Krugman: A reasonable chance that universal health care will be enacted next year!

[johan helge]

Krugman today (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/hopeful-signs-on-health-care/):

This (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/washington/12health.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) is very big news. One of the key questions about the new Democratic majority was whether Congress would try to play it safe, backing down on big ideas about reform, especially on health care. You can view the whole chorus about how we’re still a “center-right nation” as an attempt by the usual suspects to scare Democrats into scaling back their ambitions.

But now Max Baucus — Max Baucus! — is leading the charge on a health care plan that, at least at first read, is more like Hillary Clinton’s than Barack Obama’s; that is, it looks like an attempt at full universality. (The word I hear, by the way, is that Obama’s opposition to mandates was tactical politics, not conviction — so he may well be prepared to do the right thing now that the election is won.)

So this looks very good for the reformers. There’s now a reasonable chance that universal health care will be enacted next year!

[bananas]

1. It's on the WSJ blogs, too

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/12/sen-baucus-brings-back-the-health-insurance-mandate/

Sen. Baucus Brings Back the Health Insurance Mandate
Posted by Jacob Goldstein

The morning papers bring word that Max Baucus, the powerful Montana Dem who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, is rolling out a big health reform plan today.

It has a lot in common with Barack Obama’s plan, and at least one major difference: It would require everyone to buy health insurance.

<snip>

[longship]

2. Recommended and Kicked

:kick:

[Warpy]

3. You mean universal for-profit health insurance

that offers the illusion of care but which often fails to deliver it.

Baby steps won't do it. Putting bandaids on such a bad system won't do it.

If they want insurance to suck profit out of sick people, they need to limit that profit while instituting some rules to make sure sick people get the care they've paid for. Penalties should be swift and severe if they don't. No one should be able to hide behind a corporation when that corporation is committing murder in their name.

[Dawgs]

6. So you are for doing nothing, cause that's exactly what will happen using your idea.

Baby steps is sometimes the only way.

[Warpy]

10. This is a shining example of how sentences that begin with "so"

are quickly followed by ridiculous strawmen.

What I said that half measure on a broken system won't do it.

[aquart]

4. Believe it when I see it.

And how many Americans will die while waiting for it? The disgrace continues.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

5. I hope so. This is my argument that we are a center-right country compared to Europe.

Because we do not have UHC. If we get UHC, then we truly have moved left in action. I so "hope" this happens !

[Dawgs]

7. "Obama’s opposition to mandates was tactical politics, not conviction"

I hope that quote is true. I've always been a big Obama supporter, but Hillary's plan for health care was the best option.

I think he's done the same thing with a few other issues; including gay marriage. I think he's actually for it, but knew it was an issue he couldn't support while running for prez.

[Cronopio]

9. People have been burned by believing that. Trojan Horses are rare in politics.

However, from the initial signs I'm still believing that that's a possibility. The stakes of not enacting single-payer have gotten about as high as the political and economic risks of opposing it.

[satya]

8. Conyers' HR 676 (with 93 cosponsors) is ready and waiting ... let's do it! nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. Rock on. Exactly what I was hoping. n/t

[madmadmad]

12. the l.a. times had an article

where the head of southern california blue cross (i think) said that it was time for universal heath care. when i read that, i began to have hope- if the insurers know the jig is up and will no longer fight tooth and nail, then maybe it's possible.

the thing i've never understood is why large companies haven't lobbied for universal health care. it would cut their costs significantly, boost profits, and make them competitive with foreign corporations that don't have to shoulder the health care costs that american companies do. (i realize foreign companies pay heathcare taxes, but it is less than the cost of insurance that many domestic companies are responsible for).