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August 17, 2009

Pelosi pushes Obama to stick with public option

Liberal Democrats Monday are lining up to press President Obama for a government insurance option as part of any health care overhaul, after watching him and his administration suggest that he could give up the government insurance if necessary to win votes.

“There is strong support in the House for a public option,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement. “In the House, all three of our bills contain a public option, as does the bill from the Senate HELP Committee.”

She called the availability of government insurance  “the best option to lower costs, improve the quality of health care, ensure choice and expand coverage. The public option brings real reform to lower costs over the 10-year period of the bill.”

Pelosi also reminded Obama that he’d long endorsed the so-called public option before signaling over the weekend that he would accept a health care bill from Congress with or without it.

“As the President stated in March, ‘The thinking on the public option has been that it gives consumers more choices and it helps keep the private sector honest, because there’s some competition out there,’” she said.

“We agree with the President that a public option will keep insurance companies honest and increase competition.”

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Howard

Actually, I do travel to the UK to obtain healthcare. And I am unable to return to the US because I have a pre-existing condition that renders me ineligible to purchase health insurance. So what am I to do? Britain seems to have no problem providing care to me under the NHS when I'm not a citizen. And the US can't even provide such care to its native-born sons? This is RUBBISH!

peterclarke

First, any honest lawyer or lay person who has truly read the health bill, passed by the House, the only conclusion one could come to is that it is NOT a health care reform piece of legislation. However it is clearly a federal government power grab to control health benefits and treatments under private or public plans.

It further will take away responsibilities or restrictions concerning same from the local State Governments, doctors and private insurance companies and put this power and responsibility into the hands of an UN-elected health Commissioner.

With more than 85% of Americans satisfied with the coverage available to them, why are Democrats and Republican Senators and House Members, supported by their respective political parties, lobbyists and special interest groups, rushing to Dismantle the existing health care insurance programs?

Do Americans travel to Canada, Cuba, England or France etc. to seek health care? Of course not.

Is the so called reform, then, mainly to include health benefits for the 15 to 20 million illegal’s and non-Americans? Is it to cover the 2 to 3 million who do not have and can not afford health care coverage for political reasons?

Or, the power grab is it is written, for the Federal Government and political parties too further control your life style, treatment and health benefits through unelected bureaucrats and czars making treatment or benefit decisions for us based on the cheapest available drug or health procedures? The one blue pill fits all approach!

Why is there NO clause or statement in any proposed health reform bill or HR3200 that specifically states that NON-CITIZENS will NOT be entitled to benefits under the Government socialized universal health care program. WHY?

The Obama power grab for a socialized universal health care government run program, will lead to the complete dismantling of the current health care insurance system within 5 years. Read it, it is in the bill.

Now Obama-Care is considering Government financed co-operative non-profit health care insurance programs. This in itself might be a good move, but it raises a number of questions that need to be answered.

Like is the Government going to fund these co-operative non-profits out of our taxes?

Is there going to be a restriction that clearly states that only legalized American residents will be in a position to join and receive benefits from these Coops.?

If they are funded through taxes, like those companies who asked for and took the tarp money they will be subject to how the money is spend and what health services will be covered and who will be calling the shots relating to treatments? Government unelected bureaucrats and political czars or patience’s and their doctors? As, all these also presently exist in the House Bill 3200. Read it.

Further if and when these non-profits were to go bankrupt, would we the tax payers have to bail them out, like was done with Banks and Auto sector? Of course we would, just ask Senators like Barney Franks or other that are hiding from the voters.

So is it really a move away from a socialized universal health care or just another way for this Government to come in with dismantling the current health care insurance programs over a five year period, through the back door by taxpayer funding for these Coop, non-profit health care insurance programs through HR3200 which is the largest Federal Government power grab from the people and their doctors and local State Governments in history of our Republic?

ronin7752

Wrong battle, wrong time. Everyone is in a panic about the future of the economy, and Obama presses for reform that would strongly impact the deficit, the economy, AND health care.

He could have taken on special interests without any of those risks, and people would have supported him because of what special interests did to our economy.

...And at the same time, he could have reduced the influence of Special Interests on Congress BEFORE addressing health care.

Now he's lost his chance to win either. What was he thinking?

Girma

Why health care reform opponents are always opposing with out bringing concrete idea about it. I need heath care reform. I have no insurance coverage. Am I going to die while they are refusing change for their own political game? Do they realize the realties behind us? Do they look us while we are dying? I might be not supporter of the president but I am supporter of the health care reform. I think the final anger of the people will return upon opponents if the reform we people need will be denied because of their stalk. I fear the republican I love will lose their credibility if peoples are losing their chance to get reform. Let me ask one question- how many dollars was spending on Iraq war for nothing? How much dollar was wasted for worthless projects? How many dollars does America donate every year to the world while we are roasted with in the country being native citizen? How many grass root and mid-class people is dying lacking of health coverage while we are working or helping the rich and serving for the country. Just reducing the wastage and adding little tax to the wealthy can help all of us. This seems to be real and add little cost to our deficit in a long run.

Girma

Why health care reform opponents are always opposing with out bringing concrete idea about it. I need heath care reform. I have no insurance coverage. Am I going to die while they are refusing change for their own political game? Do they realize the realties behind us? Do they look us while we are dying? I might be not supporter of the president but I am supporter of the health care reform. I think the final anger of the people will return upon opponents if the reform we people need will be denied because of their stalk. I fear the republican I love will lose their credibility if peoples are losing their chance to get reform. Let me ask one question- how many dollars was spending on Iraq war for nothing? How much dollar was wasted for worthless projects? How many dollars does America donate every year to the world while we are roasted with in the country being native citizen? How many grass root and mid-class people is dying lacking of health coverage while we are working or helping the rich and serving for the country. Just reducing the wastage and adding little tax to the wealthy can help all of us. This seems to be real and add little cost to our deficit in a long run.

jahlen

Obama's performance thus far has been thoroughly disheartening. Through his leadership, he's managed to neutralize the fact that the Dems have control of both chambers of commerce and the presidency and has allowed the health care debate to be controlled by lies and distortions. My mistake for voting for him. Unless things change, I'm voting for whatever party of the left that truly represents my ideals of good government.

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