"Leading Health Care Experts Tell House To Pass Senate Health Care Bill"

[Clio the Leo]

Leading Health Care Experts Tell House To Pass Senate Health Care Bill

Nearly four dozen of the nation's leading health care luminaries--including Jacob Hacker, the man who brought the public option to light--are urging the House of Representatives to pass the Senate health care bill, and quickly pass a separate bill to modify it: an approach favored by some members of Democratic leadership, major unions, and reform advocates.

In a stark message to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and her health care lieutenants--Reps. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Henry Waxman (D-CA), and George Miller (D-CA)--the expert say it's time for the House to act.

"Both houses of Congress have adopted legislation that would provide health coverage to tens of millions of Americans, begin to control health care costs that seriously threaten our economy, and improve the quality of health care for every American." reads a letter, obtained by TPMDC. "These bills are imperfect. Yet they represent a huge step forward in creating a more humane, effective, and sustainable health care system for every American. We have come further than we have ever come before. Only two steps remain. The House must adopt the Senate bill, and the President must sign it."

"Some differences between the bills, such as the scope of the tax on high-cost plans and the allocation of premium subsidies, should be repaired through the reconciliation process," the experts say. "Key elements of this repair enjoy broad support in both houses. Other limitations of the Senate bill can be addressed through other means."

They also warn of political recriminations of the year-long push for reform falls short.

"Alternatively, Congress can abandon this effort at this critical moment, leaving millions more Americans to become uninsured in the coming years as health care becomes ever less affordable," the experts say.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/leading-health-care-experts-tell-house-to-pass-senate-health-care-bill.php

full statement here
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2010/01/leading-experts-urge-house-to-pass-senate-health-care-bill.php?page=1

[KansDem]

1. "...and quickly pass a separate bill to modify it."

Who's to say this "separate bill" won't run into the same opposition and delaying tactics that HCR has endured?

And who's to say the paid shills won't start "teabagging" again, screaming falsehoods in attempts to shape the national debate?

And who's to say the CorpoCongress won't water it down to the point it's meaningless?

[Skinner]

2. I think their point is...

...that passing the Senate Bill would be a huge improvement over the status quo.

"These bills are imperfect. Yet they represent a huge step forward in creating a more humane, effective, and sustainable health care system for every American. We have come further than we have ever come before. Only two steps remain. The House must adopt the Senate bill, and the President must sign it."

So, even if the "separate bill" does run into opposition and delaying tactics, it is worth it to pass the senate bill.

But ideally, they say the senate bill should subsequently be made better by dealing with its worst problems during reconciliation (and other means):

Some differences between the bills, such as the scope of the tax on high-cost plans and the allocation of premium subsidies, should be repaired through the reconciliation process," the experts say. "Key elements of this repair enjoy broad support in both houses. Other limitations of the Senate bill can be addressed through other means."

I suspect most people here won't want to hear this, but I think it is true that the Senate bill is a signficant improvement over the status quo. If it could be passed and then improved through reconciliation, that would (obviously) be even better.

My impression is that this is our ONLY chance. If the senate bill doesn't get passed, there won't be another chance for a loooong time.

[Pirate Smile]

6. I completely agree. Pass the Senate Bill and then use Reconcilliation to make some changes.

Just pass it. I can't believe they would choose to let it die. That is just too tragic. It is a disaster both politically and policy-wise to not pass the Senate Bill.

The other pared down crap they are talking about wont work. You can't get rid of Pre-existing conditions exclusions without pulling in a lot of healthy people or else you start the insurance death spiral.

Has the House lost their friggin minds? Pass.The.Bill.

[jacksonian]

3. separate reconcilliation bill doesn't need 60 Senators

and would have more broad support.

And it's a good idea. Make Repugs vote against changing the Cadillac tax after the rest has been passed - do you think they will?

[Skinner]

4. Another good point.

The senate only needs 50+Biden to pass reconciliation.

[Spazito]

5. I agree, pass the Senate bill as is...

Introduce a bill, through reconciliation, which includes a Public Option. The Public Option is a fiscal bill which reduces the cost to the government over time ergo meets the criteria under which reconciliation can be used.

[Beetwasher]

7. I Actually Think We Could End Up With A PRETTY GOOD Package

by passing the Senate bill, as is, THEN (or even at the same time) doing a "patch" with reconciliation. The "patch" could be SIGNIFICANT and make it the whole thing pretty comprehensive.

[ProSense]

8. Exactly. n/t

[ShortnFiery]

9. Damn, you "Let's strap the average American with insurance cartel MANDATES" are out in force

today. :crazy:

[Better Today]

10. NO! Do it in pieces and then put Medicare buy-in through recon.

Do the insurance regulations as one or multiple smaller bills.

The problems with this one are deeper and worse for the populace's psyche being over 2000, too complicated, too much back and forth making the actual bill it's pluses and minuses way to un-settling for many "elite" liberals, so I can totally understand/sympathize with the complaint that this one needs to go.

Let's give Pelosi a chance to find other avenues,

AND IN THE MEANTIME, get a jobs package and a stimulus package through, or was last month's job summit just more appearance than substance?

[ProSense]

12. Yeah, do it the hard way to pass

a bunch of small meaningless bills

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

11. Win or Go Home

It's that simple. If we can't show voters some progress on this issue, we're going to lose seats in November, and that's going to make progress even harder to come by in 2011. If you're a voter struggling with a lack of medical care, you don't give two shits for ideological purity.

Just pass the damn bill and fix it later.

[eridani]

14. I'm one of those voters, and I say to hell with this bill. n/t

[eridani]

13. And the American public says not to

No public option, no mandates.
Tax high earners, not health care plans.