US House Leaders Back Off Public Health Insurance Option

[Better Believe It]

US House Leaders Back Off Public Health Insurance Option
By Martin Vaughan
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
January 5, 2010

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. House leaders signaled Tuesday they are willing to agree to a final health overhaul bill without a government-run health insurance option if other parts of the bill would fulfill the same goals.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said after meeting with senior House Democrats that the bill must meet the test of "holding insurance companies accountable," whether or not it includes a public option.

"There are other ways to do that, and I look forward to discussing those other ways. ... We will have what we need to hold the insurance companies accountable," Pelosi said.

Pelosi huddled with House committee chairmen as talks between the House and Senate on reconciling competing versions of the health care overhaul bill got underway Tuesday. House leaders are to meet with Senate leaders via teleconference at the White House on Tuesday evening. They are aiming to strike a deal by early February.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.), one of Pelosi's top lieutenants, said House leaders will expect concessions from Senate Democrats, including possibly a repeal of the antitrust exemption for insurance companies, if the public option is absent.

The government-run option was a key part of House legislation and a top issue for critics of the health insurance industry, who contend it would create more competition. But opposition from centrist Democrats led Senate Democratic leaders to drop the public plan from their version of the health overhaul bill.

Keeping a public option out of the bill is a major priority for the trade group America's Health Insurance Plans, whose members include Cigna Corp. (CI), WellPoint Inc. (WLP) and Humana Inc. (HUM).

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100105-712486.html

- It's obvious the House leadership will go along with the backdoor deal cooked up by conservative Democratic Senators, the Obama administration and the private health insurance industry/big Pharma lobbyists. Let's hope that enough members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus stick to their guns and kill this insurance industry protection act before it kills us! -

[MNDemNY]

1. I'm shocked!!

[David Zephyr]

4. +1

Shocked.

[tridim]

2. dupe

[Better Believe It]

3. Where did you see it?

[tridim]

7. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4211491&mesg_id=4211491

It's about 8 posts below yours on the latest page.

[Better Believe It]

8. I didn't see it or post it on the Latest Page. Glad to hear it's not duplicated on the GD board.

[Mari333]

5. They will rue the day .

Centrist Dems=whores.

[Dinger]

6. centrist dems = repukes

Period.

[90-percent]

9. rub our noses in it

This is becoming so clearly blatant that we are owned by corporations that I think it will spark the violent overthrow of our current government!

Well, a guy can dream, can't he?

-90% Jimmy

disclaimer: the above is being partially facetious and in no way is intended to express I'm advocating the violent overthrow of our government. I think it's treason and I think it invites invasions in to your privacy, which are no longer restricted by the Constitution. I don't want that to happen to me.

[cutlassmama]

10. Too bad we have to put disclaimers on everything now, but one never knows. n/t

[Better Believe It]

11. You may have been added to the gov't watch list with that outburst!

Over half a million are on it now. Wouldn't be surprised if the Obama administration adds another half million or so people suspected of being rebel rousers, radicals, dissidents and malcontents to that new and improved McCarthyite subversive list.

[inna]

12. Is this list public?

I used to know someone who claimed to be on the "dangerous subversive list", but I never was sure if that was a figment of his (paranoid?) imagination, or if there was some truth to it.