Baucus Says ‘Nothing is off the Table’ for Health Reform Plan

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Friday refused to rule out the possibility that a government-run health insurance plan will be a part of the health-care reform plan he’s crafting.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who has been the leading advocate for healthcare reform in Congress, told reporters at the National Press Club that a publicly funded health insurance plan – what he calls “the public option” -- was not off limits, adding that “everything is on the table” at this point.

“Some people say ‘kick the public option off the table.’ The public option’s on the table,” Baucus said. “Nothing’s off the table. The public option might be off to the side a little bit, but it’s still on the table.”

Baucus told critics of the congressional Democrats' health reform effort to “cool it” and suspend their judgment on any single aspect of health reform while a final plan is negotiated.

“Come on everybody, just suspend judgment, if only for a nanosecond. If there’s something that you don’t like just suspend judgment, just cool it,” Baucus pleaded.

“This is so complicated that your initial reaction might be ameliorated by something else you see here. Just don’t get too excited and let’s try to make something work. There’s always a way to make something work.”

Baucus expressed his view that every American must have health insurance; saying that there are a number of ways that goal could be accomplished, with a government-backed plan being one of them.

“I believe that everyone should have health insurance, every American should have health insurance. This (new) system will only work if every American gets health insurance," Baucus told CNSnews.com.

“My vision is that self-insured companies can keep the insurance they have. We’ll set up a system similar to Massachusetts’ where an individual looking for health insurance can go to the exchange and get health insurance from a public health insurance company -- similar to FEHBP for government employees today.”

FEHBP, which stands for the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan, is a system available to all federal employees which manages different private and union-created health care plans that meet the coverage and benefit requirements of the federal government. Insurance plans are submitted to FEHBP, which determines if they meet necessary requirements; if so, federal employees are allowed to choose between the different plans.

But when CNSNews.com asked the senator whether he plans to personally push for such a plan, one which both he and President Obama could support, Baucus was non-committal.

Baucus, meanwhile, did indicate that he is unlikely to use "reconciliation" to push a health-care reform bill through the Senate.

Reconciliation is a process which allows competing versions of a budget bill to be "reconciled" without having to go to a formal House-Senate conference committee. In the Senate, a reconciliation measure receives only 20 hours of debate, preventing the minority party from blocking the bill via filibuster.

Sen. Baucus said he did not want to use this process to overcome Republican opposition because it would only thwart bipartisan negotiation.

“I am not in favor of reconciliation; I think it gets in the way,” Baucus said. “If we jam something down somebody’s throat it’s not sustainable, and I want something that’s sustainable, that’s going to last.

“My goal has always been to talk to Republicans and say ‘Hey, we don’t have to do this (resolution) if we work together.’”

The health reform bill is expected to be ready for introduction in early June. Baucus indicated that he plans to conduct three separate sets of hearings to discuss health care delivery, health insurance coverage and the overall cost of reform..

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Executive-Order-Establishing-The-White-House-Office-Of-Health-Reform/

Previously...

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2227370/posts

EXECUTIVE ORDER: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF HEALTH REFORM
WHITEHOUSE.gov ^ | April 8, 2009 | n/a
Posted on April 11, 2009 9:48:23 PM PDT by Cindy

Note: The following text is a quote:

THE BRIEFING ROOM

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary ———————————————————————— For Immediate Release April 8, 2009

EXECUTIVE ORDER

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF HEALTH REFORM

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in the interest of providing all Americans access to affordable and high-quality health care, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Reforming the health care system is a key goal of my Administration. The health care system suffers from serious and pervasive problems; access to health care is constrained by high and rising costs; and the quality of care is not consistent and must be improved, in order to improve the health of our citizens and our economic security.

Sec.2. Establishment. (a) There is established a White House Office of Health Reform (Health Reform Office) within the Executive Office of the President that will provide leadership to the executive branch in establishing policies, priorities, and objectives for the Federal Government’s comprehensive effort to improve access to health care, the quality of such care, and the sustainability of the health care system.

(b) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the extent permitted by law, shall establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Health Reform, which shall coordinate closely with the White House Office of Health Reform.

