U.S. Senate may drop public healthcare option

[Joanne98]

WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - Lawmakers on both sides of the U.S. Capitol struggled to reach a healthcare deal on Tuesday, with Senate Democrats near agreement with three Republicans on a plan that would not include a government-run insurance option backed by President Barack Obama.

After lengthy closed-door meetings, however, Democrats in the House of Representatives said it was unlikely they would vote on a healthcare overhaul before heading home for their August recess at the end of the week.

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer said there would not be a vote on Friday but there was still a "pretty slim" chance lawmakers could be held for a vote on Saturday. "We're trying not to foreclose our options," he told reporters.

Obama has pushed for a measure that will rein in healthcare costs, improve care and cover most of the 46 million uninsured Americans, making it his top legislative priority.

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee said they were close to success in bipartisan negotiations with three panel Republicans -- even if the full group does not take up the bill before the break starts on Aug. 7.

"Whether we get through markup or not I can't tell you today. But I am confident we'll have a concept we'll agree on," Senator John Kerry, a Democratic member of the panel, told reporters.

NON-PROFITS AND TAXES

The Senate Finance negotiations have zeroed in on a plan that would use non-profit cooperatives to compete with private insurers to drive down costs, members say, not the public plan favored by Obama and many Democrats.

The panel also is likely to back a tax on high-cost insurance policies to try to raise revenue and keep costs down.

The White House said it would wait until it sees the bill to comment on the cooperative approach, which is certain to disappoint some Democrats even if it wins over the three Republicans involved in the negotiations.

"I have done a lot of reading on the history of co-ops and it is not a nice history," Senator John Rockefeller told reporters after a closed-door meeting of Democrats. Continued...

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http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN2815702120090728?rpc=44

Somebody knows something. Aetna up 12% today.

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[tabatha]

1. I don't believe anything from the press now.

[KamaAina]

2. Well, if there's no public option in it, what the hell is in it?

Will we all get lollipops when we go for a doctor visit? :eyes:

[Walk away]

3. Well. I guess that means we really are alone. n/t

[kenny blankenship]

4. I think we should abolish the Senate

so I guess we're even.

[ima_sinnic]

5. what a friggin waste of time

I've given up the possibility of seeing a doctor in my lifetime.
These clowns couldn't care less about We The People. I wish they could all be fired and we could start over.
A "public option" itself is a joke and not what single-payer would be anyway--but now even that half-assed bullshit is not going to be in the bill?
screw all greed-head asshole congresspeople. fire all of them. They are supposed to be working for We The People--we pay their salary, and we pay for their health care. This is the best they can do for us?