Mark this down,,,, There is aa Grand Bargain on HealthCare coming.

[Perky]

In exchange (I can't believe I am saying this...but yes "In exchange")for allowing private insurers to bid on running the public option program under a contract and the continuation of their anti-trust exemption, We will get a lower cost, federally subsidized "Heath care for all" program which will have an employer mandate, universality, no caps and no preexisting conditions.

There will be no triggers no opt in, no opt out, but everyone who wants to be covered can be and the Government will set the premium prices which will force private providers to lower their costs to compete. Individuals will be able to purchase the public insurance if they wish.

It will bring along all the BlueDogs and the ladies from Maine

I hate it, but this will accomplish legitimate health care Reform, the president's popularity will increase among moderates and the Republicans will vote against it at their own political peril.

[Barack_America]

1. Link?

[AndyA]

2. I'm sure glad you brought along your crystal ball today.

I sure don't know what to make of this mess, but I'm sure there's a lot of wheelin' and dealin' in DC right now. Gotta give the right wingers what they want, because they return the favor when they're the majority, right? (Wrong.) :eyes:

[saracat]

3. All I know is all the bills will sell us out. One way or another.

None of themm cover all people and without that, it just won't work.

[Perky]

5. It's how sausage gets made.

and it is hardly a capitulation to the right. but it shat get us 60+ votes.

In the Senate, political power emanates from the center out. not from the wings in.

[AndyA]

6. Sometimes there's a human finger in with all that sausage.

We don't need 60.

Simple majority will do. Harry just needs to find his balls and do it.

[thatsrightimirish]

4. and you know this how?

[derby378]

7. You just detailed how reform will be destroyed

Letting Big Insurance run the public option? Are you nucking futs?

[zaj]

8. Where do the savings come from if insurance companies administer the public option?

The profit margins will still be embedded in the "no-profit" system through contracting. Does it come from effectively eliminating the marketing costs?

[Perky]

13. From a required lower premium

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. If corporate insurers are running it, then it is NOT a public option.

The whole goddamned point is to have a choice that doesn't put fucking criminal CEO's 9 digit salaries first, before the needs of the insured.

Mandatory corporate insurance - no matter what the pretty paper they wrap it in - is NOT reform!

[Perky]

14. No the first point is that people are dying from a lack of Insurance coverage

All other considerations are secondary.

[Sebastian Doyle]

15. The whole country is dying from corporate GREED

Rewarding the greedy insurance companies with another 45 million captive "customers" is NOT a solution.

Obviously the best thing would be to shut the fucking bastards completely out and go with Medicare for ALL (HR 676). Failing that, the very least we should have is a non-corporate entity which forces these criminal sons of bitches to clean up their act and compete.

[Perky]

16. I am way more concerned about the uninsured than I am about Gorporate Greed

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. Without corporate greed there would BE no uninsured.

If there were 60 actual Democrats in the Senate right now (as opposed to Blue Balled Coward Insurance Whores - no offense to sex workers)we would have passed Single Payer/HR676/Medicare for All/whatever you want to call it by now, and there would be no such thing as "uninsured".

And the greedy corporations should not be rewarded for making that impossible, at the forced expense of the American people.

[dflprincess]

18. The underinsured are dying as well

coverage doesn't get you care if the out of pockets are so high you still can't afford to see your doctor. And HR3200 allows for hefty out of pockets.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

10. I believe that private insurers are the admin for the military's Tri-Care programs

This sounds like a very reasonable compromise to keep some jobs in the insurance private sector while the beginning of the ultimate, inevitable pass-off to (gasp!) government -run healthcare occurs.

I would sob in gratitude if your scenario came to pass.

Perhaps the pols have realized that the jig is up as far as them being bought and sold and healthcare was just the issue to make that clear. Everyone will have an actual track record as to their position in the debate. Republicans should go down hard next time around for being obstructionists.

[Puzzler]

11. It's not an ideal solution... but it may be workable for now.

For example, in British Columbia (where I live) we have government run car insurance (ICBC), but we also have private car insurance too. However, the government provides the basic insurance that is sold privately under contract by the insurance companies. We then have the option of buying full government insurance or partially private. It's up to us... and the insurance companies still get a piece of the action.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance_Corporation_of_British_Columbia

I should stress that the car insurance rates are set by the BC government, so the private insurance companies are simply acting as government agents (for a small commission)).

FYI the car insurance rates in BC are now are amongst the very lowest in North America.

[Clio the Leo]

12. MMMMwaaaaaaa!!!!! I KISS you!!!

Glad someone else gets it!