New Democratic alternative to a Public Opttion may be emerging,

[Perky]

While progressive senators work to win 60 votes for a public option, a new alternative to the government-run insurance plan is beginning to emerge on the Finance Committee.

Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington said a few moments ago that she is planning to offer an amendment to give states the power to negotiate down the price of insurance. If insurance companies agree to cover a chunk of the uninsured, states would help pay for the coverage. The states negotiate with insurers to set the cost and coverage of the program. The rates wouldn't be tied to Medicare or Medicaid, but set at the state level, she said.

"It's a way to get a foothold. If you can cover 75 percent of people that way then it's definitely a public plan for the big chunk of the uninsured," Cantwell said.

The idea is modeled after her home state's "basic health plan," which offers coverage to about 75 percent of the uninsured in Washington, she said.

Cantwell said she is waiting on a CBO cost estimate before introducing the amendment.



http://www.politico.com/livepulse/

[Avalux]

1. Sorry Maria. Can't support that. n/t

[rucky]

2. It. Won't. Get. 60

stop trying to compromise.

[bluestateguy]

3. A less stupid idea than co-ops

but still sounds like it would be fraught with problems.

[ProSense]

4. Progressives don't need 60 votes. n/t

[SIMPLYB1980]

5. Can we not have that, and

a public option?

[ProSense]

6. To quote Sen. Stabenow: “I don’t know what all the fuss is about...”

“I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” she says, noting that CBO says it would save $50 billion for taxpayers over 10 years.

[kestrel91316]

7. Great. It covers 75% of of the uninsured. What are the other 25%? Chopped liver?

Or just dead meat?

[Mojambo]

11. Presently I'm one of the 25% others in WA state

Can't get Basic Health. Can't get anywhere near private insurance.

Cantwell's alternative blows.

[kestrel91316]

12. I am uninsured in SoCal. I looked at prices through the sainted AVMA

and I would have to pay $450+ a month for a policy with a $5000 deductible. Or $1000 a month for a policy with a $1500 deductible. For ONE PERSON. Sigh.

Kaiser or Blue Cross are gonna be my only options......

[quiller4]

13. I think Cantwell's plan has merit. It isn't my favorite option but

Washington's Basic Health option is a good system that could be expanded. The state's high risk pool is probably the only way I'll get coverage next year.

[quiller4]

14. That is the way Canada's system began with experiments in different

provinces that became the model for a national system.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. 50 different programs interstate confusion nightmare idiocy fools

nt.

[Stables2010]

15. not really insurance companies just pay differently according to state's comp rates

watch the CBO report crush this lofty Idea swiftly. Good idea though, to bad we are wasting all that money in the M.E. We can afford to engage in open-ended wars without consideration to worthiness of the cause,CBO estimates or a logically defined purposes, but to cover all of our American brothers and sisters, that is down-right silly. Repubs are scared, they are having death spasms look for a new party to emerge because after health care is passed because they will be no more.

[Unsane]

9. many states are bankrupt

[ej510]

10. Lobbyist buy local politicians to.

[eridani]

16. Bad idea. WA Basic Health just got draconian cuts in funding n/t

[cornermouse]

17. Not good enough.

Not even close to being good enough.

[harun]

18. No thanks.

[Autumn]

19. I'm impressed.

I find it very impressive that Democrats can be so shameless and stupid.

[Ikonoklast]

20. NO. Leaving health care to the states is a non-starter.

Bad idea, it needs to be killed.