Obama may do away with public option.

[adoniijahsooner]

Looks like he's trying to compromise on healthcare...let's see how the gop responds.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-08-16-health-care-public-option_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip


The Obama administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run health insurance as part of his ambitious health care proposal.
Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives. Such a concession is likely to enrage his liberal supporters but could deliver Obama a much-needed win on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.

Officials from both political parties reached across the aisle in an effort to find compromises on proposals they left behind when they returned to their districts for an August recess.

Obama has been pressing for the government to run a health insurance organization to help cover the nation's almost 50 million uninsured, but Republicans remain steadfast in arguing against it.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that government alternative to private health insurance is "not the essential element" of the administration's health care overhaul. The White House would be open to co-ops, she said, a sign that Democrats want a compromise so they can declare a victory on the showdown.

"I think there will be a competitor to private insurers," Sebelius said. "That's really the essential part, is you don't turn over the whole new marketplace to private insurance companies and trust them to do the right thing."

Obama's top spokesman refused to say a public option was a make-or-break choice for the administration.

"What I am saying is the bottom line for this for the president is, what we have to have is choice and competition in the insurance market," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate's budget committee, pushed the co-op model as an alternative.

"It's not government-run and government-controlled," he said. "It's membership-run and membership-controlled. But it does provide a nonprofit competitor for the for-profit insurance companies, and that's why it has appeal on both sides."

As proposed by Conrad, the co-ops would receive federal start-up money, but then would operate independently of the government. They would have to maintain the same financial reserves that private companies are required to keep to handle unexpectedly high claims.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said Obama's team is making a political calculation and embracing the co-op alternative as "a step away from the government takeover of the health care system" that the GOP has pummeled.

"I don't know if it will do everything people want, but we ought to look at it. I think it's a far cry from the original proposals," he said.

Republicans say a public option would have unfair advantages that would drive private insurers out of business. Critics say co-ops would not be genuine public options for health insurance.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, said it would be difficult to pass any legislation through the Democratic-controlled Congress without the promised public plan.

"We'll have the same number of people uninsured," she said. "If the insurance companies wanted to insure these people now, they'd be insured."

Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., said the Democrats' option would force individuals from their private plans to a government-run plan, a claim that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office supports.

"There is a way to get folks insured without having the government option," he said.

Obama, writing an opinion piece in Sunday's New York Times, said political maneuvers should be excluded from the debate.

"In the coming weeks, the cynics and the naysayers will continue to exploit fear and concerns for political gain," he wrote. "But for all the scare tactics out there, what's truly scary — truly risky — is the prospect of doing nothing."

Congress' proposals, however, seemed likely to strike end-of-life counseling sessions. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has called the session "death panels," a label that has drawn rebuke from her fellow Republicans as well as Democrats.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, declined to criticize Palin's comments and said Obama wants to create a government-run panel to advise what types of care would be available to citizens.

"In all honesty, I don't want a bunch of nameless, faceless bureaucrats setting health care for my aged citizens in Utah," Hatch said.

Sebelius said the end-of-life proposal was likely to be dropped from the final bill.

"We wanted to make sure doctors were reimbursed for that very important consultation if family members chose to make it, and instead it's been turned into this scare tactic and probably will be off the table," she said.

Sebelius spoke on CNN's "State of the Union" and ABC's "This Week." Gibbs appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation." Conrad and Shelby appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Johnson and Price spoke with "State of the Union." Hatch was interviewed on "This Week."

[Collier11]

When you have sh*tty ideas, you are eventually going to have to concede...this is the beginning was a sh*tty idea to the fullest

[OUHOMER]

When you have sh*tty ideas, you are eventually going to have to concede...this is the beginning was a sh*tty idea to the fullest

Agreed, now they can throw just a little **** at us, and it wont be as bad.:mad:

[adoniijahsooner]

Agreed, now they can throw just a little **** at us, and it wont be as bad.:mad:

It's all part of the plan. It's like bartering real high then settling on what you wanted in the 1st place.

