The Obama Project@WindonWater.net

I’m reading this web site (thanks to Cescan Matt Osbourne on FB for the link): http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm

I wanted to give a careful look at one of the Republican options, because I want to be sure that I’m really looking at what’s being offered for solutions, rather than going along with partisan posturing. So here’s the plan I looked at: Senators Tom Coburn & Richard Burr & Representatives Paul Ryan & Devin Nunes Patients’ Choice Act of 2009 (S. 1099 and H.R. 2520)

The plan offers to provide a tax credit to Americans – about 2500 – 5100K. (For poor people at less than 200% of the poverty line, this money will be provided on a debit card.) In exchange – they will eliminate the employer incentive to insure people, reduce medicaid coverage for most people. They will allow and encourage states to set up exchanges so that people can buy private insurance, and expand health care savings accounts – especially for people with chronic illness.

There’s more (check out the link) but these were alarming enough to make me say – this is a non-starter. Some people (middle class, over the 200% poverty line mark, and yet, not well off) will not be able to save up enough for effective chronic illness care. I’m stunned that this proposal even was offered. And of course – tax credits only work if you don’t typically owe taxes at the end of the year.

I’ll look at another proposal tomorrow.. .this one gave me a headache.

QT

Open Left:: Parcel Delivery with a Public Option.

Diarist tremayne at OpenLeft, with the most cogent example of how public and private can work effectively together:

… I immediately thought of the U.S. Postal Service. Here’s a government-run service that can deliver a paper document to any remote location you choose for 42 cents.  They can also deliver packages quickly and at a very competitive rate. Impressive.

But even with this efficiency the “public option” for package delivery has a number of healthy competitors. There’s FedEx (started in 1971 as Federal Express), DHL (founded in 1969), UPS (founded in 1907) among others.

Well said.  Repeat, repeat, repeat…

QT

Hopefully this will reach the president, but I’m not going to take chances – I’m going to write Rahm Emmanuel and Ari Emmanuel and the President myself.

*******************
I’m not here to write a story. I’m here to share one, and to beg the president to make congress respond to the American people. This is America, not Iran, and when anywhere from 60 – 75% of the populace is in favor of a public plan, our elected representatives are obliged to hear us, and respond to US, and not the monied interests lining their pockets.

Mr. President – if our elected representatives are on the take – we have no one but you to turn to… or else we have to take to the streets and make our own green revolution. Our voices cannot be stolen. Please respond:
Dad, by Lee Stranahan

Well, I Wonder, by Lee Stranahan

Me

The Coop Plan – Kent Conrad’s compromise proposal instead of a public plan has been roundly criticized as too small to make a difference. Some of the reason it’s being criticised is that it would never eventually yield to a single-payer plan…a complaint I don’t think most Americans have. Some of the reason its being criticized though, is that it would be so small the big insurance companies would eat it alive, and it would never meet the prime objective of ensuring a large enough entity to force the big insurers to compete and improve business practices to drive down costs, while delivering better service. THAT’S a valid concern.

I like the idea of member cooperatives. Credit unions don’t outcompete the big banks, but they sure as heck provide better services. I would be excited about seeing member owned coops for health care delivery. So – I proposed the following to improve of Sen. Conrad’s idea:

1. create a national umbrella organization with regional chapters.
2. force the national insurers to break up similarly into regional chapters (think: the break up of Ma Bell)

In recent discussions - it seems that point #1 has been taken up as a good idea… if they follow through with point #2 – I’m onboard.

Btw – I’ll take the congressional public option too – it sounds like a solid plan. The negotiation between the congressional option and a stronger (from a regulatory standpoint) Conrad option – would yield something unique, and valuable for the American people.