Baucus Plan Reduces the Deficit. So What.

Posted on 09/16/2009 at 6:58 pm by Bob Cesca

The CBO released a preliminary scoring of the Baucus Plan, showing that the plan reduces the deficit over its first ten years. It also shows some other positive outcomes of the bill which are, in part, related to Kent Conrad’s sneaky request for the CBO to suddenly expand its scoring to 20 years instead of 10.

None of this excuses a shitty plan that basically holds most of us hostage to the private health insurance industry, of course.

By the way, the House bill with the public option reduces the deficit, too, according to the CBO. And it’s a much better bill. Regardless, all of the bills have to be revenue neutral. So why not have a bill that doesn’t screw us? Seems fair to me.

Adding… The CBO also confirms the inefficacy of the co-ops:

The agency also said the proposal by Baucus, a Montana Democrat, to use insurance cooperatives, rather than a government-run plan, to provide competition to private insurers would ‘seem unlikely to establish a significant market presence in many areas of the country.”

This entry was posted in Healthcare and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • ShelleyBee

    I watched him selling the plan on TV this afternoon. How does someone that ineloquent talk people into voting for him? He looked already defeated, like an Electrolux salesman who knows the housewife in front of him is politely waiting for him to finish his script before telling him she’s not interested, thank you.

  • roxsteady

    GAME, SET, MATCH! Even the media has been doing a decent job of smacking this bill but, in their case it’s mostly because there is no Republican support. Like liberals give a shit about that! No, I’ve seen plenty of people trashing this bill for it’s lack of a public option and mandates to force the purchase of insurance from thieves! Keep it going guys!

  • roxsteady

    Baucus is also someone who should smile as little as possible. His smile is actually quite creepy. He looks like Jack Nicholson as the Joker with those enormous teeth! He looks like he’s passing a kidney stone when he smiles. Is it just me?

  • http://tarackian.deviantart.com J M Ashby

    The Baucus bill is a fucking disgrace.Baucus is a fucking disgrace.

  • Jan

    SO. Will it pass through the Senate? And then into negotiations with the House?Or can we throw it onto the trash heap, along with Md Max, and start over?And what is Obama going to say about it on 5 Sunday shows and Letterman? That he supports it? Him and Max- the only ones in the country?WE ARE SO SCREWED.

  • J

    Has the WH said anything about this bill?? And if not, why are Keith and Howard (and Jan) acting like they’ve embraced it wholeheartedly? Also, anyone who expects Pres. Obama to say this bill sucks is dreaming. THAT DOESN’T MEAN he supports it. Also also, why didnt the rest of the finance committee work on their own bill w/o gang of six??And finally, Sen. Rockefeller looks like older Victor Garber, which makes him AOK in my book.

  • Terri

    H.R. 676 – the United States National Health Insurance bill that is far better than Medicare, Medicaid and the vast majority of private health insurance policies. H.R. 676 fully covers everthing currently covered by Medicare and Medicaid PLUS all dental (except cosmetic), all optical and hearing services and hearing aids — with no out-of-pocket charges to the insured (that’s us, folks). The Private Profit Option cannot compete with H.R. 676

  • Riggsveda

    You know what else would reduce the deficit? Getting rid of the US Senate.

  • Jan

    well yeh he likes it—President Obama has broadly endorsed many elements of Mr. Baucus’s proposal, which White House officials praise as a possible template for comprehensive health legislation, Mr. Obama’s top domestic priorityhell