Senate Negotiators Aim to Cut Costs in Health Bill

steven johnson

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Fri Aug-21-09 07:59 PM
Original message

Senate Negotiators Aim to Cut Costs in Health Bill

Edited on Fri Aug-21-09 08:00 PM by steven johnson

I agree that the optimistic cost projections of the most extravagent healthcare reform measures have a price tag that would break the bank.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 21, 2009
Filed at 8:30 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bipartisan health care negotiators are aiming to cut the costs of their bill after getting an earful from voters, a participant in the closed-door talks said Friday.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, a moderate whose support could be crucial if President Barack Obama is to realize his goal of a comprehensive health care overhaul, said contact with constituents ''sharpened our focus on issues such as affordability and cost.''

Members of the so-called Gang of Six spoke on a conference call late Thursday, their first discussion since leaving Washington for recess.

They discussed controlling costs on their bill while still extending affordable coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans. The final price tag will likely hover around $900 billion over 10 years.

Senate Negotiators Aim to Cut Costs in Health Bill

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Laelth

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Fri Aug-21-09 08:14 PM
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1. Break the bank?

We passed the outrageously expensive Bush tax cuts. There was silence about the bank.

We invaded Iraq and are still paying to occupy the country. There was silence about the bank.

We wrote a blank check to AIG and the banks through TARP. The bank was mentioned, but we did it anyway.

Now that a Democrat wants to do something good for the American people--now, all of a sudden, we're concerned about the bank?

If we have enough money to kill Iraqis, we have enough money to provide health care to all Americans.

:dem:

-Laelth

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cornermouse

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Fri Aug-21-09 08:16 PM
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2. End result will be a neutered healthcare option

that won't do anything for the people its supposed to help and will give them an excuse to avoid doing anything that would help, such as single payer.

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msongs

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Fri Aug-21-09 08:25 PM
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3. stop obama's wars n there will be plenty of money lol nt

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left is right

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Fri Aug-21-09 09:21 PM
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4. I don't understand this whole need for cost-saving discussion.

I pay (what I consider to be) big bucks for insurance and I still have much out-of-pocket medical expenses. I would be willing to pay the whole amount that I now pay to BC/BS into a good public option in order to eliminate the out-of-pocket expense. I think public option would nearly pay for itself if we could do away with the for-profit insurance companies, the big bucks they pay out for advertisement and the red-tape that doctors' offices and hospitals must now navigate their way through in order to get the insurance company to pay for services rendered.

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