Kill the HC boondoggle bill & simply expand Medicare in reconcilliation. Done Deal. nt

[grahamhgreen]

[begin_within]

1. Yeah, why can't they just open up Medicare to anyone who wants to buy it?

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. Or, um, PAY FOR IT THROUGH TAXES. Jeez Louise, that's what civilized countries do. n/m

[begin_within]

4. well, not all of it is paid by taxes

My Mom pays something like $96 per month for Medicare Part B.

[IntravenousDemilo]

11. And your mom lives... in which country? n/m

[begin_within]

13. United States of Coca-Cola

[IntravenousDemilo]

14. I live in the Great White North...

... which is what I meant by a "civilized" country. And yes, I do think providing for the general welfare of its citizens is a good measure of how civilized a country is. Up here medicare has been pretty happily paid for with taxpayer dollars for about 45 years. We're eager for you to catch up because we want you to have nice things, too. Like health care.

I'm probably preaching to the choir because you already probably agree with me, but you'd have the money for health care if Bush/Cheney/Republicans hadn't squandered it all by invading two countries and by paying off their fat-cat corporate friends at Enron and suchlike over the years.

We wish we could invade you and impose universal health care on the US except, unfortunately, our one tank is being used in Afghanistan at the moment.

[dflprincess]

5. +10000

[Richardo]

2. Reconciliation doesn't happen IF THERE'S NOTHING TO RECONCILE

Kill the Senate bill, no reconciliation. Happy?

Jesus.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. Don't try logic here....

...it's like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters.

[grahamhgreen]

7. Do it in a different bill.

A reconciliation instruction (Budget Reconciliation) is a provision in a budget resolution directing one or more committees to submit legislation changing existing law in order to bring spending, revenues, or the debt-limit into conformity with the budget resolution. The instructions specify the committees to which they apply, indicate the appropriate dollar changes to be achieved, and usually provide a deadline by which the legislation is to be reported or submitted.

A reconciliation bill is one containing changes in law recommended pursuant to reconciliation instructions in a budget resolution. If the instructions pertain to only one committee in a chamber, that committee reports the reconciliation bill. If the instructions pertain to more than one committee, the House Budget Committee reports an omnibus reconciliation bill, but it may not make substantive changes in the recommendations of the other committees.

[Ozymanithrax]

8. If you kill the bill in the Senate, you can no have reconciliation...

Reconciliation only happens if the House and the Senate both pass a Health Care bill. Kill the Senate Bill, you kill the House bill.

This is the second thread I've seen on this, and I am astounded that so many people don't understand how Reconciliation works.

[grahamhgreen]

9. To trigger the reconciliation process, Congress passes a concurrent resolution

on the budget instructing one or more committees to report changes in law affecting the budget by a certain date.

It is my understanding that this can be done when the President submits his budget early next year.

You would not need to reconcile this bill.

[ncteechur]

10. I don't believe a committee can change a law. but the notion of doing medicare E in conference is

intriguing

[andym]

12. One problem-- subsidies

It has to be deficit neutral, any I don't believe you can add new taxes.

If so, there would be no subsidies. Although inexpensive, Medicare without subsidies is somewhere around $400-600/month (depending on which source you believe.)

If you want the subsidies, first pass the bill (which gets the subsidies as part of the Exchange). Then after certain Senators have already voted, use reconciliation to get subsidized Medicare for everybody on the exchange.

Medicare would also need to create a family plan.