Howard Dean on the Ed Show (just now) addressed Pre-Existing Conditions

[freddie mertz]

His statement was that in the present bills, the statute on pre-existing conditions does not set enough restrictions on the COST of insurance to those with conditions.

The result, as he put it, would be that many or most would not be able to afford the insurance they will be required to buy.

He went on to explain that this is why, to him, the public option is an absolute necessity for this legislation to contain any real reform and provide coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.

This was on the Ed Show tonight. Dean was the first guest.

[abluelady]

1. He' Right, Of Course

You don't need to be a genius to figure that out!

[saracat]

2. Howard will now be the "enemy" with the for it or against it crowd.

He will be a"hater". LOL.

[freddie mertz]

4. He was not about killing the bill.

He wants to improve it, and suggested that going to reconciliation might be the only way to get anything decent passed (or even passed at all).

[Cant trust em]

6. Interesting because that's how it was two weeks ago when he said...

that he would vote for the house bill.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

13. The House Bill contained the National High Risk Pool which would cover people with PEC

Pre-existing conditions as of January 1st if they had been refused coverage or offered coverage so high as to be unaffordable.

[madrchsod]

7. it`ll smoke out the dlc crowd.......

[grantcart]

14. really? I get an email from his brother almost every day telling me to get

off my ass and do something to help get this bill passed.

[Cleita]

3. I know and it's so obvious looking at it yet none of the Senators involved want

to bring that up.

[rurallib]

5. Yet again spineless Dems let themselve get maneuvered into a lose-lose

position.
fucking worthless leadership.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. "We Voted For Change And If We Don't Get Change, We'll Have More Change"

Dean 2012.

[karynnj]

16. Dean could not beat Obama as an incumbent President

You might want to remember that, once the voting began, Dean really was not that strong a candidate - winning just VT. If he got 20 points less than Kerry in Iowa, even though he was considered the frontrunner, with the most endorsements, including Gore and Harken, and the most money by far, how does he beat Obama?

[Clio the Leo]

9. Good, because Chuck Schumer says....

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iMaHkF7hS9AS-o5sI3Ghx5ZQ2pQQD9C4LRI80

[freddie mertz]

10. Dean made it clear that the current PO is pretty weak..

If that is what Shumer is talking about, I'm less than enthusiastic.

[BzaDem]

11. Dean was right but only to a degree. There is community rating based upon health status, but

modified community rating based upon age. So they can't charge people who are the same age different amounts just because one is sick. But they can charge people who are younger less than people who are older (with up to a 2-1 ratio in the House bill).

This is a hard issue. If you say that people who are young have to pay exactly the same amount as people who are old, then young people won't get insurance. It will be way too expensive (with little perceived benefit, since they are young), and the penalty would be much cheaper. Furthermore, younger people are more likely to be un- or under-employed.

[freddie mertz]

12. Thank you very much for the information. That said...

Obviously a national, subsidized system would be able to avoid all this nonsense...

WHY are we stuck in this private, insurance, FOR PROFIT approach to to Health Care?

It is so depressing and disgusting.

[Digit]

15. Don't forget us unemployed/underemployed seniors

People over 50 are having a horrible time in this job market.

I am one of them and don't qualify for financial assistance but can't afford health insurance as it IS.

Damn, I can't even find a job paying 11/hr!

[uponit7771]

17. K&R