VP Biden Just Clarified Exactly what I posted last night: Obama Means PO OR BETTER

[berni_mccoy]

Last night, my takeaway from the speech was that Obama clearly stated that a PO is a solution that accomplishes a goal with the HCR Bill. He's open to other ideas THAT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF COMPETITION AND PRICE CONTROL.

From the speech:

"the public option is only a means to that end -- and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal. ... But I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans can't find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice. "

Biden was asked this morning if Obama would sign a bill without a Public Option. When he answered, he responded that Obama will only sign it if the bill accomplishes the same goals that the PO achieves. Since the White House has already rejected CO-OPs from Baucus's Bill, it appears there are no other solutions on the table but the PO.

Obama is setting the bar at PO as a MINIMUM.

[polichick]

1. Except he said...

"Let me be clear - it would only be an option for those who don't have insurance."

They want universal coverage, meaning everybody has it ~ but it's about keeping the vast majority of people with private insurers.

[berni_mccoy]

5. Wow, way to take it out of context. First off, there are 50 million uninsured Americans

Secondly, Employers could subscribe to it for their employees. The intent behind that comment is that it's a choice, not a mandate. If you have insurance provided by an employer, you don't have a choice as to what they provide and that's the same as today.

[polichick]

7. Where do you get that employers could subscribe? That's not what he said. nt

[berni_mccoy]

9. It's in the bills currently under consideration.

Both HR3200 and the bill out of the Senate HELP committee. These are really the only two bills being considered.

[polichick]

17. Well, I was talking about what he specifically said last night...

Your thread IS about last night's speech.

I hope they do something other than what the prez said in regard to the po.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. He specifically said in his speech, if you currently have insurance you cannot use the public option

It was stated clearly.

[Postman]

24. You can't choose the Public Option if you already have insurance.

This is the Massachusetts plan on steroids.

[eomer]

28. I don't think that's what he meant.

He also said that the public option is intended to put pressure on the private options:

It would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/09/obama-health-care-speech_n_281265.html

The public option will only keep that pressure on if someone can switch to it if they are unhappy with their private option. So I believe he means that the public option would be in the exchange and available just the same as all the private options in the exchange.

[DeschutesRiver]

18. I pay a boatload of money for Blue Cross coverage that sucks

and there is no good choice for an alternative in my neck of the woods. Our policy goes up every SIX MONTHS. Between the high deductible, the co-pays required and the limit on prescriptions, if both of us got sick with a chronic illness, we'd have to come up with over $20,000 EVERY FREAKING YEAR that we remain sick. That is a minimum, because once our prescrip limits are reached, sky becomes the limit on out of pocket expenses like those prescrip. At our age, I am not certain we can even continue to pay these rocketing premiums for the stretch between now and Medicare.

We are people who pay for coverage so that we can pay more or die should we actually need to use that coverage. We keep the insurance just in case we still have that extra money in the bank at the same time we may need to use this stupid policy. If there were a public option (any other f'g option), we will cancel this policy that we can't afford should we become sick. Then we are one of those who "don't have insurance" and would be eligible for the PO.

Do I have that right? Is that all it would take, ie people with very expensive insurance that covers nothing can finally cancel those bad policies and then choose a public option, rather than the current choice of just going without insurance?

[polichick]

19. I got the idea that only those who don't currently have insurance...

...will qualify for the po, at least as the president sees it. I hope Congress expands that ~ although it seems the Blue Dogs want to do away with even a limited po.

I guess we'll have to see what the final bill says.

[DeschutesRiver]

31. Thanks

I'd like to see it expanded, of course, given our situation.

But it seems strange to limit it to just those without insurane at the time of passage of the reform package, esp. given this bad economy. What about everyone who is still losing their jobs, and thus joining the rest of the already uninsured because they now lack the workplace policy?

They are just as uninsured as the people who came before them, so there really isn't any strong ground on which to deny them the same benefits merely because of some arbitrary timing element. Uninsured is uninsured, and with the monthly unemployment numbers still being so high, this uninsured problem is growing.

My fingers are crossed for us and everyone else on this. I still am fairly optimistic re the po.

[mzmolly]

26. The goal was to provide coverage to those without insurance.

I'm not sure why that statement would be a surprise? Eventually the public option may open up, but initially it's a plan to cover the uninsured. As for keeping people with private insurance co's, if they cap the cost via regulation and say we can't be denied coverage, I don't mind staying with my insurance company.

