Comments on: Late Night Presents: Harry vs. Harry in a Lightweight Bout for the Future of the Public Option http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/ Firedoglake weblog Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:03:10 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: aview999 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971147 aview999 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:05:01 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971147 <p>A few here keep calling for marches. I plan on attending a healthcare march in Seattle on the 13th - supposedly it’s happening all over the country.</p> <p>MARCH FOR HEALTH CARE - in a city near you.<br /><a href="http://www.marchforhealthcare.com/home" rel="nofollow">http://www.marchforhealthcare.com/home</a><br /> September 13th @ 12:00 PM</p> A few here keep calling for marches. I plan on attending a healthcare march in Seattle on the 13th – supposedly it’s happening all over the country.

MARCH FOR HEALTH CARE – in a city near you.
http://www.marchforhealthcare.com/home
September 13th @ 12:00 PM

]]> By: sTiVo http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971138 sTiVo Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:23:06 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971138 <p>Isn’t it time some stronger Democratic Senator took on Harry Reid for majority leader, assuming he survives his next election?</p> Isn’t it time some stronger Democratic Senator took on Harry Reid for majority leader, assuming he survives his next election?

]]> By: greenharper http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971137 greenharper Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:53:55 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971137 <p>So I just wrote to my congresscritter, John Olver, about H.R. 1583. This is brilliant. Someone really ought to tell President Obama, too. He says that he wants competition in the healthcare insurance cartel. Though maybe he already knows….</p> So I just wrote to my congresscritter, John Olver, about H.R. 1583. This is brilliant. Someone really ought to tell President Obama, too. He says that he wants competition in the healthcare insurance cartel. Though maybe he already knows….

]]> By: greenharper http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971135 greenharper Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:38:56 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971135 <p>Do you have any specifics on that, or is it but a beautiful dream? Here in Mass. we must by law purchase for-profit health insurance (policies excluding cancer and pregnancy count). I’ve not heard of any ‘unconstitutional taking’ lawsuit.</p> Do you have any specifics on that, or is it but a beautiful dream? Here in Mass. we must by law purchase for-profit health insurance (policies excluding cancer and pregnancy count). I’ve not heard of any ‘unconstitutional taking’ lawsuit.

]]> By: rdwdkw http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971132 rdwdkw Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:12:23 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971132 <p>The politician in the mask is going to deliver the TKO to Mr. Reed. He underestimated his opponent, himself.</p> The politician in the mask is going to deliver the TKO to Mr. Reed. He underestimated his opponent, himself.

]]> By: mattcat http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971127 mattcat Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:15:05 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971127 <p>This is what happens when you let someone bitchslap you over and over again. You look like a bitch. Jesus H, at least if they went down fighting they would have their dignity.</p> This is what happens when you let someone bitchslap you over and over again. You look like a bitch. Jesus H, at least if they went down fighting they would have their dignity.

]]> By: emerson http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971039 emerson Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:51:11 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971039 <p>Maybe you’re right and we’re all done.</p> Maybe you’re right and we’re all done.

]]> By: openhope http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971005 openhope Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:21:40 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971005 <p>No. the local stations would give it 30 seconds or less. If they decided to do that much coverage. Been there done that.<br /> We marched in DC in 2004 with 1.5 million for Women’s Rights and got almost no coverage. 30 seconds max.<br /> That era of reporting has gone awol. Every large demonstration we’ve marched in has gotten 30 seconds coverage. Less then a Pharma commercial. This is not an option, this idea we can make the “News”. There is no news in America. Unless you kill your neighbor brutally for no apparent reason. Or have a horrible car crash that takes the lives of young people. THEN young people dying is tragic. In illegal wars not so tragic.</p> No. the local stations would give it 30 seconds or less. If they decided to do that much coverage. Been there done that.
We marched in DC in 2004 with 1.5 million for Women’s Rights and got almost no coverage. 30 seconds max.
That era of reporting has gone awol. Every large demonstration we’ve marched in has gotten 30 seconds coverage. Less then a Pharma commercial. This is not an option, this idea we can make the “News”. There is no news in America. Unless you kill your neighbor brutally for no apparent reason. Or have a horrible car crash that takes the lives of young people. THEN young people dying is tragic. In illegal wars not so tragic.

