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Last week a handful of senators announced a deal on health care. Here's the catch: Almost no one knows what's in the deal yet—the only thing we do know is that it kills the heart of reform, the public option.
Rumors are flying about what exactly is in the deal, but lots of folks have latched on to the idea that the deal might allow some people over the age of 55 to buy into Medicare. The problem is, nobody knows if the Medicare premiums will be affordable and the program could be limited to very few people, so it's dangerous to assume it's great news.
Moreover, allowing a few folks to buy into Medicare won't accomplish the main goal of the public option: to provide competition to keep insurance companies honest and lower costs.1
The worst part? Democrats gave away the public option to appease conservatives. But Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson are already threatening to block this watered down deal.2
It's time for progressives to stop bargaining with themselves. We need Senate Democrats to fight for the majority of voters who want a public option—and not let a few out-of-touch conservatives gut real reform. Can you call Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand right now and tell them to do everything in their power to pass a bill with a public option and not to let a few senators hold health care reform hostage?
Senator Charles Schumer
Phone: 202-224-6542
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Phone: 202-224-4451
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
To be clear, some of the ideas that were floated could be good ones—but in addition to a strong public option, not as a replacement for it. Expanding Medicare could give lots of people an affordable choice for quality care—if it's done right. But that's a big if, and it's a big mistake to embrace a compromise without knowing the details.Even if all the rumored reforms turn out to be as good as possible (which is pretty unlikely), allowing some folks over 55 to buy in won't provide the competition that a public option will to keep insurance companies honest. And folks under 55—who will be required to buy insurance after reform passes—will still be left with no choice other than the big private insurers.
As long as there are no real consequences for conservatives' obstructionism, they'll keep demanding more and more concessions. It's time for Democrats in the Senate and the White House to be more aggressive by stripping Sen. Lieberman of his committee chairmanship, forcing the conservative senators to publicly stand with the Republicans so voters know whose side they're on, or even pushing health care reform through the reconciliation process, where they'd only need 50 votes.
Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand need to know that voters in New York will have their back if they keep fighting for the public option. Can you call them right now and tell them to reject the "compromise" and do whatever it takes to pass the bill with the public option?
Senator Charles Schumer
Phone: 202-224-6542
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Phone: 202-224-4451
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
Thanks for all you do.–Nita, Marika, Ilya, Kat, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Public Plan Perversion," The New Republic, December 12, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85776&id=18265-10220574-6z82fFx&t=5
2. "Health Care Reform In Peril; Lieberman Threatens Filibuster Over Medicare Buy In," Talking Points Memo, December 13, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85777&id=18265-10220574-6z82fFx&t=6
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