Joseph Hacker suggests a Trigger for Universal Medicare

[andym]

Public Option's Architect Intrigued By Medicare Buy-ln: 'The Original Idea'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/10/public-options-godfather_n_387673.html

The intellectual father of the public option expressed enthusiasm on Wednesday for the decision by Democrats to push for an expansion of Medicare coverage to consumers as young as 55, calling it the "original idea" behind the public plan.

Jacob Hacker, a Yale University professor and leading health care theorist, did not fully endorse the latest incarnation of reform making its way through the Senate. Indeed, he was critical of some of the policy negotiations, in particular the decision to replace an actual public option with something run by private insurers and regulated by the government -- which he deemed "inadequate" and incompatible with the president's principles of reform.

But in a segment on PBS's Newshour, Hacker did call the proposed expansion of Medicare an "enormous, positive development." And, in the process, he provided Senate Democrats with at least a modicum of intellectual cover as they try to patch together their final reform effort.
......

"Well, if they have won this round, the question is, can we put in place a trigger that says, if they don't perform up to expectations, then, in the next round, there's a public option that isn't restricted to people over the -- over 55?"

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I think this a great idea.

In fact, perhaps even old Joe Lieberman would be OK with a trigger for universal Medicare (as opposed to a "public option"), since he's apparently OK with the limited Medicare expansion.<-- of course, in reality although it's unlikely he would go for this, he has set himself up rhetorically, basically implying that Medicare is not a "public option"

[laughingliberal]

1. I don't think Joe Lieberman is going to be for anything that takes one penny out of the pocket of

private insurance cartels.

[andym]

2. You're probably right, but

he's backing himself into a corner rhetorically.

[kirby]

3. I keep hearing...

that the people between 55 and 64 will only be able to join Medicare if they have no private coverage AND are under 3*poverty level. Everyone else is stuck with the status quo.

[andym]

4. A trigger for universal Medicare would probably be the best case scenario at this time

given that Medicare for All has been off the table.