Who should we looking to ensure that insurance reform gets passed? The Hill suggests Vice President Joe Biden, while CQ Today says it is the Blue Dog Democrats that may be the key.
- “Joe Biden Still Has One Foot in the Senate; May Be Key to Health Care“: Vice President Joe Biden’s “relationship with his former colleagues [in the Senate] has been key to President Barack Obama’s first 13 months in office,” but on the issue of health reform, “Biden has used his friendships carefully,” according to The Hill. “With Democrats poised to use reconciliation to pass health care reform, Biden’s deep friendships on both sides of the aisle will be put to the test” as he may have to, in his role as Senate president, “cast the tie-breaking votes and overrule the Senate parliamentarian,” The Hill reports (Rushing, The Hill, 3/9).
- “Overhaul Puts ‘Blue Dogs’ in Middle”: Using the example of Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), CQ Today examines how Blue Dog Democrats are faced with a dilemma when it comes to health reform, being “marked for potential retaliation” by those they disappoint either by voting for the legislation or against it. Blue Dogs are “a key element of gaining passage” but “persuading a significant number to support the health care overhaul looks like it will be tough” despite efforts by President Obama and party leaders (Adams, CQ Today, 3/8).
Meanwhile, health insurers are still trying to defeat health reform. Timothy Noah at Slate suggests that might not be in their best interest.
- “Insuring Against Success“: Noah makes the central claim that if reform fails “health insurers will likely be worse off” and gives eight reasons why insurance industry should support reform: 1.) a “guaranteed customer base” by adding 30 million more U.S. residents to the insurance market 2.) nearly all U.S. residents will be mandated to have insurance 3.) no public option 4.) the excise tax on high-cost plans has been “emasculated” and is likely to be kept out of the final legislation 5.) President Obama “isn’t serious about imposing price controls on insurers” but a federal agency might be established to control premium rates “if insurers don’t cut a deal” 6.) insurers have a vested interest in slowing medical inflation 7.) the system would get worse if reform fails, and lawmakers would be forced to act and are likely to propose reforms that are “less hospitable” to insurers 8.) health reform still might not pass if insurers support it and therefore they would have “at least bought some good will” (Noah, Slate, 3/9).
Finall, there still are a few things that need to be decided before health reform can be passed.
- “Lights, Camera, Reconcile“: Health reform “is headed toward a highly unlikely endgame: a clash between parliamentary procedure attorneys,” according to a Politico piece examining the “high drama” surrounding the debate. Politico looks at some of the “key decisions” that will be made during the final home stretch of the process including issues surrounding “Timing and scoring”; “Sequencing”; “Surviving a ‘votorama’”; and abortion provisions (Cummings, Politico, 3/9).
by Julia Moss, staff writer
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