[MNDemNY]

27. If there is a PO it WILL put private insurance out of business as we now know it.

And that is good.

[berni_mccoy]

29. Well, I don't know. Do Public Universities put Private Universities out of business?

[eomer]

30. All of the reform bills will put private insurance out of business as we know it.

All the bills have major new rules for private insurance so to the extent that private insurance continues to exist, it will not be as we now know it. And, yes, that is good.

[Klukie]

2. Yes

that is what I heard from the speech last night. I was a bit confused when all of these morning pundits were claiming that he was dropping the PO. What speech did they listen too?

[Tansy_Gold]

8. I read the thing, at least as much of it as is posted on his website

My understanding -- The PO is only for those who can't find "affordable" insurance through "The Exchange."

Since the insurance companies can't reject or raise rates on those with pre-existing conditions and since everyone under the designated income level will get tax credits and subsidies to allow them to buy insurance, there is by definition no need for a public option. It has been defined out of existence.

The PO is only a means to an end, but what that end is, I don't know.

I'm not satisfied. PO is apparently a "last resort" instead of the ultimate objective. That's not what I was hoping for.


Tansy Gold

[Inuca]

23. The PO is supposed to be PART of the exchange

Obama said so yesterday, and that's in the House version(s?) as well. That's the whole idea, that those shopping for insurance will find this alternative among the ones available in he exchange.

The part I do not know is who else will be in the exchange. Specifically, for whatever reasons there are states/areas where CURRENTLY very few private options are available, will there be something in the new legislation to increase this number? Keep in mind that currently you cannot shop for insurance across state lines.

[ShortnFiery]

3. Gawd!

Even the Progressive Caucus is like "lambs to the slaughter."

We are so f**ked if you can't see this is ALL about enriching the Insurance Companies. :(

[polichick]

6. I see it - the po for only the uninsured, plus a mandate equals...

ENORMOUS gains for the insurance companies.

Some of the reforms for the industry are good, but we have a looooooong way to go.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. I agree with you.

[berni_mccoy]

11. You know, instead of spamming everyone in the thread, you could make your own post

Make your argument and see how many people agree with it.

By running around feverishly responding to everyone in this thread, you look like you're hair is on fire and unable to convince others of your point.

[polichick]

16. LOL - you seem rather threatened. It's common practice to reply to...

...individual posts.

(On edit: Are you NUTZ??? - I only posted to you and one other on this thread.)

[placton]

14. god at least SOMEONE else sees this

for the awful sell out it is

[livetohike]

4. Pres. Obama kept the public option portion in his back pocket

until near the end of his speech. When I saw him greet Speaker Pelosi,I knew by the look on her face he was going to talk about it. He supports it. There is not going to be a better idea coming out of the Republicans.

[ShortnFiery]

12. But the 900 Billion would be essentially "a gift" to the insurance companies.

The very poor and the very rich will be sitting pretty with this bill but it will GUT the middle class.

Better to have NO BILL than this half-backed one.

[livetohike]

15. My husband and I are self insured (as we retired from the work

force early with no benefits). Our premiums just went up this month 24%! I don't think we will be eligible for the public option - we are too young for Medicare. Neither of us have pre-existing conditions and are currently healthy. I can only imagine the burden on others who are in difficult situations.

However, I disagree with you that this will gut the middle class. How will this bill cost the middle class more than they are already paying? I'm hoping for more competition. We could only choose BC/BS as an insurer because no one else here will cover people who are not in a group plan! That was my biggest shock in looking for an insurance company once we were off COBRA (and that was very expensive).

[OwnedByFerrets]

13. "if Americans can't find affordable coverage"

What does that mean?

[me b zola]

20. What I interpret that to mean

is that if your health insurance cost are 15% or more of your income, that is un affordable. I'm just guessing at the number that will be used, hopefully they will use a smaller number.

[me b zola]

21. What I loved about the speech last night

The PO was rightfully framed as the rational, centrist position.

[Cleita]

25. All the time he was talking last night, I kept thinking of the poor

soul in NC who died of pneumonia and starvation in a tent. I couldn't help thinking, how could someone like him get the help and medical care he obviously needed to survive? Nothing in Obama's speech addressed the plight of people like him, only how everyone's insurance wasn't going to be allowed to screw them anymore. I think we really have a long way to go to convince our well fed, and out of touch politicians, about what a real crisis we really have here and keeping one sixth of the economy represented by the health care insurance industry well fed and happy isn't going to solve that.