AP Sources: Obama likes national health exchange

[demoleft]

Source: ap

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has indicated support for a national clearinghouse where consumers could shop for health coverage and an end to the decades-old antitrust exemption enjoyed by insurance companies, Democratic officials said Tuesday.

In signaling his preferences, Obama is siding with House Democrats over their Senate counterparts on issues crucial to negotiations on his health care overhaul.
...
Obama met with House Democratic leaders last week as they sought support from the president on other priorities. He is now indicating support for creation of a national exchange rather than the state-based structure in the Senate bill, and for revoking the antitrust exemption, which the Senate bill does not do, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were private.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100112/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul

[WriteDown]

1. But will this mean anything?

Unless he says he won't sign it unless it includes a national health exchange than what is it worth?

[No Elephants]

19. A Democratic President has no influence at all on a Democratic Congress?

I've posted since February or March that Obama will sign almost anything called a health care reform bill that gets to his desk for signature and declare victory. IMO, he really cannot do anything else if he wants to be re-elected--and, as of now, he clearly does. However, I don't think his statements about his preferences are for nothing, either. Besides, the Democrats in Congress want him re-elected, too.

[ima_sinnic]

2. so what? he "liked" single payer a long time ago, he "liked" a public option

oh, and "the negotiations were private."

[shopgreen]

7. LOL

[No Elephants]

18. I thought he always said single payer would not work in America?

I thought his statements about single payer were always along the lines of "Single payer is the best way, but it wouldn't work in America because we already have all these legacy plans." (not exact words)

BTW, by "legacy plans" I assume he meant primarily employer provided insurance, but I was never sure.

[ima_sinnic]

21. yes, we had to give that up without even trying

the same way legalizing marijuana is a joke that can't even be considered

[Demeter]

3. He Likes Fairies and Harry Potter, Too?

Why not like something that exists already in society, and works? And then fight for it! That's what he was hired to do.

[drm604]

8. What? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.

In the context of health care, what is that already exists, works, is worth fighting for, and that he was in fact hired to fight for?

[ima_sinnic]

10. I'm guessing, simply extend Medicare? (nt)

[drm604]

16. Yes, that is likely what Demeter was thinking, and I agree.

I don't know where my head was.

[Demeter]

4. dupe-self deleted

[elleng]

5. "National clearinghouse" could be similar to FEHB.

[shopgreen]

6. Its Tom Dashel's plan. Read his book or plug into goggle.

[MichiganVote]

9. Boxers or briefs?

[bigwillq]

11. K-Y or spit?

:shrug:

[groundloop]

12. Yes, but will Joe like it?

Seems that pleasing Lie-berman is all that's going to matter in this mess. It'll be interesting to see if Joe will allow congress to revoke the anti-trust exemption.

[high density]

13. duh?

He said this in his September speech.

[midnight]

14. Hmmmm.....

[dflprincess]

15. It's still shoveling money to the private insurers

with no guarantees of access to care.

And, I wonder if a "national exchange" means the crooks can sell across state lines so they'll all head for the state with the least regulation, just like the credit card companies did.

[Mithreal]

23. Could be how they market cutting off states' ability to regulate?

I thought that was separate though and was a sure bet to be in the final bill.

[Hekate]

17. Hate to interrupt the snark here, but THIS is the important part: ENDING THE ANTITRUST EXEMPTION!

> President Barack Obama has indicated support for ... an end to the decades-old antitrust exemption enjoyed by insurance companies...
> In signaling his preferences, Obama is siding with HOUSE Democrats over their Senate counterparts ...

He wants the House bill, the one that has the best deal *so far*. He wants the health insurance corps to be subject to antitrust laws, which is huge.

This is good news. I don't give a damn if the negotiations are private as long as it gets done and we get the House bill instead of the Senate one. If the negotiations were public at this point we'd have the usual teabaggery, obfuscation, and outright lies from the Repubs and their RWnut talking heads, and it would be stalled yet again.

Hekate

[No Elephants]

20. Eliminating the antitrust exemption might be easier if the negotiations were not private.

I cannot imagine anyone who wants to get re-elected having a good story for why they honestly believed the health insurers should continue to have a monopoly.

Would competition by all insurers on a national exchange mean regulation in individual states would have to go, as the Republicans have been arguing for?

As always, the devil--or the divinity--will be in the details, and we don't have those yet. For that matter, we don't know if this will come to fruition.

I am not sure about the national exchange, but I will email my Senators and Representative that the monopoly exemption should go.

Of course, if Martha Coakley does not win in Massachusetts, we may get no health care reform except what her Republican opponent wants.

[Mithreal]

22. Don't care what he likes. The American people have been ignored.