healthinsurance.org » Congress

why health reform supporters’ mood rings are turning blue

Steve Anderson — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:14:36 +0000

mood rings are turning blue" title="why health reform supporters’
mood rings are turning blue" style="float:right;" />An interesting poll surfaced yesterday, revealing that – in the days since health reform legislation was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by President Obama – more Americans have taken a favorable view of the legislation than they did before the vote. Nearly 50 percent of those polled now say [...]

Biggest pro-life vote in history

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:53:24 +0000

Our statement has nothing to do with the last-minute deal cut between the White House and Rep. Bart Stupak (D- Mich.). Here’s why the historic vote authorizing health insurance reform is the biggest pro-life vote in history: Fifty-five thousand Americans die every year because of lack of health insurance coverage. Those are deaths that no [...]

toe-may-toe … toe-mah-toe …

Steve Anderson — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:50:05 +0000

Throughout the health care debate, it’s been fascinating to watch opposition responses to each bit of reform-related news. The complete inability of opponents of Democratic reform proposals to see anything positive in the legislation has been simply stunning. How determined were opponents of reform? Determined enough to threaten that legislation promising free assistance to those [...]

allow me to translate

Steve Anderson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:44:35 +0000

There’s a lot of debate today over what President Obama was saying to his supporters last night when he described what he thinks needs to happen with the health reform legislation from here on in. The point he made that seems to be drawing the most speculation is this passage: “That’s why I think it’s [...]

let’s NOT start over on health reform

Steve Anderson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:53 +0000

In the days following last week’s special election in Massachusetts, it wasn’t surprising at all to hear opponents of health reform announcing that America had – loudly and clearly – told Congress to start over on health reform. But here’s the thing: If the Democrats had barely eked out a win, opponents would have said [...]

is the senate bill really unfit for consumption?

Steve Anderson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:02:18 +0000

Jonathan Cohn of the New Republic said today what a lot of liberals have been saying about the Senate bill. Basically, it’s been stretched and pulled like a gob of saltwater taffy as it morphed into something barely acceptable to barely enough Democrats, but also largely disappointing to a large contingent of other liberals (and [...]

Joe Lieberman continues to play Grinch Who Stole Health Reform

Steve Anderson — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:42:02 +0000

Grinch Who Stole Health Reform" title="Joe Lieberman continues to play
Grinch Who Stole Health Reform" style="float:right;" />Anyone who thought passage of a health reform bill in 2009 would be easy, given the Democratic majority in Congress, was deluded. To think that all of Congressional Democrats – and the Independents they court – would vote in lock step was just plain fantasy. But even Democrats who knew reform legislation would be all [...]

when it comes to reform legislation, size really does matter.

Steve Anderson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:25:41 +0000

size really does matter." title="when it comes to reform legislation,
size really does matter." style="float:right;" />One of the things that has bugged us for months and months is health care opponents’ preoccupation with the number of pages in the health care bills that have been introduced in the House and Senate. The most recent bill to emerge is the Senate bill unveiled by Harry Reid yesterday and SURPRISE … it’s [...]

how would health reform help or hurt? - five from Montana and how reform would affect them

Steve Anderson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:15:23 +0000

There are plenty of stories out there about the nightmares already faced in the nation’s existing health care system. But folks really want to know how coverage will look after health reform legislation is passed. (We’re assuming it will be.) That why we liked this story, which examines what the current legislative proposals would mean [...]

somebody get harry reid some steroids. stat.

Steve Anderson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:30:17 +0000

When the House passed its version of health reform legislation last week, the development may have sent chills down the spines of those who oppose the Democrats’ proposed solutions. But a quick read-through of Suzy Khimm’s piece in The Treatment yesterday should be equally chilling to folks who think the battle over health reform is [...]

even if states can opt out, will they?

Steve Anderson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:48:50 +0000

can opt out, will they?" title="even if states can opt out, will they?" style="float:right;" />We’re happy to hear folks asking this question: If Democrats succeed in passing health reform legislation with an opt-out public option as included in Harry Reid’s Senate bill, would any states actually opt out? Conservatives seem to like the idea that states could take a pass on a public option provision they dread. But really, [...]

if dems haven’t led or followed, it’s time to get out of the way, columnist says

Steve Anderson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:05:23 +0000

to get out of the way, columnist says" title="if dems haven’t led or followed, it’s time
to get out of the way, columnist says" style="float:right;" />Will Democrats unite to allow an up-or-down vote on health reform legislation? Robert Creamer explained on the Huffington Post this morning why he thinks it’s in Democratic legislators’ best interests to pull together. Creamer’s reasons include, briefly: That Americans have already swung overwhelmingly in support of the public option. A vote to defeat the filibuster [...]

‘option’ is not a failure – not yet, anyway.

Steve Anderson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:41:40 +0000

For a political proposal that appeared ready to be staked in the heart by its opponents just weeks ago, the public option looked surprisingly perky this week. In fact, the only thing that now sounds optional about the proposed reform initiative is the abundance of public option options being floated. The perkiness is due, of [...]

when reverend reid marries HELP and Finance, will olympia snowe get to give away the ‘bride?’

