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Ted Kennedy's Final Days

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 07:56:00 AM EST
Tags: Ted Kennedy, Sen. Edward Kennedy (all tags)
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The New York Times recounts Senator Ted Kennedy's final days and how he coped with his illness. It's both sad and inspirational.

President Obama has issued an executive order that flags be flown at half-mast until Sunday.

What's next? Sen. Kennedy will lie in repose Thursday and Friday at the JFK presidential library. His funeral will be Saturday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston. President Obama will deliver a eulogy. He will then be buried at Arlington next to his brothers.

And after that? Democrats are hoping his legacy will spur support for the health care reform bill. Will the Dems rename the Health Care after him? If they do, I hope it's one that includes the principles he fought for. And that means a strong public option. Here's the letter he and Chris Dodd wrote to Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. [More..]

Like the President and a strong majority of Americans, we believe that a strong public option is an important component of any health reform bill that keeps costs down, expands coverage, and offers American families a wide variety of affordable options. Backed by the government for the public good, not private profit, our public option – called the Community Health Insurance Option – will be a strong, effective national plan that provides Americans with a real alternative to traditional, for-profit insurance.

Here’s how it works:

  • Our public option will be a national plan, available in each state and territory and administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which will negotiate rates and premiums.
  • Like private insurance plans, it will be available through the Health Insurance Gateway. Enrollees will be entitled to the same tax credits as those enrolled in the private plans available through the Gateway.
  • And, of course, participation in the public option will be just that – an option for American consumers who will be able to decide what plan is best for their families.

For the 47 million Americans currently living without health insurance, a public option will represent an opportunity to access quality, affordable care. For those who have insurance but still struggle to get the care they and their families need, the healthy competition provided by our proposal will offer a wider variety of options while keeping costs down.

And for the many Americans who have good coverage, nothing will change. They will still be able to keep their doctor, their hospital, and their insurance plan. What our proposal offers these families is stability – no longer will Americans with good health care have to worry about losing everything if they lose or change their job, or if someone in their family becomes sick or injured.

...a strong public option isn’t just what Americans want – it’s what America needs.

Ted Kennedy's goal was universal health care. We're not going to get that, but if we rename the bill after him, it should come as close as possible to his aspirations, and that means the public option must be included.

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    Ted Kennedy's Final Days | 19 comments (19 topical)

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    Yes, let's pass a bill (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by andgarden on Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 11:57:55 PM EST
     exactly along the lines Ted's letter suggests.

    His name belongs on the health care bill (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Radiowalla on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 12:12:47 AM EST
    because he has been the most stalwart champion of reform in the whole Congress.

    I can remember him intoning about reform waaaaaaay back when no one else had taken up the issue and I've always admired him for that.

    Not quite (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by mmc9431 on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 05:22:57 AM EST
    Only if the bill contains a strong public option.

    This letter clearly lays down the gaunnlet that any HCR bill has to include this. I think there could be an uproar within the ranks if Democrat's try to push anything less than with with TK's name on the bill.

    Parent

    Yeh, I'm arguing with incrementalists (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Cream City on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 08:44:26 AM EST
    in my circle now.  They're led by an economist, and one who worked like mad to get McCaskill elected, because that seems to be the best you can do in a Missouri.  And so he's buying into the "get the foot in the door" stuff and more concessions to Repubs, saying that's what Kennedy wanted and he have then worked for public option for later.  

    No, I said: Kennedy made it clear that public option was necessary -- and that there had been almost 100 concessions to Repubs and their ilk, the d*mn Blue Dogs, even months ago.

    Try the foot in the door with them, and you will get it stomped on and be sent to the ER with broken toes and will walk out will bills that will break you financially, too, and only raise your health insurance rates -- if you have health insurance.  If not, then they will have you denied health insurance based on your pre-existing condition of stomped-on toes.

    Parent

    Blue Dogs working for you? (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by MO Blue on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 08:53:32 AM EST
    The coalition also sent the Democratic House leadership a letter stressing they would favor a public option only if industry reforms and greater competition don't lead to lower costs.

    Now why wouldn't the Blue Dogs want their constituents to pay less for health care?

    As the Obama administration and Democrats wrangled over the timing, shape and cost of health care overhaul efforts during the first half of the year, more than half the $1.1 million in campaign contributions the Democratic Party's Blue Dog Coalition received came from the pharmaceutical, health care and health insurance industries, according to watchdog organizations. link


    Parent
    I think this is "trigger" talk. (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Anne on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 10:13:55 AM EST
    They're saying, in effect, "let's see if the industry can reform itself and lower costs, and if it doesn't, then we might have to get a public option in place to do it."  For some reason, they think that just the mere threat of a public option will be enough to bring the insurance companies in line and lower costs.

    The idea that the industry, which has not shown the slightest inclination up to this point to self-regulate in order to bring down the costs to policy-holders, will now make efforts to do that because of a weak and meaningless threat from Congress, would be laugh-out-loud funny if it weren't so unbelievably dishonest.


    Parent

    what i can't understand... (none / 0) (#16)
    by Dadler on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 10:37:35 AM EST
    ...is the complete fairy-tale belief that these companies are going to seriously cut into their profits for ANYthing.  the insurane industry exists for ONE reason: to make as much money as they can while paying out as little as they can.  that is where all roads lead with them.  that obama seems to believe otherwise makes him, imo, childishly naive.  then again, he's struck a backroom deal with them and just knows they are sincere.

    fool.

    Parent

    Not a cut in profits (none / 0) (#21)
    by waldenpond on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 01:41:54 PM EST
    They have just promised certain reduction... waste, paperwork etc.  There was no promise that other areas would not increase.  The market responds to the public option only.

    Parent
    Trigger talk is (none / 0) (#17)
    by MO Blue on Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 10:42:26 AM EST
    "Not in my lifetime talk"

    The so called health insurance reform is not fully implemented until 2017. Seems that the time frame given on the trigger is 10 years.

    Under the plan floated by Kerry, a public health care option would only be triggered by private insurance companies failing to meet certain criteria after ten years. Known as the "trigger" in legislative lingo, the idea is vociferously opposed by health care advocates who consider it the death of reform. HufPo

    "Premiums are high," the New York Democrat said, "and either one or two insurers dominate the market. As we've seen with Medicare part D, a trigger option has so far meant no public option at all."

    Indeed, as Schumer notes, there is a trigger in the Medicare part D program and, to this date, the conditions have never been met for a public option for prescription drug coverage. The standards were set by private market, all but ensuring that they would remain unreachable. Progressive officials working on health care reform worry that should the same system be put