Sec. 3. Functions. The principal functions of the Health Reform Office, to the extent permitted by law, are to:

(a) provide leadership for and to coordinate the development of the Administration’s policy agenda across executive departments and agencies concerning the provision of high-quality, affordable, and accessible health care and to slow the growth of health costs; this shall include coordinating policy development with the Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, Council of Economic Advisers, Office of Management and Budget, HHS, Office of Personnel Management, and such other executive departments and agencies as the Director of the Health Reform Office may deem appropriate;

(b) work with executive departments and agencies to ensure that Federal Government policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President’s stated goals with respect to health reform;

(d) coordinate public outreach activities conducted by executive departments and agencies designed to gather input from the public, from demonstration and pilot projects, and from public-private partnerships on the problems and priorities for policy measures designed to meet the President’s goals for improvement of the health care system;

(e) bring to the President’s attention concerns, ideas, and policy options for strengthening, increasing the efficiency, and improving the quality of the health care system;

(f) work with State, local, and community policymakers and public officials to expand coverage, improve quality and efficiency, and slow the growth of health costs;

(g) develop and implement strategic initiatives under the President’s agenda to strengthen the public agencies and private organizations that can improve the performance of the health care system;

(h) work with the Congress and executive departments and agencies to eliminate unnecessary legislative, regulatory, and other bureaucratic barriers that impede effective delivery of efficient and high-quality health care;

(i) monitor implementation of the President’s agenda on health reform; and

(j) help ensure that policymakers across the executive branch work toward the President’s health care agenda.

Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The Health Reform Office may work with established or ad hoc committees, task forces, or interagency groups.

(b) The Health Reform Office shall have a staff headed by the Director of the Health Reform Office (Director). The Health Reform Office shall have such staff and other assistance as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this order.

(c) As requested by the Director, each executive department and agency shall designate a liaison to work with the Health Reform Office on improving access to health care, the quality of health care, and the sustainability of the health care system.

(d) All executive departments and agencies shall cooperate with the Health Reform Office and provide such information, support, and assistance to the Health Reform Office as it may request, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,

April 8, 2009.