[JLEW1818]

lol most of the people who voted Obama, don't even realize that the other 2 branches are up in 2010 for election..

HA HA

[GrapevineSooner]

It's all part of the plan. It's like bartering real high then settling on what you wanted in the 1st place.

Or it could be because they didn't expect to get the kind of backlash that they've gotten, both from public, and then from the Blue Dogs in their own party.

And when you basically put pressure on yourself by telling Congress this needs to get done ASAP, you get compromise.

[yermom]

or maybe they might actually meet in the middle and this might not be completely awful?

does everything have to be so ****ty?

[soonerinabilene]

does everything have to be so ****ty?

Pistol Pete says yes.

[JLEW1818]

reward the people who voted for him. basically

[yermom]

what the hell are you talking about?

[JLEW1818]

He's rewarding most of the people who voted for him, the people who don't have health care.

am i wrong?

not trying to start an argument

[soonerinabilene]

He's rewarding most of the people who voted for him, the people who don't have health care.

am i wrong?

not trying to start an argument

i dont think that meth heads living in a single wide on the outskirts of town voted for him.

[JLEW1818]

but if you took people who voted

the ones who have health care

the ones who do not have health care......

I bet there is a big difference

[yermom]

i've never not had health insurance. i've seen my coverage change for the worse, with basically no voice or choice in the matter a few times though

not that i voted for Obama though. i most likely would have voted for him, but mostly because of Palin. but it's not like it mattered either way in this state

[My Opinion Matters]

but if you took people who voted

the ones who have health care

the ones who do not have health care......

I bet there is a big difference

Poor people deserve to die from syphilis. Because they're poor.

[Curly Bill]

Welcome troll.

[JLEW1818]

Poor people deserve to die from syphilis. Because they're poor.

lol, since i said that


since we are at, will you pay my taxes for the health care too?? I will give you all my info, and u can pay pal me the money

thanks

[Ardmore_Sooner]

The problem with all the people who "don't have insurance", is that most of them are actually people who are "uneducated on how to sign up for some kind of insurance (i.e. Sooner Care)".

Not that there aren't people who don't have any kind of insurance at all, but "47 million" is an outrageous and a untrue number. A vast majority of those people have the access but either don't know about it or spend money elsewhere. The government should start off by making sure that the people who are uninsured become more knowledgeable about what they can actually get before trying to giving them another option which may not be any better,

[JLEW1818]

I'd rather save up for my kids college, so they won't have to get loans.
and pay for their health care.. nobody elses

idc about anybody but my family.... if i had money left over, I'd give.... I give at church, and that's all i care about. as far as "giving"..... which goes to the church, and the poor.

[sooneron]

lol most of the people who voted Obama, don't even realize that the other 2 branches are up in 2010 for election..

HA HA

post


du


jour!

[JLEW1818]

haha, or at least the house and sen (congress)

not sure bout the judges..supreme

[Ardmore_Sooner]

not sure bout the judges..supreme

I hope and pray this is a joke...

[JLEW1818]

haha!

I'm more the legislative branch type guy

[Curly Bill]

haha!

I'm more the legislative branch type guy

Uh-hum, psst! jlew! Supreme Court judges are appointed for life. ;)

...as are all federal judges.

[OUAlumni1990]

Uh-hum, psst! jlew! Supreme Court judges are appointed for life. ;)

...as are all federal judges.

Now that's what I call job security!

[JLEW1818]

yah, now we got Sotomayor, uh

if your case goes that high, you did something strange

[Ardmore_Sooner]

I'm still shooting that prayer up that the last few posts are a joke....

[JLEW1818]

yes i know that judges are for good, or until they retire, (like this previous year)

i meant to say legislation, not other 2 branches

Legislative being congress, being the house and senate.




