We should lobby Congress to use Reconciliation to allow a Medicare Buy-in for all

[andym]

Medicare is a pre-existing program and would qualify for reconciliation.

If possible under the rules, a family Medicare plan should be created.

Finally, it should be allowed on the new exchange so it gets subsidies (note that it would not add any more cost to the subsidies or Medicare, because they are there anyway for those who qualify for the "non-profit" insurers)

I'm sending email right now to my Congress people: Eshoo, Feinstein and Boxer.

And please ask that they should not initiate this, until the rest of the bill passes (because otherwise certain Senators might withhold their vote for the "main" bill that can't be reconciled.)

Is this realistic? Well, there are plenty of angry liberal Senators and Congressman/Congresswomen out there right now who would support this.

[MNDemNY]

1. That would be nice....however...

The White House has indicated they have no interest in pursuing a bill with reconciliation. Them's the breaks!! gobama?

[andym]

3. Who care what the WH thinks, unless they plan to veto it

Congress ultimately makes laws, not the WH.

I think there are plenty of Democratic senators out there who are pissed (Sanders, Franken, Brown, etc) and would gladly go along.
Do you think the WH would veto it? I think not.

[MNDemNY]

4. They would certainly lobby HARD to defeat it.

Don't fool yourself, Obama is looking out for the Insurance Industry.

[andym]

6. Perhaps, but it certainly does not hurt to try

does it?

I have no idea whether the WH would support it or not (you could be right). But there's no harm in trying, and much good can come out of it, especially for setting the stage for single-payer down the line-- which was the goal of many here including myself (of course we wanted it right now-- but that does look impossible).

[MNDemNY]

8. I'm all for trying!

In fact I think this bill, as it sits today must be dumped.Try again!!

[uponit7771]

12. more vitriol...

[David__77]

7. I know right?

These are separate branches - co-equal. Let Obama veto it if he wants to destroy himself...

[uponit7771]

11. Link and quote OBAMA saying such??!!? TIA

[Clio the Leo]

2. Another take....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x57682

[andym]

5. Interesting, Klein affirms that it could work for Medicare nt.

[Blasphemer]

9. They won't do anything that really hurts the Death Insurance Industry

That is the bottomline. Clearly expanding Medicare through reconciliation is the way to go. The only reason NOT to do it is in order to protect monied interests.

[andym]

10. Looks like Dr Dean is recommending reconciliation as well. nt.

[andym]

13. The difference is that Dean is saying that they should just do reconciliation

But because Medicare would not be affordable to many, it would helpful to have the subsidies (which can't be done under reconciliation). Why should all the subsidies be used to pay the insurers?

[Honeycombe8]

14. I give up on HCR. These particular Dems have no backbone to get anything tough done.

They have lost, it seems to me. The ins. cos. and the Republicans have won.

It's over.

[MarjorieG]

15. We can still do Medicare extension, later, after reforms.

[andym]

16. I think it needs to be done before the 2010 elections

or they'll be little chance later...