The Note's Must-Reads for Monday, October 26, 2009
The Note — ... public option picks up support in Senate" LINK The Associated Press' David Espo: "AP sources: Health bill may cut employer mandate" LINK The New York Times' Joseph Berger: "Democrats Are Optimistic That Public Option Will Be Approved" LINK The Los Angeles Times' James Oliphant and Kim Geiger: “Who might, or might not, be covered under the healthcare bills” LINK The Wall Street Journal’s Janet Adamy and Greg Hitt: “Senate on Verge of Health Bill” LINK Bloomberg’s Kristin Jensen and Laura Litvan: “Reid Lacks Consensus on Public Option as ...

Washington in 60 Seconds: Afghan Troop Discussions, Hashing Out Health Care, and Cool Responses to Cheney's Remark
Politics Daily — ... * The Wall Street Journal writes up the likely outlines of the Senate health care bill. Employer mandates are out, but higher penalties will apply to companies with 50 or more employees who don't cover their peeps. A public option is in, but states could opt out. Finally, progressives are supportive, but Senate moderates are still on the fence about the bill that could meet the president's goal of keeping the total cost under $900 billion for 10 years. Confused yet? Stick with us and we'll keep you posted on the latest. ...

Early Morning Swim
Firedoglake — Why is the word ‘considers’ in this headline? Bring them home. Meanwhile… Will this be the week? I smell a Rahm. Gingrich/Palin 2012! The trouble with triggers.  

The Note: Option Play: Health Care Moves from ‘If’ to ‘When’
The Note — ... In the Senate: "Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage," Janet Adamy and Greg Hitt write in The Wall Street Journal. "Senate leaders plan to submit the bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate as soon as Monday, and make the legislation public as soon as Tuesday." ...

The Early Word: Presidential Rainmaker
The Caucus — ... a few weeks. Meanwhile, the Iranian government needs to decide whether, under the terms of a proposed deal, it will turn over much of its enriched uranium to Russia for processing. “For days now,” Mr. Sanger reports, “Iran’s leadership has been fighting over whether to take that deal, with political opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad all but declaring that he is being duped.” Health Care Bill Coming? : The Wall Street Journal reports that the Senate could unveil their melded health care bill sometime this week. According to Janet Adamy and Greg Hitt, the legislation ...

Multiple Reports That Senate Bill Will Include Public Option with Opt-Out
Firedoglake — ... (photo by Niemster) The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday night that Harry Reid is going along with the opt-out:   WASHINGTON — Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure ...

The WonkLine: October 26, 2009
Wonk Room — ... Senate leaders may submit the merged health bill “to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate as soon as Monday, and make the legislation public as soon as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.” The legislation is likely to include a ...

NBC: Reid bill will include opt-out public option
AMERICAblog News — ... The Wall Street Journal has more: “Details of the legislation could change, but its broad outlines are becoming clear. