Pelosi Going Piecemeal

[Winter_123]

Mrs. Pelosi desperately looking to pass something. What choice does she have, realistically?

I dont think there are very many opponents to the idea of removing the anti-trust exemption so if that passes, and most likely it will, expect that "win" to suddenly become larger than life.

Health care back on the House floor - On Politics: Covering the US Congress, Governors, and the 2010 Election - USATODAY.com

 

[djs]

And what impact will this have on anything? Most people couldn't tell you what the anti-trust exemption is for, what it does, or why it was there in the first place, but, those same people will tell you it needs to be repealed!!!

Not the first time this has come up, the republicans did this back in '07. Bill To Repeal Mccarran-Ferguson Act Antitrust Exemption For Insurance Business Introduced | Crowell & Moring Health Law News

Dan

 

[somarco]

InsureBlog: McCarran - Ferguson Explained and Updated

 

[HealthGuy]

Pelosi? Pelosi who? Is that the old windbag on TV?

 

[TXINSURANCE]

This can actually impact what specifically?

My thought is it would immediately give Federal controls - or am I reading into this to far? Winter?

 

[scagnt83]

"California Reps. Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa, both moderates who voted for the House-passed health bill, burst out laughing when asked about the issue's fate."



This is quoted from an article by the AP. And seems to be the overwhelming sentiment around Washington about where things stand.

This piecemeal crap is just Pelosi and Reed trying to save face somehow.
I doubt any of it will be reconciled before the upcoming elections; and it definitely wont after!

 

[Winter_123]

This can actually impact what specifically?

My thought is it would immediately give Federal controls - or am I reading into this to far? Winter?

The anti-trust laws prevent corporations from getting together to share data, business information, market analysis etc for the purpose of setting/fixing/manupulating rates and prices. Insurance companies are exempt from this. It allows them more freedom to carve in and carve out groups as well.without running afoul of other laws. It does some other things too.

The feds already have control of the health care system in this country. It has been federalized now and is considered to be a responsibility of the national government. This is true regardless of the status of the anti-trust exemption. It is true that much of it is still run through the private sector or the states but this is only by permission of the fed government versus years ago where it was a given that states and carriers had a right to be free from fed interference. If the feds see something that works that runs contrary to what the states or the carriers want they will just implement it from here on out. Even if the entire enchilada stays in the private sector, it is still the same point. It will stay their because Congress gives its permission and that is the Congressional policy. That is a long winded way of saying that I dont think repeal of the antitrust gives the feds control. That has already been usurped.

The issue of mandate and fed control is a little trickier because there is a valid constitutional issue there that may constrain the feds even if the feds want mandate. My point being that the feds are already in control except where they run into a hard show-stopping constitutional issue, and there are not many.
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I doubt any of it will be reconciled before the upcoming elections; and it definitely wont after!

My sense of the situation is a bit different. Obamacare, meaning the big, one-shot mega bill/program, is dead and reconciliation will not save it now, before the election, or after. It is dead. There are some folks, many here as well, who call all health reform "Obamacare" so they will argue that it lives on. Fine, maybe Hillarycare is still alive too if you call any health reform Hillarycare. But, I agree that reconciliation is not going to resurrenct or approve Obamacare.

However, the repeal of the anti-trust is (I believe) being introduced as a separate bill outside of the defunct/hung-up Harry Reid bill so they can run with that separately. I believe the votes are there to pass it and both sides would like to see it pass. It allows Pelosi and company to pretend that they are still in the game and can still do something, and it allows the republicans to say that they are working on bipartisan solutions and (contrary to public perception) are not just saying "no." That allows them to say yes to something that is not a major issue for them all while buying time to the next election. Unfortunately for the dems, I think passing tidbits torpedoes any attempt to keep going forward with a mega-reform bill because it allows the opponents to successfully argue that you can just pick out the pieces where there is agreement and go with those. (we know it is not that simple but we are talkng politics of it here right now, not policy).

I expect it to be introduced as a separate bill and to pass if they keep it simple. Problem is, give it two weeks and the dems will start humping other things on to it that they also think are simple to pass and then it gets bogged down. If they keep it simple, it will pass. I dont think it is either here nor there in the scheme of things - once you have accepted the fact that health care is now under the jurisdiction of the feds. Acknowledging in advance that many do not, yet.

 

[somarco]

give Federal controls

It will, and has other implications as well. Read Mike's blogpost above for insight.

 

[Winter_123]

http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/pelosis1.jpg