Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Following the release of the House Democrats’ health care reform bill, Larry McNeely with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group expressed his support for the legislation.

McNeely said that he believes the House version is strong in that it will develop a national health insurance exchange that will allow customers throughout the nation to negotiate better health care rates for themselves.

“Our hope is that in conference, it leans more towards the house bill [that] is going to be a national exchange, which is important because attached to the exchange is a pool of all participants in that exchange to negotiate better deals. This pool is going to be a lot bigger nationally,” said McNeely.

McNeely lauded the House’s inclusion of a public option, or government-run insurance plan, which, in his opinion, will “[provide] a competitor for states with one or two providers that dominate the insurance markets.”

He also delighted over a provision in the bill that would ban the private insurance industry from dropping patients or refusing coverage to them based on their having a preexisting medical condition.

“It’s really an incredible step forward. Not only does the…bill ban preexisting conditions abuses…consumers and families can finally have the security of knowing their insurance will be there when they expect to,” said McNeely.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) introduced the final draft of health care reform legislation Thursday that, like the recently announced sister legislation in the Senate, will include a government administered insurance option.

“The [Affordable Health Care For America Act] will expand coverage, including a public option to boost choice and competition in health insurance reform,” said Pelosi during an unveiling ceremony with other House Democrats at the U.S. Capitol.

While the public plan introduced Thursday is likely to satisfy moderate Democrats, it runs the risk of upsetting progressives, who have long been pushing for a more “robust” option. As it now stands, the public option grants health care providers more leverage in reimbursement rate negotiations.

Still, Pelosi lauded the bill during the ceremony, claiming that it will be deficit neutral, close the Medicare Part D coverage “donut hole” and extend coverage to 96% of Americans. Pelosi also promised that the bill will be available online 72 hours before it reaches the floor.

The Speaker’s remarks were briefly interrupted by megaphone wielding pro-life protestors. Pelosi responded to the distraction, quipping “thank you, insurance companies of America.” The demonstrators were not permitted entrance to the closed ceremony.

At the ceremony’s close, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest serving member of the House, presented the Speaker with the gavel used during the passage of Medicare.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says Wednesday on the Senate floor that Republicans should have a say in the crafting of health care reform legislation. (0:13)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Wednesday on the Senate floor that a government-owned and operated insurance plan would create debt and put private insurers out of business. (0:26)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says the American public is not in favor of a public option plan, and calls its inclusion in the Senate’s healthcare bill a bad idea. (0:14)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.) says Wednesday on the Senate floor that a public option plan would spur innovation in the health insurance industry. (0:51)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Congressman John Kline (R-Minn) says of the public option plan in the House bill, whether it’s a thin slice, or the whole pie, it still leads to a government takeover of the health care industry. (0:28)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By John DuBois – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

During a news conference on Wednesday, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed their belief that a public option insurance plan would create competition in the marketplace and would lower healthcare costs for Americans.

Liberal Democrats, like Brown and Schumer, who support the public option have argued that the plan would help small businesses stay in business and provide health insurance for their employees.

Said Schumer, “Small businesses want to provide the coverage. They know it’s good for their workers, good for morale and good for keeping. They just can’t afford [health insurance] any longer and that’s why we need a public option.”

Brown argued that,“the public option will not use pre-existing conditions, [it] won’t discriminate against women who have had c-sections or women who have been victims of domestic violence and call that a pre-existing condition.”

“We are changing the rules, we are also going to have the public option there to help those small businesses to compete to keep prices down,” he added.

By Leah Valencia – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) spoke out against a public option Wednesday saying that a government-owned and operated insurance plan would create debt and put private insurers out of business.

“It is not a time for a trillion dollar experiment in government health care, now is a time to buckle down financially and to find common sense reforms in the areas of health care,” McConnell said.

He said that including a public option, or government-run health insurance plan, will make it impossible for private insurers to compete.

“The option [Democrats] are advocating will soon be the only option, the others will simply fade away,” McConnell said. “Private health plans would fade away because a government-run plan would use the deep pockets of the federal government to set artificially low prices.”

Republican opposition to healthcare reform has stiffened since Monday when Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that the Senate health care bill would include a public option with an opt-out provision.

GOP leaders have said they will filibuster the bill, leaving Democrats with the challenge of coming up with 60 votes.

By Ravi Bhatia, Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Or.) and Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and Jim Cooper (D-Tn.) said Tuesday that infusing the health insurance market with competition would be the best way to bring down health care costs for most Americans.

“We’ve got to open up the exchanges to a broader array of people, both employers and employees,” Wyden said at a panel discussion hosted by The New Republic magazine. “That’s how we’re going to respond to people making $66,000 a year who are going to look at the [Senate] Finance Committee Bill and say that it’s not going work for [their families].”

The discussion occurred the day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that the current draft of the health care bill will include a public option with an opt-out provision for individual states. In theory, giving Americans the option to choose a government-run health care plan would drive down the costs of private insurers by creating competition. The Health Care Exchange would allow those who already have insurance to upgrade to better plans then the ones they already have using the program, further encouraging insurance companies to lower prices and raise their coverage quality standards.

“As these bills are being drafted, only ten percent of the people in America will ever be allowed to shop for any option, whether it’s public or private,” Cooper said. “In other words 90 percent will be stuck with what they’ve got. So why don’t we allow people to upgrade to get a better deal?”

Cooper added, “As far as the public option is concerned, I’m for one, we can have a good one, we can have one that’s affordable for the individual family and for the system as a whole, but all this effort is for naught if we can’t get 60 votes in the Senate.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who is often considered the one Republican who might vote in favor of health care reform legislation, responded to Reid’s announcement, saying that she would not support a bill that includes a public option. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) also announced Tuesday that he would block Reid’s plan as long as it includes a publicly funded insurance plan.

According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House may introduce their health care bill by the end of this week.