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/05/20090507b.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 7, 2009 HHS Budget Puts Reform First Budget Helps Control the Skyrocketing Cost of Health Care, Cuts Waste & Fraud from Medicare and Protects Public Health Citing the rapidly escalating cost of health care in this country and the enormous pressures that health care costs are putting on our economic future, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today highlighted key reforms in President Obama’s 2010 HHS budget. “This budget sends a clear message that we can’t afford to wait any longer if we want to get health care costs under control and improve our fiscal outlook,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Investing in health reform today will help bring down costs tomorrow and ensure all Americans have access to the quality care they need and deserve.” The 2010 budget establishes a health care reserve fund of $635 billion over 10 years to finance health reform that brings down costs, improves quality, and assures coverage for all Americans. The reserve is funded by new revenue and by savings from Medicare and Medicaid. In addition to improving efficiencies and bringing down costs in Medicare and Medicaid through health reform, Sebelius also highlighted increased funding for a Medicare Integrity Program that will help fight fraud and abuse and crack down on anyone who tries to cheat the system. “We estimate that for every $1 we spend to stop fraud in the system, we save $1.55,” said Sebelius “The President’s budget lays out funding for anti-fraud efforts over five years that we estimate could save $2.7 billion by improving overall oversight and stopping fraud and abuse within the Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug programs.” Quality and access to care are also critical elements of the President’s reform plan. The President’s 2010 budget increases access and improves the quality of care for rural Americans and includes a historic commitment to health care for Native Americans. The budget also calls for over $1 billion in funding to increase the number of nurses, doctors, and health care workers in this country, especially in areas that are traditionally underserved, and includes funding to help eliminate health disparities. As the country and world face an outbreak of a novel H1N1 virus, and leaders from every level of government, the private sector and both sides of the aisle have come together to respond, Sebelius also highlighted important provisions in the President’s budget that will protect public health. The budget sets aside $584 million to help prepare for and combat pandemic flu and increases funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help ensure the safety of our food and medicine. “Whether it’s responding to the H1N1 flu virus or the recent recall of peanuts, our department is responsible for keeping Americans healthy and safe, and we take that responsibility seriously,” added Sebelius. “President Obama’s budget will help ensure we remain prepared to protect the American people. The investments we made in pandemic planning and preparation allowed us to respond quickly and efficiently to the H1N1 virus in this country and helped get Americans the information and resources they needed early on during the outbreak. New investments in this budget and in the funds that the President has requested in the supplemental will allow us to continue to respond to this new virus, replenish our stockpile of antivirals and start work on a potential vaccine for the fall flu season.” Overall, President Obama’s proposed budget includes a total of $879 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services in Fiscal Year 2010, an estimated $63 billion increase over Fiscal Year 2009. Highlights from the budget are included below: Controlling Costs Through Health Care Reform Strengthening Medicare Sustainability: Containing Medicare cost growth is not only essential to preserving the Medicare Trust Funds, but it also is a fundamental component of the President’s vision for health reform. Our ability to bring down the crushing costs of health care and improve the nation’s overall fiscal outlook is directly related to our ability to control health care costs. The Administration is committed to strengthening Medicare’s long-term sustainability. The FY 2010 budget bolsters the Medicare program by aligning incentives toward quality, promoting efficiency and accountability, and encouraging shared responsibility. Enhancing Medicare and Medicaid Integrity: Reducing fraud, waste and abuse in government spending is a top priority for the Administration. The FY 2010 budget invests $311 million in discretionary resources to strengthen program integrity activities within the Medicare and Medicaid programs, with particular emphasis on greater oversight of Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug program. This investment represents the first year of a multi-year strategy which the budget estimates will bring $2.7 billion in savings. These funds will augment existing mandatory resources for combating health care fraud and abuse. Moreover, the additional funding will better equip the federal government to minimize inappropriate payments, pinpoint potential weaknesses in program integrity oversight, target emerging fraud schemes by provider and type of service, and establish safeguards to correct programmatic vulnerabilities. Improving Quality of and Access to Health Care Strengthening the Health Professions Workforce: The FY 2010 budget includes over $1 billion to support a wide range of programs to strengthen and support our nation’s health care workforce. These investments will expand loan repayment and scholarship programs for physicians, nurses and dentists who are committed to practicing in medically underserved areas. Additionally, this funding will enhance the capacity of nursing schools, increase access to oral health care through dental workforce development grants, target minority and low income students, and place an increased emphasis on ensuring that America’s senior population gets the care and treatment it needs. Within this total, the budget includes $330 million, an increase of $136 million for programs that are part of the President’s initiative to address the shortage of health care providers in underserved areas. Programs included as a part of the President’s initiative are the National Health Service Corps, the Nurse Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program, State Oral Health Workforce Program, and the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. Improving Access to and Quality of Rural Health: The President shares HHS’ belief in increasing access to health care and improving the quality of health care in rural areas. The FY 2010 budget includes $73 million for a new “Improve Rural Health Care” initiative. The initiative includes funding that addresses Rural Health Care Services Outreach, Network, and Quality Improvement grants ($55 million); services provided by State Offices of Rural Health ($9 million), and Telehealth grants for use in Telecommunications technologies ($8 million). Improving Health Outcomes of American Indian and Alaska Natives: The FY 2010 budget includes over $4 billion for the Indian Health Service (IHS), an increase of $454 million. This represents a significant investment and will support and expand the provision of health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The increase will focus on reducing health disparities, supporting Tribal efforts to administer programs at the local level, and ensuring that where necessary, IHS services can be supplemented with care purchased from outside the Indian health system. The budget affirms the President’s commitment to improve health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and reflects a balance with funds provided for construction, equipment, and infrastructure in the Recovery Act. Reducing Health Disparities: The FY 2010 budget includes $354 million for combating health disparities to improve the health of racial and ethnic minorities and low-income and disadvantaged populations. These funds include $143 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative under the Ryan White Act, $116 million for Health Professions and Nursing Training Diversity Programs, $56 million for the Office of Minority Health, and $40 million for the CDC REACH program. Securing and Promoting Public Health Protecting Against Pandemic Influenza: The nation and the world are confronting and responding to a new strain of H1N1 influenza A virus, (2009 – H1N1 flu) that is transmissible among humans and is spreading rapidly with thousands of cases around the world. On April 28, 2009, the President announced a supplemental request of $1.5 billion for the federal response to this outbreak. These funds, in addition to the FY 2010 budget request of $584 million and the remaining balances of pandemic flu preparedness funds, will allow HHS to develop, produce, and distribute antivirals, vaccines, personal protective equipment, and other medical counter‑measures, as well as conduct public health surveillance and response efforts in the face of the current outbreak. Advancing Food Safety: The President’s budget includes an additional $511 million for FDA, the largest increase ever requested, with $259 million devoted to food safety efforts. This funding level would increase and improve inspections, domestic surveillance, laboratory capacity, and domestic response to prevent and control food borne illness. FDA will increase the number of food inspectors by approximately 20 percent in FY 2010. ### Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news. Last revised: May 07, 2009

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