Icon2

Obama Continues to Defend Likely House Abandonment of Public Option Provision

President Obama is already honing his skills in defending what will likely be his biggest domestic policy issue “win” for the foreseeable future — passage of the healthcare reform bill. Guess whom he’s attacking (throwing under the bus?) to get the job done — the progressive bloc of the Democratic party whose coattails on which he sailed into the presidency on their mandate. Obama, on his pending signature legislation which does not reference a public option — from NPR:

This notion I know among some on the left that somehow this bill is not everything that it should be … I think just ignores the real human reality that this will help millions of people and end up being the most significant piece of domestic legislation at least since Medicare and maybe since Social Security.

Yes, this is significant legislation, but Insurance will not be shedding a tear on a provision whose contingencies it has been expecting and planning for[1] this entire time. | LINK

  1. The Senate version of the reform bill uses tax credits in a more restricted manner than the House to allow patients to shop for coverage in an exchange. Within the exchange, the House bill would make available a government-run plan, which negotiates with doctors and hospitals on payment rates. The plan couldn’t pay doctors and hospitals at a lower rate than Medicare does. The Senate would require the Office of Personnel Management to contract with insurers to offer at least one multistate insurance plan in each exchange. []

Related Posts Within Doctor Pundit:

  1. House (and Some Senate) Democrats Strive for Public Option in Spite of Obama Aides’ Downplays Yesterday, while this blog took some time off, healthcare’s political...
  2. White House Releases Statement on Public Option ‘Rumors’, Some Top Dems Unconvinced The President’s drive for a public option is rife with...
  3. House Speaker Seems to Solidify Public Option Policy Doubts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s role in the debate on healthcare...

Leave a Reply

Doctor Pundit Featured Video

Former Cigna Exec Wendell Potter Interview (Via MidWeek Politics) August 2010

Doctor Pundit (Mobile Edition)

Yet another great way to receive Doctor Pundit content for the iPhone, iPad, PDA, BlackBerry, or any other mobile device. Get it here.

Doctor Pundit (Kindle Edition)

Doctor Pundit is now on the proprietary Amazon e-reader, the Kindle. Do you own one? Consider getting each and every post delivered wirelessly. Don't miss a single health policy moment. Subscribe to Doctor Pundit on Amazon's Kindle today!

Follow Doctor Pundit Updates (Tweets) Via Twitter

Posting tweet...

HHS Healthy People 2020 Interactive Campaign

Care About a Healthier Nation? We Want Your Input - Developing Healthy People 2020

DP Site Stats At A Glance

SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline