Legal Commentary

My "Practical" Support For A Health Insurance Assistance Bill Without A Public Option

By Big Tent Democrat

Matt Yglesias hands out a bouquet to Chris Bowers for his capitulation on the public option. Leaving aside the stupidity of a self styled activist deciding to capitulate on an issue he has been agitating about for the entire year (Who will believe Bowers about anything now? Why would you give him a dime? Does he plan to reimburse folks for money he raised on his staunch advocacy for the public option?), I want my bouquets too. I am ready to support a health insurance assistance bill that does not have a public option and provides insurance to 30 million uninsured Americans. I have a couple of suggestions though.

(1) Eliminate the individual mandate. (2) Eliminate the Exchange (we need this to take out the Stupak amendment problem.) (3) Finance the health insurance assistance through taxes on the well off, as provided for by the House bill and Senator Reid's increase of the Medicare tax on person earning more than $200,000/year. (4) Funnel all health insurance assistance funds through an increase in Medicaid eligibility.

The question is will the Village and the Obama Administration let their ideology stand in the way of providing 30 million Americans with health insurance? I sure hope they would be practical about this.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 02, 2009 (boomark / email).