obama just launched single-payer in America
"Did you notice? Did you see what happened when everyone was complaining about a website? Single-payer got started in America.
Vermont is using authority granted under the Affordable Care Act to start a single-payer system. Most Americans still don't know what the phrase "single-payer" even means. It had little support in Congress in 2009 and Senate "Democrats" like Nelson and Lieberman even killed the public option. But, ACA had this sweet little provision that allowed states to set up a single-payer system and now people will see it in action.
Oh I know this is hard to swallow. Obama is third-way! He's dismantling the safetynet! A corporatist! He killed the public option!
Whatever else he is, Obama is a President who acts in a thoughtful, deliberate way that the chicken little headlines of the day often miss. As many predicted, ACA is already leading to the kind of transformative progressive change Obama promised. The progressive movement will be responsible for showing the nation how well single-payer works after the Vermont system goes into effect. When public and non-profit insurance becomes the national norm, we'll know where it began."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/24/1258135/-Obama-just-launched-single-payer-in-America
= new reply since forum marked as read
Only someone who doesn't understand the long negotiating process that allows a bill to become law thinks that the first draft--or any draft other than the one the President signs-- is controlling.
There is no way single payer happens under his governorship.
I am already highly skeptical that Virginia will even get the Medicaid expansion McAuliffe promised throughout his campaign.
Articles in the Washington Post the day after his election were already spewing the corporate talking points about why Virginia should not count on its happening.
McAuliffe apparently is already ruling out the idea, trumpeted during the campaign, of using the budget to do it. Instead, his administration is already making noises that they want to work cooperatively with Republicans on a deal, and it might take a long time.
Va. Medicaid expansion still faces uphill battle, even after McAuliffe win
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2013/11/va-medicaid-expansion-still-faces.html?page=all
During the campaign, McAuliffe indicated he might try to expand Medicaid via the budget, the political equivalent of dousing all of Richmond in lighter fluid —Republicans believe that would violate the law that created the 10-member commission.
That’s not the tone his transition team is sounding. Spokesman Brian Coy told me he wants to build a foundation for Medicaid expansion, work with both parties and proceed with reforms collaboratively.
“He’s committed to this as long as it takes,” Coy said.
