Senators weigh 3 government health plans - (Closed door meeting)

[annabanana]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6415872.html

WASHINGTON — Senators are considering three different designs for a new government health insurance plan that middle-income Americans could buy into for the first time, congressional officials said Friday. Officials familiar with the proposals said senators plan to debate them in a closed meeting next week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the controversial plans have not been released.

The three approaches being discussed are:

_Create a plan that resembles Medicare, administered by the Health and Human Services department.

_Adopt a Medicare-like plan, but pick an outside party to run it. That way government officials would not directly control the day-to-day operations.

_Leave it up to individual states to set up a public insurance plan for their residents.

But many key details would still have to be fleshed out. Among them is whether the public plan would be open to everyone, or be limited to small businesses and individuals purchasing coverage on their own.Also, would the plan reimburse medical providers at discounted Medicare rates or the higher fees that private insurers pay? And would it be financed by tax dollars, or entirely from premiums?

Senators on the Finance Committee will consider the proposals during a closed-door session scheduled for late next week. Committee leaders want to bring a bill to the Senate floor this summer. It's unclear whether a public plan in any form will emerge from Congress.

Which Senators? When? Where?

[Captain Hilts]

1. It's interesting that these meetings are always behind closed doors. nt

[annabanana]

7. After that VERY public shut-out last week, I was surprised that they

would even TRY to pull this secret meeting shit...

[Thothmes]

8. Wasnt that the way the Clintons did it

during the early 90s.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Yes, these things are always behind closed doors. nt

[DJ13]

2. I no longer consider these to be "meetings"

They're more like private auctions.

[Cleita]

5. Posting error. n/t

[Cleita]

6. This is a perfect description of what is going on.

:applause:

[Cleita]

3. A simple operative plan has been proposed over and over again by

John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich in the HR 676 bill, which would extend Medicare coverage for everyone. Instead the genuises behind closed doors have to complicate an issue that doesn't need to be complicated on the payer level. The government already has a bureaucracy in place that efficiently administers government health programs already in existence. All they need to do is improve, expand and streamline those programs under one agency. *throws up hand in disgust*

[William769]

4. Actually the three plans are to be chosen like this.

1.


2.



3.



It all hinges on how you want to get fucked!

[rainbow4321]

10. "Leave it up to individual states to set up a public insurance plan "

So basically those of us in red repuke states are screwed????