Today bloggers analyze more shifts in the health overhaul political landscape, including a letter urging the inclusion of a public option, and a call to convince Democrats to “start over.”
Time’s Kate Pickert ponders whether the so-called public option could “get a third lease on life.” Pickert points to news that 17 Democratic senators and 119 members of the House have signed a letter trying to revive the controversial health reform item by using a reconciliation procedure in the Senate. Pickert determines it’s “EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY unlikely. But hey, you can’t blame public option devotees for trying.”
The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein relays what he’s hearing on Capitol Hill in regards to reform: “I’ll also note that I’m detecting more confidence among Hill aides lately. They sound a lot less down and a lot less uncertain than they did a few weeks ago. The prevailing view is that everybody realizes they have to pass something, and though passing something will be hard, most are willing to bet that it will happen.”
Grace-Marie Turner offers a primer on health overhaul efforts in advance of next week’s health care ’summit’. Turner says: “the first challenge is convincing Democrats to start over. They need to admit that the problem wasn’t the marketing but the fundamental substance of Obamacare.”
Heritage’s Marguerite Higgins looks at a new Robert Wood Johnnson Foundation/University of Wisconsin study of American counties’ health status and says it “reinforces the need for federalism in health reform.” Higgins writes, “States must have the tools and flexibility from Congress to test their ideas and find out what reforms work best or need to be changed. That won’t happen with the Obama Administration’s current health care agenda, especially in light of the upcoming Health Care Summit. The new report should serve as a wake-up call to Congress and the Obama Administration — trying to create a one-size-fits-all health care system is harder than it looks.”
The Corner’s James Capretta reacts to news of a new bipartisan budget commission to study the federal deficit. Capretta isn’t pleased with the plan so far for the commission, particularly when it comes to health care costs: “Team Obama’s plan here is quite obvious: lock in a partisan health-care program over the unanimous objections of congressional Republicans, and then to try to get Republican help to clean up the government’s budgetary mess. That Republicans are resisting this one-sided game should surprise no one.”
And Brady Augustine of Medicaid First Aid hosts a “Dr. Phil” themed version of Health Wonk Review.