(but don't get me wrong, half the **** i say is bull****:D )

[Curly Bill]

yes i know that judges are for good, or until they retire, (like this previous year)

i meant to say legislation, not other 2 branches

Legislative being congress, being the house and senate.
(but don't get me wrong, half the **** i say is bull****:D )

You must have had what 10 or 30 beers today? :P

[JLEW1818]

well, Tiger did **** me off.... and I'm in Denver visiting some family.... talked to a Colorado dude about the 07 game last night... that motha ****er

[OUAlumni1990]

You must have had what 10 or 30 beers today? :P

That's what he had for breakfast :P

It's the breakfast of champions..

[JLEW1818]

haha, just think, by the time I'm yalls age... i should be pretty damn good at beer

[Curly Bill]

well, Tiger did **** me off.... and I'm in Denver visiting some family.... talked to a Colorado dude about the 07 game last night... that motha ****er

So you're saying you drank 10 or 30 Coors then? ;)

[JLEW1818]

naw, i tend to drink Budweiser , but i got fat, now i drink bud light.... (when I'm at bars.)

but they are big on Coors... and lol, Orton , threw 3 picks during the first half on friday night... watched it .. hahahaha

[OUAlumni1990]

I'm still shooting that prayer up that the last few posts are a joke....

Of course they are a joke. Do we dare say anything serious in the SO?

Drunk posting is the only way to fly my friend....:cool:

[MrJimBeam]

i've seen my coverage change for the worse, with basically no voice or choice in the matter


So you've already got government health care?

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

He didn't say anything about a death panel...now did he ;)

[Scott D]

The problem with all the people who "don't have insurance", is that most of them are actually people who are "uneducated on how to sign up for some kind of insurance (i.e. Sooner Care)".

Not that there aren't people who don't have any kind of insurance at all, but "47 million" is an outrageous and a untrue number. A vast majority of those people have the access but either don't know about it or spend money elsewhere. The government should start off by making sure that the people who are uninsured become more knowledgeable about what they can actually get before trying to giving them another option which may not be any better,

I don't have insurance because the option offered by my employer was nothing more than a token option so that they could say to both the government and potential lawyering outfits that they do offer insurance and the employees choose not to take their coverage option. I had a previous employer where I went from having sensible coverage, to virtually no coverage at all, so not surprisingly a bunch of employees chose to drop the offered health insurance.

Then add in the fact that the people who aren't being offered insurance through work are likely people who are either overweight or have some pre-existing health condition which can disqualify them from seeking self paying insurance options, and yeah, you can have a great deal of people who don't have insurance, but not for lack of being 'educated' about finding health insurance options.

oh and jlew, I neither have health insurance or voted for obama, so there. :)

[Collier11]

I dont have it cus I missed my sign up date and another one doesnt come around til November so there...and I didnt vote for obamanation

[stoopified]

If you are not in the Obamajority your opinion doesn't matter anyway.That leaves me in the slient minority.

[OklahomaTuba]

Why does it matter what the republicans will do? The donks have the super majority and control the entire government.

Until next year at least.

[adoniijahsooner]

Why does it matter what the republicans will do? The donks have the super majority and control the entire government.

Until next year at least.

Because if they continue with negative politics and show an unwillingness to compromise, it will look as though they have no interest in fixing anything, no real answers, just partisan banter.

[OklahomaTuba]

Because if they continue with negative politics and show an unwillingness to compromise, it will look as though they have no interest in fixing anything, no real answers, just partisan banter.The donks have all the votes they need to pass whatever they want. They don't need the GOP to pass anything with 60 votes in the Senate and Obama to sign it all into law.

Face it, this isn't about the GOP at all.

[NormanPride]

Why does it matter what the republicans will do? The donks have the super majority and control the entire government.

Until next year at least.

I giggled. This sounds like aggy.

:les: NEXT YEAR!


... Sorry, Tuba. Nobody deserves to be likened to aggy. :(

[OklahomaTuba]

I giggled. This sounds like aggy.

:les: NEXT YEAR!


... Sorry, Tuba. Nobody deserves to be likened to aggy. :(No worries, I kind of liken the last two election cycles to the whole "two in a row" BS we heard outta the aggots in 2001 & 2002. Even aggy/libz get a win occasionally.