]]> By: Blub http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971001 Blub Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:15:40 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1971001 <p>This is basically what I called in an earlier thread the scorched earth trigger strategy for healthcare reform, which is a nasty nasty course of action that we should only try if we have the gumption to see it through.. because people will get hurt. I don’t even know if I really support it, but we should discuss all the alternatives at this point.</p> <p>Step 1: Assuming that we fail to get a strong PO, we move to ensure that the bill fails together. PO or No.</p> <p>Step 2: We focus our efforts on the passage of HR 1583, unamended, and then make sure that no bills providing relief to the insurers from 1583’s consequences manage to squeeze by (as opposed to making the effort to actually turn 1583 into something that’s stable, with litigation reform, and has the capacity to last). The insurers will have a much harder time lobbying for something that so clearly is all about their profits, and public outrage against them will be huge after healthcare reform fails so that this strategy might just work. In this raw, unamended form, HR 1583 is basically the nuclear option, as it would open the doors to massive litigation.</p> <p>Step 3: We stand by and watch the lawsuits fly, as everyone who’s ever been denied coverage, dropped from coverage or denied reimbursement sues the insurers in Federal court, along with every single state government (’cept the secessonist states) and the USAG. There would conceivably be thousands of class action and individual suits. </p> <p>Step 4: The insurers will respond by drastically increasing rates, across the board, including on corporate policies. They’ll probably get their paid thugs among the deathers to blow up a few buildings. Millions will be dropped from coverage as they try to make a point. There will be riots, quite possibly. All this will cause the inevitable terminal economic crisis of our healthcare system (10-15 years away, by the numbers, if nothing changes from the current status quo) to happen almost immediately.. within a year or two max. It’ll force things to a head as the system basically comes to a standstill and collapses. All the while, we make sure that no insurance reforms make it into law.</p> <p>Step 5: At that point, the game is over. Public outrage will be so massive that Congress and the WH will have to act, and the progressives will be able to dictate whatever bill we want. We then introduce legislation with the following features:<br /> - emergency relief for the insurers (litigation reform and possibly the Federal government taking direct equity stakes in private insurers)<br /> - emergency temporary coverage with Medicare for those dropped due to recent events<br /> - a strong real PO<br /> - direct Federal rate regulation (with declining rates over time) for the insurers, to further force competition and cost-growth containment<br /> - employer and individual mandates<br /> - complete portability with Federal prohibitions on denial of coverage for both the PO and private insurers</p> This is basically what I called in an earlier thread the scorched earth trigger strategy for healthcare reform, which is a nasty nasty course of action that we should only try if we have the gumption to see it through.. because people will get hurt. I don’t even know if I really support it, but we should discuss all the alternatives at this point.

Step 1: Assuming that we fail to get a strong PO, we move to ensure that the bill fails together. PO or No.

Step 2: We focus our efforts on the passage of HR 1583, unamended, and then make sure that no bills providing relief to the insurers from 1583’s consequences manage to squeeze by (as opposed to making the effort to actually turn 1583 into something that’s stable, with litigation reform, and has the capacity to last). The insurers will have a much harder time lobbying for something that so clearly is all about their profits, and public outrage against them will be huge after healthcare reform fails so that this strategy might just work. In this raw, unamended form, HR 1583 is basically the nuclear option, as it would open the doors to massive litigation.

Step 3: We stand by and watch the lawsuits fly, as everyone who’s ever been denied coverage, dropped from coverage or denied reimbursement sues the insurers in Federal court, along with every single state government (’cept the secessonist states) and the USAG. There would conceivably be thousands of class action and individual suits.

Step 4: The insurers will respond by drastically increasing rates, across the board, including on corporate policies. They’ll probably get their paid thugs among the deathers to blow up a few buildings. Millions will be dropped from coverage as they try to make a point. There will be riots, quite possibly. All this will cause the inevitable terminal economic crisis of our healthcare system (10-15 years away, by the numbers, if nothing changes from the current status quo) to happen almost immediately.. within a year or two max. It’ll force things to a head as the system basically comes to a standstill and collapses. All the while, we make sure that no insurance reforms make it into law.

Step 5: At that point, the game is over. Public outrage will be so massive that Congress and the WH will have to act, and the progressives will be able to dictate whatever bill we want. We then introduce legislation with the following features:
- emergency relief for the insurers (litigation reform and possibly the Federal government taking direct equity stakes in private insurers)
- emergency temporary coverage with Medicare for those dropped due to recent events
- a strong real PO
- direct Federal rate regulation (with declining rates over time) for the insurers, to further force competition and cost-growth containment
- employer and individual mandates
- complete portability with Federal prohibitions on denial of coverage for both the PO and private insurers

]]> By: Cujo359 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1970987 Cujo359 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:49:08 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/09/04/late-night-presents-harry-vs-harry-in-a-lightweight-bout-for-the-future-of-the-public-option/#comment-1970987 <p>Goodnight.</p> Goodnight.

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