Sources: White House considers drafting health care bill

[The Minx]

Link

WASHINGTON (CNN) – CNN has learned that the White House is quietly talking about drafting formal health care legislation after allowing Congress to work on its own for months.

Multiple sources close to the process told CNN Friday that while the plan is uncertain, they are preparing for the possibility they could deliver their own legislation to Capitol Hill sometime after the President Barack Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday, with one source calling the possibility of new legislation a "contingency" approach if efforts by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus to craft a deal fall through. The sources spoke to CNN shortly before Baucus said that he may lay out a health care plan as soon as Saturday.

The White House emphasized Friday that no formal bill has yet been written. "The President has been reviewing all of the various legislative proposals, but no decision has been made about whether formal legislation will be presented," said Deputy Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer.

Multiple sources told CNN earlier in the day the thinking among administration officials was that the president will lay out a path to reform in his speech next week that the White House hopes can bridge the various differences in the competing proposals. Sources expect the president to emphasize the message: If Congress passes something now, it will serve as a foundation to pass further reform in the future.

As previously reported, the so-called trigger option remains very much on the table.

Under a 'trigger option', a new government-run health care plan would only go into effect if insurance companies fail to meet certain affordability standards with their own plans.

A source close to the White House says the administration is leaning toward dropping the public option, and continues to zero in on trying to convince Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe – who has long pushed for a trigger option — to come on board.

The source says the bill that would be presented to Snowe would leave out a public option but include a trigger provision that could lead to the introduction of a new government-run insurance plan under certain circumstances. The legislation would cover most, though not all, of the 46 million uninsured Americans. It would also include popular insurance reforms, such as ending the insurance industry practice of using pre-existing conditions to deny coverage.

This Democratic source also says that if the deal comes together, the key will be to successfully address the pushback from disaffected liberal legislators and congressional leaders.

As Obama prepares to go before Congress and lay out more details about his stance on health reform, he held a conference call Friday with some of the most liberal members of the House, who say they won't vote for a bill without a government run insurance option.

Two congresswomen on the call, which took place Friday afternoon, tell CNN that the president probed them about how entrenched they are, even asking them to define what they mean when they call for a "robust" public option.

"I think he would like to convince us that there is something sort of that could lead to a public option that would satisfy us, and guess what? It doesn't," Rep. Lynne Woolsey, D-California, told CNN in a telephone interview after the conference call.

Both Woolsey and Rep Barbara Lee, D-California, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told CNN that they told the president point blank that they do not believe a health care proposal without a government run option is real reform.

"All of our caucuses are very unified about a robust public option, and that is essential in healthcare reform efforts," Lee told CNN in a separate phone interview after the conference call.

A Democratic source close to the process told CNN Friday that the White House was very conscious of the potential congressional fallout: "How do you (get the deal passed) without a revolt in the House? It can be done, but very delicately."

The bottom line, said the source, is that the president would have to "move to the center" on the issue eventually, "and it's not a bad thing to have liberals screaming at him" — that development will help sell the deal to Americans, "convince them it's a good, moderate deal, if liberals are mad."

Woolsey and Lee said Friday the president invited them to the White House to continue the discussion on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, before his speech to Congress.

Finally. It's what he should have done in the first place instead of allowing Congress to waste months on bickering, eroding his political capital in the process.

[frigidmagi]

A source close to the White House says the administration is leaning toward dropping the public option, and continues to zero in on trying to convince Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe – who has long pushed for a trigger option — to come on board.

Bluntly put I don't I'll believe it til I see it. Basically for this to be, it says Obama is willing to risk pissing off a large chunk of his supporters to win the timid support of someone who may, possibly be useful. Frankly I don't think he's that dumb. Plus they've told us this one already and it turned out to be bullshit remember?

The Progressives can kill any bill that doesn't include the public option. They've said they will.

You don't trample old friends in attempts to make new friends. Because sooner or later that will leave you with no friends.

[The Minx]

Bluntly put I don't I'll believe it til I see it. Basically for this to be, it says Obama is willing to risk pissing off a large chunk of his supporters to win the timid support of someone who may, possibly be useful. Frankly I don't think he's that dumb. Plus they've told us this one already and it turned out to be bullshit remember?

The Progressives can kill any bill that doesn't include the public option. They've said they will.

You don't trample old friends in attempts to make new friends. Because sooner or later that will leave you with no friends.

I don't think they'll go that far either. There's a difference between "leaning towards" and "planning on". I was more interested in the fact that they were talking about taking charge of the debate instead of leaving it to Congress.

[Derek Thunder]

You don't trample old friends in attempts to make new friends. Because sooner or later that will leave you with no friends.

I'm aware that there is already a wager of sorts regarding 2012, but I'm willing to bet a cookie that Obama will hedge on the public option during his speech, perhaps not mentioning it at all, or saying it's "not essential" to meeting the goals of health care reform. Either that, or the "trigger option" will be mentioned in the same breath.

A lot of progressives know that Rahm Emmanuel is well-connected in the centrist DLC wing of the party, and there is an implied threat of primary challenges for progressives who break rank. I honestly think that we're headed towards the largest subsidy for insurance companies since the informal establishment of our employer-based health care system.

[SirNitram]

I've read the Tri-Commitee and Senate HELP bill. Nice good Public Options. The Progressives keep making clear they won't back down. Obama has actually had to try and bargain with them at large, and he has a meeting with the Progressive Leadership before his speech.

There aren't the votes for a bill without a solid Public Option to pass.

[Norseman]

No! You poor Americans must avoid UHC! Look at the horrors of Norwegian UHC! (And I'm half expecting the opponents of UHC to show something like this.)

[Derek Thunder]

Oh, by the way, if Max Baucus gets his way with a bill with individual mandates but no public option, here is the cost of not opting into the private insurance market:

Link to article.

A top senator is calling for fines of up to $3,800 on families who fail to get medical insurance after a health care overhaul goes into effect.

The plan from Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana would make health insurance mandatory, just like auto coverage. It would provide tax credits to help cover the cost for people making up to three times the federal poverty level. That's about $66,000 for a family of four, and $32,000 for an individual.

But those who still don't sign up would face hefty fines, starting at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families. The maximum penalty on individuals would be $950.

Baucus is hoping his plan can win bipartisan support. A copy of his proposal was obtained by The Associated Press.

[The Minx]

Wow, I guess Max Baucus really doesn't understand what the problem with health care is.

Government meddling forcing costly private insurance, the worst of both worlds.

[Cpl Kendall]

Oh, by the way, if Max Baucus gets his way with a bill with individual mandates but no public option, here is the cost of not opting into the private insurance market:

Link to article.

A top senator is calling for fines of up to $3,800 on families who fail to get medical insurance after a health care overhaul goes into effect.

The plan from Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana would make health insurance mandatory, just like auto coverage. It would provide tax credits to help cover the cost for people making up to three times the federal poverty level. That's about $66,000 for a family of four, and $32,000 for an individual.

But those who still don't sign up would face hefty fines, starting at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families. The maximum penalty on individuals would be $950.

Baucus is hoping his plan can win bipartisan support. A copy of his proposal was obtained by The Associated Press.

So the solution to people not being able to afford health care is to drive them deeper in debt? What is this guy smoking, and can I have some?

[frigidmagi]

It's just a proposal. It hasn't even been sent to committee. Let's worry about actual bills on the floor yes?

[SirNitram]

It's just a proposal. It hasn't even been sent to committee. Let's worry about actual bills on the floor yes?

A full Bill has been given to the Gang Of Six.. And apparently, K Street Lobbyists.

Ah, Baucus.