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The Senate Finance Committee just voted out their health reform bill, with all Democrats and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe voting for it. Wendell Potter, the former insurance industry executive turned whistleblower said today:
“Take it from me,” Potter says, “the Senate Finance bill is a dream come true of the health insurance industry. If there is not public option insurance companies aren’t going to change. The choice of a public health insurance option is the only way to keep insurance companies honest.”
Now, the Senate has a choice: Will the Senate move forward with a bill that works for the American people, or one that works for the insurance industry?
The Finance bill is out of step with the other bills passed by three committees in the House and one in the Senate:
- The bill is not affordable, costing families thousands of dollars more [pdf] than Kennedy’s HELP bill
- The bill does not ask employers to pitch in their fair share for their employee’s health care
- The bill raises money by taxing the middle class, not the wealthy who can most afford it
- The bill does not give us a choice of a public health insurance option
Americans know what’s good for them. They reject the idea of being forced to buy insurance without a public health insurance option in polling [doc] Health Care for America Now commissioned from Anzalone Liszt Research and Lake Research Partners:
Nationally, voters oppose a mandate to purchase private insurance by 64% to 34% but support a mandate with a choice of private or public insurance by 60% to 37%.
National House Swing Districts
Maine “Requiring everyone to buy and be covered by a private health insurance plan” Oppose
64% to 34%Oppose
60% to 34%Oppose
55% to 35%“Requiring everyone to buy and be covered by a health insurance plan with a choice between a public option and private insurance plans” Favor
60% to 37%Favor
50% to 46%Favor
55% to 40%Note: Half of those surveyed were asked each question.
In the same poll, Americans support employer responsibility provisions 61% to 39%, oppose taxing of their health benefits, 54% to 41%, and support taxing households making more than three hundred and fifty thousand dollars per year, 60% to 40%.
The Senate has a choice. They should keep in mind the polls and do what the American people want: Give us quality, affordable health care, fair financing, and a choice of a public health insurance option.
(also posted at the NOW! blog)
I’m proud to work for Health Care for America Now
7 Comments
Interesting Stuff:
Conrad says that he is against PO “On Principle”
Lincoln said that if the final bill if far from Baucus Bill, she’ll vote against it
Snowe said she hesitant about her vote.
Republicans simple used the hearing to generate talking points for the Right-wing media to use to attack healthcare reform
We have a bill. Now we need to push to make sure it includes the public option that makes it actually work for health care accessible to all of us.
i have a choice. whether to kick my senator mike crapo in the nuts or not. i’ll dream of the former.
Ugh, I feel for you. He was by far the biggest blowhard in the committee hearing today. Man.
Well, is the vote passing the bill good? Is it bad? I just checked Anthony Weiner’s website (Countdowntohealthcarereform) and he says it is a good thing. I gotta trust somebody! Harkin just said again that there will be a PO in the final bill. I see a lot of turbulence ahead but there is no where else to go but forward.
On the whole, good, but just barely.
Finance needed to pass a bill to move the process forward. Without there bill, getting a bill to the Senate floor would have been a lot harder, possibly impossible, and so health reform would be dead.
Of course, the Finance Bill is awful, and so if this is what we get in the end, that’s bad. But there are lots of opportunities coming up to change it and make it better.
So, the process has advanced one step. That’s good. But we must make this bill better, that’s bad.
Nicely done!
Too bad you don’t work for a major television network news organization, but then I guess if you did, this is the kind of story that could get you booted out.