Don't Settle for Health Care Reform Bills Yet

Strong progressive voices are coming down both for and against the compromise health care reform legislation. (No, President Obama is not a "strong progressive voice." Where he's strong he's not progressive and where he's progressive he's not strong. And he has yet to come down anywhere on health care reform.)

I think we still have room to get a stronger final bill than either the Senate or House bills, so I strongly urge you to keep calling and writing your Congress critter and the White House demanding a stronger public option. Just to goose them, you might mention that you really want single-payer, and that a much stronger public option is the bare minimum you'll accept.

In the meantime, here are the views from some voices I respect.

The Nation sees trillions of dollars in giveaways to drug companies and insurers in return for pennies in savings, and won't accept it.

The public option was always a compromise for serious supporters of health-care reform, who -- like Barack Obama when he was running for the Senate in 2003 -- knew that a single-payer "Medicare for All" system was what America needed to provide health care to everyone while controlling costs.

But, in the reform legislation debuted Thursday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the compromise was even more compromised than had been expected.

SNIP

Reviewing the details of Pelosi's plan in a passionate speech on the House floor, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, one of the chamber's most ardent advocates for reform asked: "Is this the best we can do? Forcing people to buy private health insurance, guaranteeing at least $50 billion in new business for the insurance companies?

Kucinich continued:

Is this the best we can do? Government negotiates rates which will drive up insurance costs, but the government won't negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies which will drive up pharmaceutical costs.

Is this the best we can do? Only 3 percent of Americans will go to a new public plan, while currently 33 percent of Americans are either uninsured or underinsured?
Is this the best we can do? Eliminating the state single payer option, while forcing most people to buy private insurance.

If this is the best we can do, then our best isn't good enough and we have to ask some hard questions about our political system: such as Health Care or Insurance Care? Government of the people or a government of the corporations.

Read the whole thing.

Paul Krugman, whose record of being always right rivals Bill Kristol's of being always wrong, urges action now before the reform window closes.

For this is the moment of truth. The political environment is as favorable for reform as it’s likely to get. The legislation on the table isn’t perfect, but it’s as good as anyone could reasonably have expected. History is about to be made — and everyone has to decide which side they’re on.

Read the whole thing.

Even Howard Dean, the father of post-Clinton health care reform who has been pushing for single-payer for years, says he'd vote for the current House bill.

I'll give the last word to Susie Madrak at Crooks and Liars:

Look, I want single-payer, too. But this bill has a lot of things in it that will quickly offer substantial relief, and I'm not joining the wholesale condemnation.

SNIP

The bill keeps kids on their parents' insurance until age 27, there's a temporary insurance pool until the public option is operable, extension of COBRA benefits (still looking for details), steps to close the Medicare doughnut hole, a ban on lifetime coverage limits, and the end of rescissions, except in case of fraud. It also expands Medicaid.

The bill also adds a voluntary long-term care program (and if your parents have seen their insurance carriers crash and burn this year, you know what a blessing this will be). It also funds a temporary reinsurance program that subsidizes employers offering health benefits for retirees aged 55-64.

SNIP

In a bill this complex and controversial, there are, of course, things that will make us swallow hard. From what I'm hearing so far, the subsidies are inadequate. As soon as I have concrete numbers, I'll put them up.

I'd say the subsidies are the single most productive focus for the netroots. Call your congress critter, tell him or her (or it) that the subsidies must be adequate - or else.

And if they say they have to respect the ceiling President Obama asked for, ask them why it doesn't bother them when they have to pay for wars - only health care. Tell them you will not pay more money for less coverage, that this is a deal-breaker for Democratic voters.

Send them a strong message.

Read the whole thing.

Then get cracking:

Call the President (202-456-1414), your Congressperson (202-224-3121) and your Senators (202-224-3121). Click here to send them each an email or a letter.

Cross-posted at They Gave Us A Republic ....