Obama Struggles to Strike a Health Care Deal Palatable to All Sides
President Obama finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, going round and round in a dizzying cycle of give and take that doesn't seem to be advancing his top domestic priority.
FOXNews.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
President Obama finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, going round and round in a dizzying cycle of give and take that doesn't seem to be advancing his top domestic priority.
FOXNews.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
For President Obama, striking a deal that satisfies all the parties involved in the health care debate may turn out to be harder than overhauling the health care system itself.
The president finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, going round and round in a dizzying cycle of give and take that doesn't seem to be advancing his top domestic priority. As soon as he makes a concession to one group, he loses support from another.
And throughout the process, the stakes remain high: About 50 million Americans currently have no health insurance. The government provides coverage for the poor, the elderly, military veterans and many children, but most Americans rely on private insurance, usually obtained through their employers.
But not all employers provide benefits, and not everyone can afford to buy them. And with unemployment high, many Americans are losing their benefits when they lose their jobs.
Three House committees and one Senate committee have voted out health care reform bills. A group of lawmakers on a fifth panel, the Senate Finance Committee, continue to negotiate on a version of the legislation.
Here are all the different groups that have a stake in the debate, what they're after and what they're willing to give.
Liberals -- They insist that a government-run health insurance plan, or "public option," that will compete with private insurers is essential to health care reform. The Obama administration initially championed this plan, but it is now backing away to win support from conservative Democrats and Republicans, who fiercely oppose it. Administration officials say they can live with nonprofit cooperatives as a substitute for a government-run option. But liberals, including several House Democrats, are refusing to accept a co-op alternative because they say it will not have the bargaining power to negotiate prices and keep private insurers honest.
This week, more than 50 House Democrats issued a letter saying, "Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates -- not negotiated rates- - is unacceptable."
The president finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, going round and round in a dizzying cycle of give and take that doesn't seem to be advancing his top domestic priority. As soon as he makes a concession to one group, he loses support from another.
And throughout the process, the stakes remain high: About 50 million Americans currently have no health insurance. The government provides coverage for the poor, the elderly, military veterans and many children, but most Americans rely on private insurance, usually obtained through their employers.
But not all employers provide benefits, and not everyone can afford to buy them. And with unemployment high, many Americans are losing their benefits when they lose their jobs.
Three House committees and one Senate committee have voted out health care reform bills. A group of lawmakers on a fifth panel, the Senate Finance Committee, continue to negotiate on a version of the legislation.
Here are all the different groups that have a stake in the debate, what they're after and what they're willing to give.
Liberals -- They insist that a government-run health insurance plan, or "public option," that will compete with private insurers is essential to health care reform. The Obama administration initially championed this plan, but it is now backing away to win support from conservative Democrats and Republicans, who fiercely oppose it. Administration officials say they can live with nonprofit cooperatives as a substitute for a government-run option. But liberals, including several House Democrats, are refusing to accept a co-op alternative because they say it will not have the bargaining power to negotiate prices and keep private insurers honest.
This week, more than 50 House Democrats issued a letter saying, "Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates -- not negotiated rates- - is unacceptable."
Conservatives -- All of them are opposed to a "public option," saying it will lead to a government takeover of health care because private insurers will be unable to compete. The reason they don't want a government-run health care system is because they believe it will lead to rationing of care.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fanned the flames by popularizing the term "death panels" to suggest that Obama's plan will allow government bureaucrats to make end-of-life decisions. In fact, the House health care bill requires only that Medicare pay for voluntary end-of-life counseling sessions. But Sen. Chuck Grassley said the provision was stripped from the Senate Finance Committee's version because it was open to misinterpretation.
Some conservatives also say they won't support cooperatives. The Senate's second-ranking Republican, Jon Kyl of Arizona, dismissed co-ops as a "Trojan horse" leading to government control of health care. Some Democrats believe conservatives have made a strategic decision to oppose any type of health care reform plan for political gain. If Obama is unable to pass health care reform, the argument goes, then Republicans can use that failure to win seats in next year's midterm elections.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fanned the flames by popularizing the term "death panels" to suggest that Obama's plan will allow government bureaucrats to make end-of-life decisions. In fact, the House health care bill requires only that Medicare pay for voluntary end-of-life counseling sessions. But Sen. Chuck Grassley said the provision was stripped from the Senate Finance Committee's version because it was open to misinterpretation.
Some conservatives also say they won't support cooperatives. The Senate's second-ranking Republican, Jon Kyl of Arizona, dismissed co-ops as a "Trojan horse" leading to government control of health care. Some Democrats believe conservatives have made a strategic decision to oppose any type of health care reform plan for political gain. If Obama is unable to pass health care reform, the argument goes, then Republicans can use that failure to win seats in next year's midterm elections.
No comments:
Post a Comment