So if they win their suit against the mandate, can Dems pass public option?

[OregonBlue]

[global1]

1. Do You Think The Chess Player In The Oval Office Is Three Moves.......

ahead on this one? Come on AG's and Repugs - I dare you.

[SteveM]

4. Well! You're right. I'll just have to fix that mess-up. nt

[Poll_Blind]

2. That's what some of us are hoping. With varying levels of hope.

I'm not holding my breath but I'm not ruling out The People. I've seen jets topple tall buildings, I've seen an idiot at the helm of the world's greatest country.

If those shits can make history, so can the good people.

PB

[Statistical]

3. IMHO it depends on how they word it.

Passing legislation that says something like (paraphrased).

All Americans must show credible coverage, ability to self insure or religious objection to medical care.

Any American not will automatically be enrolled in a publicly funded health program. Premiums to be paid by payroll deductions with subsidies based on income.

The irony is that Republicans would have to support it. They can't undo the rest of HCR without 60 votes and with mandates unconstitutional it would force everything into a no-mans land. HCR without mandates would destroy insurance companies. Something would be needed to "absorbs the slack" and that could be Public Option.

[MineralMan]

5. Maybe. Maybe not.

One thing that might fly would be a user-funded Medicare extension as an alternative to people over the age of, say, 50. If that could be passed, it would be pretty easy to add additional age extensions incrementally. Get a foot in the door with something that would be very popular, as this would, and pretty soon you can wedge the whole thing inside.

It's one way single-payer health care could be implemented...probably the only way in the reasonable future. I'm sure this is being carefully considered right now.

[Ozymanithrax]

6. No seems to notice that the public option did not have the votes in the Senate...

That has not changed.

So, the answer would be, no.

[Statistical]

7. If mandates were found unconstitutional the rest of bill would stand.

To dismantle rest of HCR would require 60 votes something the Republicans don't have.
The mandate was a gift to insurance company in return for all the restrictions. Mandates going away would leave insurance companies with all stick and no carrot.

Republicans would be scrambling over each other to get votes for a public option. It would be necessary to insure everyone in order to protect their precious insurance corporations.

[Ozymanithrax]

9. The mandate works to bring prices down by expanding the pool...

Without it, one of the biggest price reduction parts of the bill is gone.

Republicans know that. That is why they are taking it to court. They want the whole thing to fail, and pulling that piece out sets the rest up to fall.

[Statistical]

13. That still doesn't make rest of bill "magic away"

The rest of bill stands. Insurance companies will be facing massive costs. A govt program for all uninsured has at least the potential for passage under that scenario.

[Donnachaidh]

19. and the pool DOESN'T expand if young healthy people decide to pay the fine.

So the mandate is useless.

[girl gone mad]

23. That's wishful thinking, at best.

[Statistical]

25. Mandates do not bring prices down. Expanding the pool does not bring prices down.

Prices go up. Total amount spent on healthcare goes up.

All you are doing in shifting money. By having more people in the system (hopefully healthy people you can pull lots of cash out of) you shift burden from the sicker to the healthier.

Now it is fairer. It makes the system more robust but lets not pretend that it makes prices go down.

[rocktivity]

17. DING DING DING! Statistical, you're our grand prize winner!

Mandates going away would leave insurance companies with all stick and no carrot. Republicans would be scrambling over each other to get votes for a public option to insure everyone to protect their precious insurance corporations.

And like I said upthread, wouldn't it be lovely if that WAS Obama's ulterior motive all along?

"Go ahead, attorneys general, make my day--the closer to November, the better."



rocktivity
:headbang:

[patrice]

21. Frakking SOCIALISM for HC Insurance Company JOBS will ignite a Bonfire of the Vanities on WallStreet

Thank you Tom Wolfe

[0rganism]

8. depends on how far up the court chain it gets

If it goes to the SCOTUS, I think the fascist five would find a way to interpret the constitution so that an insurance company CEO would have the option to rape patients before surgery.

[Matariki]

10. The Governor of my state is fighting w/ our Attorney General

because he's filing a lawsuit challenging the mandate on constitutional grounds.

I think it would be very interesting if the mandate is thrown out of the package, while the reforms are kept. Obviously another solution will be needed and hopefully that will be Medicare for Everyone or a Public Option. Here's hoping.

[rocktivity]

11. They can and they SHOULD!

A public option of some kind would nullify the lawsuit, wouldn't it? And what if what that was Obama's ulterior motive all along? And what if it happened in time for the November elections? The GOP would be SO dead in the water! Wouldn't THAT be lovely!

:headbang:
rocktivity

[Matariki]

15. It would be REALLY funny if the plan was to get the Republicans to fight the mandate

and usher in the Public Option all along. :rofl:

[Statistical]

16. It would be quite the DUZY.

The look on the GOP faces would be like the look on a drug dealer when he first realizes it was a sting operation.

[TransitJohn]

12. Fuck the public option.

Go for the only moral choice, put every American on Medicare. Sorry insurance companies.

[Javaman]

14. That would be...a public option. nt

[TransitJohn]

20. It's not really an option if it's the only choice.

Vocabulary is good.

[Javaman]

24. So, just to be clear, you are for putting every single American on Medicare without

any other options?

If so, than that is basically single payer. (that is my real want)

If you are for allowing other forms of competition, then, yes, that would be a public option.

[Gwoppi]

18. I don't know, but

It certainly opens the door to us suing for repeal of the PATRIOT Act and the return of the Fairness Doctrine.

There are more and better attorneys on our side of the political aisle. This is a can of whirlwind they don't want to open and reap.

[patrice]

22. Q. Who is/was one of the Biggest Institutional Investors in DERIVATIVES on Wall Street?

A. Health Care Insurance Companies.