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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Health Reformers to Cantwell: Public Option, Period.

Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 10:20 AM

In advance of today's health care event at the UW Medical Center with Sen. Maria Cantwell, the Washington chapter of Health Care for America Now reminds her of its bottom line:

While Senator Cantwell hosts panel discussions in Seattle and Vancouver on national health care reform this week, the Health Care for America Now campaign is urging her to commit to the choice of a public health insurance plan as a “bottom line” for successful reform.

A popular cornerstone of President Obama’s health care plan would allow businesses and families the choice of keeping the insurance that they have or buying into a quality public health insurance plan. Supporters say a public option would compete with private insurers to lower costs and keep the insurance industry honest.

Senator Cantwell has come under fire for promoting an alternative proposal in the US Senate to replace a public option with small regional private insurance cooperatives that critics say would lack the national bargaining power or public accountability to be successful.

“Private co-ops are not a substitute for a strong public option that can compete to drive down costs, make health care more affordable, and keep the private insurers honest,” said Deana Knutsen, board chair for the Washington CAN!, the state’s largest grassroots community organization.

Details on today's public discussion, which begins just after 2 p.m., are here. The rest of the release is in the jump.

Last week, while nearly 10,000 grassroots Health Care for America Now campaign participants converged on Washington, DC for the biggest health care lobbying effort in the nation’s history, Cantwell offered cautious support for the public option. “I think there can be a bill with a public option that can pass," she told The Columbian.

This week, advocates urged her to strengthen her support. “With only private insurance industry choices, we’re stuck every year paying more and getting less, without any guarantees that we won’t be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition,” said Knutsen. “The choice of a quality public health insurance plan should be a bottom line for successful reform.”

There is strong support for the choice of a public health insurance plan. A June 20th New York Times/CBS poll showed 72 percent support for the choice a public health insurance plan, including 57 percent of Republicans. The Seattle Times has endorsed a public option.

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By "public option" you mean "taxpayer subsidized Government option"; right?

Posted by Let's call a Spade a Spade, girls on June 30, 2009 at 10:28 AM

Or else what? They'll vote Republican? They'll run a candidate against her in the primary? The Democratic Party has essentially no mechanism for reigning in corporate liberals. Cantwell is betting on the fact that health care reformers have NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.

Isn't that how Cantwell beat Deborah Senn in the first place-- by allying herself with corporations and saying Senn was too critical of corporate power (particularly, oh, I don't know, the health insurance industry)? In fact, isn't that why the Stranger/ Dan Savage endorsed Cantwell in the first place-- because Senn's consumer advocacy on health care would make it hard for her to get the support from the business community in a tight election against a Republican? It turns out that electability usually means supporting the status quo, and most Democrats are more interested in getting elected than they are in real "change." Sucking up to insiders and lecturing progressives about how they should be more pragmatic doesn't seem to get you very far.

I'm glad you're covering her screwed up priorities. She needs to hear from her constituents, and we need info like this to keep the pressure on her. But the problem of Democrats siding with corporate power instead of the public interest is bigger than Cantwell.

Posted by Trevor on June 30, 2009 at 10:52 AM

@1: the "public option" is distinguished not by it being subsidized, but by it being run to provide care instead of provide corporate profits. It follows market principles, but without the greed that has so distorted our current system.

Posted by Trevor on June 30, 2009 at 10:56 AM

We really did miss a huge opportunity when Cantwell beat Senn in the primary. Slade Gorton would have lost to either of them that year, and Senn was a real progressive. Oh well.

Posted by Cascadian on June 30, 2009 at 10:58 AM

@3
Of course it does....
And it will be the "taxpayer subsidized Government option"; right?

Posted by Try to follow along... on June 30, 2009 at 11:02 AM

"Single Payer, Period" quashed the Clinton health care reform opportunity. Sad but true, it may be that the Public Option has no chance in the Senate.

What then? Stand pat and catch the next wave 16 or 20 or more years from now?

Sen. Cantwell may be right, she may be wrong, but she is leading.

If you want to keep the pressure on anybody, keep it on Obama, and hope he can pull enough votes in the Senate. At this point, it doesn't look like he can.

Posted by RonK, Seattle on June 30, 2009 at 11:32 AM

Naw, just like with the gay issues we ain't gona convince anybody unless we oust em can Cantwell. She's a overly huge friend of bidness and very few of them want a public option. Its public option or you are out Maria. I choked up my food when I heard her BS on KUOW...thank God Cupcake Hero was there to slap her a bit.

Posted by Can Cantwell on June 30, 2009 at 12:40 PM

@5: Not according to Obama. Try to keep up with what's actually being proposed, versus all the bullshit that public option opponents are spreading. Providing start-up funding before revenue comes in is not the same as providing an ongoing subsidy to keep the whole thing afloat.

Posted by Trevor on June 30, 2009 at 3:49 PM

@6: no, the health care industry quashed the Clinton health care proposals. They oppose anything that might reduce their profits. Period.

Posted by Trevor on June 30, 2009 at 3:51 PM

Trevor @ 9, that's a simplist's perspective. Clinton's plan had the momentum - and the votes - until 80-odd single payer players decided to hold out for the whole loaf. Blocked it in the House, which bought time for the industry boys to spin up public support for the kill. Harry & Louise, Betsey McCaughey Ross, and Arlen Specter;s scare charts came later.

Posted by RonK, Seattle on June 30, 2009 at 8:51 PM