First, the (sorta) good news: One of the deadliest features of the “public option” was the likelihood that it would pay according to the Medicare rate schedule.
Because Medicare payment rates don’t even cover costs (and I mean costs, not charges), that would mean the bankruptcy of half the community hospitals in the U.S.
It would appear, however, that Madam Speaker has backed off the “Medicare rates” feature in order to keep some of her more moderate members on board with the PO:
The government insurance plan would negotiate rates with doctors and hospitals, as private insurers do. Payments would not be based on Medicare rates, as Ms. Pelosi had wanted. Democrats from rural areas balked at the use of Medicare rates, saying they were so low that hospitals could not survive on them.
Unfortunately, we can’t know for sure what’s being discussed about the PO because Nancy won’t let the actual public in. Hot Air has a video in which a security guard ID’s the source of her orders:
Remember when Nancy Pelosi was shrieking at the Bush administration, particularly Dick Cheney, about transparency? Seems like a long time ago, does it not? Change has come!
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