Steve Anderson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:11:58 +0000

There were squeals of joy and howls of rage when Olympia Snowe crossed the aisle (or as Republicans would say “went over to the Dark Side”) yesterday to vote for the Senate Finance Committee’s version of a health reform bill. But now that it’s done, both sides might be rethinking their outbursts. The Right could [...]

Will the real predator please stand up?

Steve Anderson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:01:16 +0000

A column by Thomas Frank in the Wall Street Journal made us pause and scratch our heads this week because it prompted one of those questions that we think lots of Americans must be asking themselves. The question is simply this: Are President Obama and his Democratic Party up to no good in this health [...]

finally, some republican musclesupporting obama’s health care reform

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:19:53 +0000

supporting obama’s health care reform" title="finally, some republican muscle
supporting obama’s health care reform" style="float:right;" />Governor Arnold Schwarznegger (R-CA) has made a formal statement supporting health care reform, urging congressional Republicans to cooperate with the Democrats in forming and passing significant legislation this year. His pleas to his party-mates may stir reminders of his role as a Kindergarten Cop as many in both parties are entranced by the siren call [...]

blue dogs bark, bite not so bad on public option

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:45:54 +0000

This week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus did a head count of its members to see whether House liberals still strongly opposed any health reform bill that would not include a public option. Word from the Hill Thursday indicated that opposition is still plenty strong. Not so strong? Blue Dog opposition to a public option, apparently. [...]

On health reform, obama is more ‘nixon’ than ‘kennedy’

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:48:41 +0000

more ‘nixon’ than ‘kennedy’" title="On health reform, obama is
more ‘nixon’ than ‘kennedy’" style="float:right;" />Students of history may get a chuckle when they hear Republicans define Obama’s health care plan as “socialism.” If we look to the past, we see Obama’s plan is pretty much in line with Republican President Richard M. Nixon’s failed efforts in 1974. Like Nixon, Obama seeks to tweak America’s existing private health care system, [...]

poll: three out of four doctors want a public option in any health care reform

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:14:59 +0000

want a public option in any health care reform" title="poll: three out of four doctors
want a public option in any health care reform" style="float:right;" />According to a new poll published in yesterday’s New England Journal of Medicine and reported on National Public Radio, 63 percent of the nation’s doctors want health care reform to include a public option, while another 10 percent would go even further, endorsing a single-payer plan. Dropping Medicare age requirements Furthermore, nearly 60 percent of [...]

centrist president hits it right down the middle

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:28:40 +0000

When we went to the polls last fall, middle America voted for an end to partisan bickering and for our elected representatives to confront issues together in a practical, common sense way. For better or worse, that’s what we got at the Oval Office: “no drama Obama”. In his address to Congress last week on [...]

before you oppose a ‘government plan,’ make sure you don’t already have one.

Steve Anderson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:33:33 +0000

make sure you don’t already have one." title="before you oppose a ‘government plan,’
make sure you don’t already have one." style="float:right;" />One of the most interesting reactions to the ongoing health reform debate has to be the public’s revulsion at the prospect of increased government control of the health care system. I understand concerns about additional financial burdens that come with new government programs … and concerns about adding to the nation’s deficit. I get that. [...]

we have nothing to fear from health reform – except fear of change itself

Steve Anderson — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:18:18 +0000

This morning, I opened my email to find a news item that read “Polls show support slips for Obama’s health plan” – citing a New York Time/CBS News poll in which 69% of respondents said they “were concerned that the quality of their health care would decline if the government put universal health insurance in [...]

president’s patience is a virtue – not a ‘Waterloo’

Steve Anderson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:20:59 +0000

We’re tempted to say that President Obama got Punk’d yesterday by the Senate, as Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate will not be able to get a health reform bill wrapped up before a month-long Congressional recess that starts in August. We would love to have had Congress hammer out the bill. We [...]

media plays chicken little as health reform legislation steadily advances

Steve Anderson — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:37:51 +0000

It’s hard enough trying to convince Americans that it’s time for drastic health reform measures when that reform is being fought tooth and nail by the health insurance industry, which today launched a seven-figure advertising campaign to put pressure on moderate Congressional Democrats. The pressure, of course, is to urge them to help kill momentum [...]

congressman declares public option “too good”

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:00:24 +0000

public option “too good”" title="congressman declares
public option “too good”" style="float:right;" />Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), newly appointed as ranking minority member of the House Education and Labor Committee, is giving Rep. Michelle Bachmann a run-for-her-money as the looniest representative from the land of 10,000 lakes. Interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio, Kline says as far as he’s concerned, a health reform bill with a public option is [...]

is meaningful health reform written in the stars?

Steve Anderson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:31:30 +0000

President Obama has a lot on his plate. If you hadn’t already sensed the magnitude of the challenges he’s facing, the POTUS (President of the United States) spelled them out last night in his 100th-day press conference. Between bailing out the auto industry, fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, keeping an eye on North Korea [...]