Howard Dean and Bernie Sanders appear to support the Senate Compromise

[WI_DEM]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tells Rachel Maddow that if the health care reform deal reportedly reached by the "Gang of 10" Democratic Senators includes Medicare buy-in plus expanded Medicaid eligibility, it could be superior to the public option passed by the House and currently included in the Senate bill (and with extending Medical Assistance for others)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/9/812369/-Rep.-Weiner:-Medicare-Buy-In-Is-Path-to-Single-Payer!

The new health care compromise hammered out among Senate Democrats isn't perfect but it represents a "positive step forward," former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said on CBS' "The Early Show" Wednesday.

Liberals appear ready to drop their demands for a public option in order to assuage moderate Democrats and get the 60 votes needed to avoid a Republican filibuster. The revamped legislation would reportedly set up a private insurance plan overseen by the same government agency that controls lawmakers' insurance. It would also expand Medicare, lowering the qualifying age from 65 to 55.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/09/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5948676.shtml

In long run I have to agree that this might be better than some watered down Public Option.

[Schema Thing]

1. What a couple of fascist

[SPedigrees]

11. A pity one can't unrecommend a reply. Yours would get the ax. nt

[Schema Thing]

13. your sense of humor got the ax a long time ago.

lighten up on the axe wielding there, pal.

[berni_mccoy]

15. LOL!

[SPedigrees]

22. I find very little humor in attacks on my excellent Vermont lawmakers, in jest or not. nt

[Schema Thing]

25. pardy par par

[Eric J in MN]

2. Howard Dean said he's against this if "high risk" people are the only ones who can buy-in.

Dean added, however, that it was unclear as of yet whether the early buy-in applied to all those without insurance or just those at high-risk (I was told yesterday that the latter was true). He said that if it’s high-risk only, that could also be a provision that falls short of real reform, and noted that the early buy-in would have to be made available to everybody.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/howard-dean-senate-health-care-deal-contains-real-reform/

High-risk means denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition.

Denying based on a pre-existing condition will be illegal in 2013, and so no one will meet that definition starting then.

[WI_DEM]

3. I'm sure they will work this out, too.

[emulatorloo]

7. "it was unclear as of yet" - they won't release the details until CBO comes back -- some speculation

I heard was not just a "high risk" buy-in. The only thing I am not liking about it is that subsidies don't kick in until 2011(?) . So people will be able to buy in now, but will have to pay full amt. Later subsidies will kick in. I would like to see subsidies day one. (Calling my senator about that)

[emulatorloo]

4. I have already heard some DU'er claim that Dean and Sanders have a "hidden agenda" LOL

Sanders, Weiner, and Dean are the voices I have trusted throughout this debate.

I also think highly of the liberal senators who were involved in this negotiaons.

At anyrate, wingnuts have managed to successfully poison the phrase "The Public Option"

So far what I am hearing about this compromise does sound better than the weakened public option.

I don't care what they call it!

[SPedigrees]

21. I've been thinking the same thing.

Perhaps the secret agenda is to quietly introduce future legislation that further expands medicare.

[kirby]

5. Nobody knows the details yet...

One rumor I had heard is that only 'sick' people who cannot get private insurance would be allow to buy-in to Medicare. If that is the case, it sucks because it just shifts 'sick' people to an already insolvent system.

If everyone over 55 can join that is much better since the pool would include both health and sick people. It could actually be a good boost for the Medicare solvency issue.

Now for people under 55, it sounds like they are talking about allowing people to buy the same insurance that Congress is offered.

Of course, the devil is in the details and no one outside of a 10 Senators and the CBO know the details yet.

[dysfunctional press]

6. but feingold doesn't.

isn't he YOUR senator...?

[WI_DEM]

8. Yes, and I'll still work and vote for Russ

ultimately he will vote for something rather than doing nothing because he know's better than waiting another 15-20 years to do something.

[emulatorloo]

9. Last I heard he was "on the fence" about it.

So neither negative nor positive. He wants more details, (maybe there is some news I missed.

[havocmom]

10. One might take that to mean this is as good as it gets

:shrug: or :banghead: ?

[KharmaTrain]

12. A Nose In The Tent...

I have a lot of respect for both Senator Sanders and Dr. Dean...and their take on what's going on. And its obvious they know and see things many others aren't in the current state of negotiations.

I also think they see the liabilities of letting this process fail not only on the many who are currently uninsured and to force some regulation on the insurance lobby...but also that if this bill fails it all but shuts down any other legislation from moving forward and gives shitstains like Lieberman and Nelson and other Conservo-Dems more power than they represent or deserve.

The feeling I've gotten listening to these men along with Alan Weiner is what I've hoped for...a bill that sets the foundations to build on the expansion of medicare to all. Ammending a bad bill is far easier than starting this process all over again.

[Better Today]

14. Isn't hard to have a fully valid opinion when the bill and its ideasa

aren't actually being sent around until after the CBO?


I hope they are right, but I would imagine that unless they know more than Reid's 10 who are essentially refusing to talk about or share details till after the CBO and perhaps a few more tweaks.

[baldguy]

16. I don't get all this weeping and gnashing of teeth over the compromise.

Isn't it understood that the "public option" was itself only a second rate compromise to what was originally envisioned? Wasn't the original plan to expand Medicare?

Why is everyone getting all flustered & indignant when we're getting exactly what we wanted?

[kirby]

17. "exactly what we wanted"

Seriously? If you are under 55, how does the alleged Medicare expansion help you?

[KrR]

26. Worst case scenerio the new Marketplace will be there...

and maybe a PO still.

[LynneSin]

20. Because we want the actual words "PUBLIC OPTION"

:shrug:

I think 'public option' has because nothing more than spoilt milk that had good intentions but soured over time. I think there is alot of promise with the Medicare buy-in that could possibly lead us to single-payer healthcare.

[Cleita]

18. I think Bernie and Howard believe that expanding the two single payer

systems already operational and in place, could lead to expanding into single payer down the road in the future. I think they are being naive. We will never get the national health plan that we need, which is John Conyer's proposed improved Medicare extended to everyone, until health insurance is banned by law from offering basic health care coverage.

[LynneSin]

19. I read a review where the medicare buy-in is just the first step towards single-payer

I'm kinda liking this option but still remaining cautious

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. The NY Times was reporting that the Medicare buy-in could cost $7600 a year

That might be an improvement for some people, but it's even worse than what I have now.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

24. Yippee! Lucky uninsured couples over 55 can pay 15,200 a year for Medicare! Yippee!

And we're supposed to be HAPPY about this? We personally pay close to 11k a year now on COBRA and I thought that was outrageous.

Wait a minute, it IS outrageous. And our reps and President offering me the chance to pay MORE is REFORM?!

Is there something very, very, very, wrong with this picture? It's like some horrible nightmare I can't wake-up from.

[Shagbark Hickory]

27. Dean was always a fake with a pricetag. Col Sanders on the other hand has NOT, I reapeat, HAS NOT

supported the compromise.

He will only support it if it lowers costs. That interview on TRMS is nearly 20 hours old.