Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

ACTION: Tell Obama no Triggers on our Public Option

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Sign our Petition to President Obama.

During his campaign, President Obama gave us his word: “…when I’m President, we’re going to make drug and insurance companies compete for their customers just like every other business in America.”

But today, the insurance companies are claiming “victory.”  

If he signs a health care bill with a triggered public option, he’ll be turning his back on the promise he made to his voters.  Will Obama let the interests of the private insurance industry seal the fate of millions of desperate Americans?  Or will he stand up to the insurance companies and pass a real public option?

Act. Sign the petition.

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  1. The Democratic National Committee this afternoon released a new web ad that accuses Senate Republicans of making more than 100 misleading or false claims — and counting — in 11 days of floor debate.

    The spot shows one GOP senator after another complaining that the Democratic bill would mean a government takeover of health care and would mean huge Medicare cuts. Some of the specific points within those broader proposals are subject to debate. link

  2. My understanding is that the trigger happens if the market/exchange does not automatically lower prices.  Sounds like same result either way.

    • a public option could be written using any set of terms.  

      <

      p>If opponents of the public option won the negotiation of the terms of the trigger, the public option would probably never be triggered. If proponents of a public option won the negotiation of the terms for a trigger, then the bar would be low to trigger a public option.  In this case where one Senator stands between a filibuster and 60 votes for cloture, he would have the leverage to win the negotiation over the terms of the trigger.  

      <

      p>What makes the public option effective at driving down costs is when it is a valid option in all health insuramce markets.

      <

      p>When the public option was dropped from the Senate bill as a result of the committee of tens negotiations which endevoured to find common ground due to Lieberman’s threat to filibuster any bill wioth a Public Option, the health insurers proclaimed, “we won.”

      <

      p>Triggers have been used in recent legislation on others matters.  They have been written by opponents of the bill and they alomost never trigger.  It is a compromise that works in favor of those who oppose the initiave.  

    • Here’s some video of  Joe Lieberman only three months ago appearing to endorse the Medicare buy-in idea – in seeming contradiction of his decision to bail on the Senate deal. link

      Lieberman discussed the Medicare buy-in a meeting with the Connecticut Post in September, according to an article in the paper at the time, as  TPM noted today. But the article only paraphrased Lieberman.

      I asked the paper to send over the video, and it’s worth watching, because it gives you Lieberman’s actual quotes – which seem at odds with the Lieberman camp’s claim today that he has real problems with the approach.

    • By: Jon Walker Monday December 14, 2009 4:15 pm

      Joe Lieberman flip-flops on his support for Medicare buy-in. Lieberman’s back stab sent health insurance stocks soaring. Will the Senate majority finally opt for reconciliation? It seems that is the only path Lieberman has left the Democrats if they want to pass reform.

      The White House, on the other hand, wants Reid to give Lieberman anything he wants. Basically give Lieberman a big red marker to remove anything he does not like from the bill. There is no longer a Democratic party in the Senate there is now only the Liebocratic party.

      Jane’s campaign against Joe Lieberman’s wife, Hadassah, is picking up traction in the media. Even John McCain is tweeting about it.

      There is one of the most insane double-double-crosses going on right now on Dorgan’s drug re-importation amendment. read more…

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