Public option appears doomed

NY Post ^ | January 9, 2010 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Scanian]

WASHINGTON — Senior House Democrats have largely abandoned hopes of including a government-run insurance option in the final compromise health care bill taking shape, according to several officials, and are pushing for other measures to rein in private insurers.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democrats told President Barack Obama in recent meetings they want the legislation to strip the insurance industry of a long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws, officials said. That provision is in the House-passed measure, but was omitted from the bill that the Senate passed on Christmas Eve.

They also want the final measure to include a House-passed proposal for a nationwide insurance exchange, to be regulated by the federal government, where consumers could shop for private coverage. The Senate bill calls for a state-based system of exchanges.

[Man50D]

Don't believe this for a second. Any Congressional legislation is by its very nature a government mandate replete with rules and regulations. Pelosi and Reid wouldn't have pushed government run health care this whole time to suddenly allow it not to happen. They will merely repacage it to seem as though it isn't government run health care.

Any federal version of health care is unconstitutional since Article 1 Section 8 does not specifically grant Congress the power to regulate health care. The people are not bound by any unconstitutional act of Congress and are not required to comply. The whole bill needs to go down in flames. This is the point people should be hammering home with their politicians.

[rae4palin]

What you said.

[Guenevere]

bttt

[Sacajaweau]

They’ll do this option as a “side dish”. Look for AARP to be the profiteer in the end.

[stevem]

When the fascists in DC tell the venders what commodities will and won't be sold and how they will be packaged, then tell the consumers they must buy said commodity, isn't that the public option?

In fact, calling it an option cheapens the language. I suppose there are options: Buy or go to jail.

[Anti-Bubba182]

I agree. The bill is malignant cancer with or without a “public option”. It is just the beginning.

[depressed in 06]

But, we get the taxes!

[Brilliant]

The public option is not doomed. It’s just been given an incremental time line.

[Ikemeister]

ditto

[pistolpetestoys]

They just want to get something-anything passed before Brown eats Coakley’s lunch.