Lieberman: No Need For Medicare Buy-In Because Baucus Bill Was So Good

The last line of defense is the 85% minimum medical loss ratio. That was intended as a temporary measure until the PO got up to speed, but now it needs to be made permanent. It's the only means left to keep insurance companies from running up rates.

I'm sure Lieberman (I-Aetna) will oppose that, too.

I tend to think with the House's rating rules (2:1 age rating, no smoker rating), adults ages 55-64 would save more from the community rating's generational subsidy on the Exchange than from being in a risk pool with other adults ages 55-64 with Medicare's bargaining power. I think people continue to underestimate the power that risk selection and rating rules have on the price of insurance. I say this as an actuary.

But threatening a filibuster after proposing the same thing you threaten to filibuster three months earlier? That doesn't speak kindly of a politician.

I think if Senate Democrats were smart, they'd trade the public option and the Medicare buy-in for co-ops and the House's version of the following items:

• Insurance rating rules
• Individual mandate exemption and penalty
• Subsidy levels
• Minimum actuarial value
• Pay-or-play provision
• Rules on the Exchange to have better bargaining power and prevent insurers from cherry-picking

That's a damn good trade if you ask me.

Enough of this.

The Dems need to man up and do the following, or this will never end.

1) Kick Lieberman out of the caucus TODAY. Strip him of EVERYTHING. Joe can be the little Senator in a caucus of one from Connecticut. If this happens, or if he goes R-Connecticut, his re-election chances are terminated. He is a net loss to the interests of the Democratic party and the majority of Americans who support HCR (irregardless of how many times Mitch McConnell makes up new ways to say the majority of Americans are against HCR, any polling not done by Rasmussen says otherwise).

2) Nuclear option: 51 vote, reconciliation, ram it through. Bury the Republicans, and make THEM own a direct opposition to the will of America. The Democrats are doing this backward: the public is on THEIR side. Paint the Republicans as what they are: the bad guys, and the evil empire in this narrative. Why they don't do this and play chickenshit games is beyond me.

3) Man up. See #2 above.

4) Embitter the Republican party. Make them seethe. Make them furious. Get Michael Steel or his successors as angry as as if they were Fred Phelps at a protest. I *want* them angry. I want them furious. I want the rage and howl that followed in the wake of Nixon's disgrace to be like a calm summer breeze compared to the hurricane of fury health care reform will incite. Why? Let America see what the Republicans REALLY stand for. History will take care of itself from that moment forward, as she always has with any fascists.

5) In regards to #4, teach Americans the truth: that the modern Republican party and it's Tea Party offspring are collectively becoming the American version of the British National Party: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Party

6) Game, set, and match. How do you beat the Republicans? Bury them with the truth, and allow no quarter. Ever.

I usually just lurk, but now in all the back-and-forth which has happened lately, I have lost my place.

Is there anything actually left in the Senate version of the health care bill which could potentially be beneficial to consumers? As I understand it, there are now annual caps to what an insurance company is obligated to spend, thus guaranteeing that those who really need health care for a life-threatening crisis will almost certainly be in the same situation, paying-for-care-wise, they are in now. There are mandates to buy health insurance, but no subsidies and no limits on what health care insurance companies may charge for premiums.

Is there anything left which could potentially be helpful to the "common man," or has all that been taken out by now?

Jen 8)

The reason doesn't appear to be of such weight as to provoke a fillibuster threat. Viewing life is a study in probabilities. The probabilities suggest to me that the real reason is Senator Lieberman's great hate for liberals and progressives - he is willing to sell out Americans in need.

If, as some suggest, he's doing this because he knows he won't run for reelection, this act leaves some negative legacy for American students of political history. My personal view is that his hate is so great that he won't be able to resist trying to rub liberals' noses in it one more time by winning reelection. His egotism is so great that he will not give up the seat for nothing in return. His view - he wins it, then controls the seat by selecting his successor after resigning midterm.

Leadership begins at the top and that starts with the president. And so far president Obama has been a leaderless wimp with who stands for NOTHING. I truly regret supporting his 2008 campaign, naively he would truly change domestic policy for the good of the people.

Baucus bill a POS, Joe. Just like you.

The senate bill forces everyone to buy insurance? I'll pledge to send in my monthly premium late every month. How about you reading this?

I'll pledge to call up my insurers customer service # with stupid questions and demand to speak to the CEO to voice my disdain for his corporation --- just to jam up the phone lines. How about you?

I'll pledge to show up at pro single payer rallies in front of health corporation buildings and be as noisy as possible...and risk getting arrested. How about you?