But obviously Dear Leader and his agenda is collapsing quicker than aggys divisional title aspirations. I suspect 2010 will be a return to normal.

[OhU1]

The problem with all the people who "don't have insurance", is that most of them are actually people who are "uneducated on how to sign up for some kind of insurance (i.e. Sooner Care)".

I don't know if you meant another kind of insurance program but Sooner Care is not health insurance. Sooner Care is the name for the Medicaid Program which is administered In Oklahoma by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

[Bourbon St Sooner]

Being down here in Louisiana with two blue dog Democrats, I've seen a lot of TV ads and, I would say, they are 5 to 1 in favor of the Obama plan. I mean Obama even bought off the Big Pharma companies to back his plan. The fact that the plan has only gotten more unpopular shows the American public still has a healthy distrust of big government.

[adoniijahsooner]

Being down here in Louisiana with two blue dog Democrats, I've seen a lot of TV ads and, I would say, they are 5 to 1 in favor of the Obama plan. I mean Obama even bought off the Big Pharma companies to back his plan. The fact that the plan has only gotten more unpopular shows the American public still has a healthy distrust of big government.


They dont trust big government, but they voted a democrat into the white house?

[Sooner98]

They dont trust big government, but they voted a democrat into the white house?

Baffling, isn't it?

Just as baffling, were polls from earlier this summer before the health care debate really kicked into high gear, that showed that something like 80 percent of Americans were very satisfied with their health insurance plan, but 60 percent believed the system was broken, and needed to be completely overhauled. However, 60 percent also believed that a government overhaul/takeover of healthcare would make things worse.

Basically, a large percent of Americans are clueless when it comes to this debate, and to which party/candidate most closely reflects what they believe in.

[Collier11]

How about all the people who laughed at Bushs steep drop in the polls from year to year and month to month and now all the sudden Obama has dropped from huge approval ratings to near 50% already

[StoopTroup]

How about all the people who laughed at Bushs steep drop in the polls from year to year and month to month and now all the sudden Obama has dropped from huge approval ratings to near 50% already

Well....you could see that happening anyway. Obama's rating were high just because he made history. Since he put such an agressive agenda in place and then the economy dropped into the abyss...you could see quickly he was going to be in trouble. Bush after 9-11-01 was in trouble with all of his campaign promises as well. It's why I don't put much stock in anyone who thinks they're going to change things once they get in office. Their expectations are changed as soon as they're sworn in...the American People's expectations are usually overly optimistic as well.

[Collier11]

Thats why people need to stop trusting these blank campaign promises from candidates on both sides and do their own damn research but we all know people are lazy about that stuff

[OklahomaTuba]

They dont trust big government, but they voted a democrat into the white house?Not all donks are as liberal as Obama is.

I think the collapse in his agenda thus far (obamacare, cap and tax) has proven this.

[OklahomaTuba]

Thats why people need to stop trusting these blank campaign promisesyou know its getting bad when someone runs on two words, hope and change, and can't even live up to that campaign promise!!!

[Bourbon St Sooner]

They dont trust big government, but they voted a democrat into the white house?


That's because the last Republicans we put in were a bunch of Ted Stevens clones. I don't blame people for voting for something different than those corrupt swine. But I think the Democrats over-estimated the public's appetite for a large shift to the left.

[Collier11]

you know its getting bad when someone runs on two words, hope and change, and can't even live up to that campaign promise!!!

Actually it is very relevant still..."I sure hope that Obama can change the way he is running this country" :D

[85Sooner]

Let me get this straight.

Obama's health care plan will be . . .
. . . written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it,
. . . passed by a Congress that hasn't read it,
. . . signed by a president who smokes,
. . . funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes,
. . . overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and
. . . financed by a country that is nearly broke.
What possibly could go wrong?

[Collier11]

Kinda reminds you a little of the 350lb PE teacher trying to make you do more jumping jacks!

[Turd_Ferguson]

Gibbs is look'n a little perturbed right now...:D