North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan, who has been the focus of an intense lobbying campaign, said Thursday she is committed to a compromise health care proposal that would provide an alternative to private insurance.
Hagan said she supports what is called the community health insurance option, that would be a government-backed plan available to people who can not get their insurance from employers.
"The bill provides a back-stop option for those without access," Hagan said in a teleconference from Washington. "It also competes with the private insurance companies."
The plan she is backing was drafted by the Senate Health Committee, of which she is a member, Rob Christensen reports. Hagan said the plan was similar to the so-called public option proposed by President Barack Obama.
Hagan was able to help craft the Senate Health comittee proposal in several ways: not requiring physicians to participate in the community health insurance option and not requiring fees tied to Medicare rates.
More after the jump.
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Hagan will likely to find out during her travels in the August recess whether the plan will satisfy those of her constituents pushing for universal health care coverage.
"If you ask what is a public plan to 10 diffierent people you would get 10 different responses," Hagan said. "From early on in committee, I kept saying: What is a public plan?’"
But Hagan said she is satisfied that the community health insurance option will provide insurance to those who do not now have it, will allow people to keep their employer insurance, and will be revenue-neutral.
The Greensboro Democrat said she could not make Obama’s town hall meeting in Raleigh on Wednesday because of Senate votes. But she said the nation needs health care changes.
"The delivery of health care right now is so expensive," Hagan said. "So many people right now can not afford access. If they have a pre existing condition they can not get coverage. If you look at the projectery of health care costs...it is estimated that in the next 10 years that can just practically double."
Comments
What government-run health care will look like...
July 31, 2009 - 4:17pm — midMANdleTo fully grasp the way that government-run health care would be in America if the current legislation were passed, the first place we need to look is towards to Indian reservations. Considering the inhumane treatment of Native Americans by the federal government in the early 1900s and the retribution tactics of the federal government now to smooth the waters, Native Americans receive a disproportionately higher level of government assistance than any other demographic in America...and rightfully so!
Huffington Post has a great article about the government-run health care on Indian Reservations!
Indian Health Care: A National Tragedy
Mind you that the Congress, in 2008, passed legislation to attempt to remedy the disparity in health care for Native Americans.
Senate Passes Bill To Improve Health Care On Indian Reservations
I applaud Hagan for standing up the liberal left of America that is promoting much a larger expansion of government into health care, but fear at the end of the day will be strong armed by the likes of Sen. Reid, Sen. Schumer and the all the President's men!
Re: Hagan backs compromise to public option
July 31, 2009 - 10:32am — Scotter67How exactly will a government-run plan unfairly compete with the private sector? In one breath, opponents say that the government can't get out of it's own way and the next, they are "Super Competitors that will destroy all competition!" Which is it?
By the way, Medicare and the VA are examples of government run care that has much higher favorabality ratings than private insurance with lower administrative costs (Medicare 68%, VA 79%, & Private insurance 48% - See http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1626933.html).
Maybe that is what they are afraid of.
Re: Hagan backs public plan
July 31, 2009 - 6:29am — bnartistThat would be the same US Treasury that makes employer-based health insurance plans possible. Read Krugman today.
Re: Hagan backs public plan
July 30, 2009 - 8:38pm — JoeColettiThe government makes the rules with the US Treasury to back it up. It's like playing poker with Bill Gates.
Re: Hagan backs public plan
July 30, 2009 - 3:44pm — bnartistIf health care under a government plan is going to be as bad as the right claims, the private sector won't need to worry about competition. These arguments go round in circles.
Hagan backs public plan
July 30, 2009 - 2:57pm — JoeColettiThe "Community Health Option" is not a compromise. It is completely a government-run plan that will compete unfairly with private insurance companies and ultimately destroy innovation. http://tr.im/uNNv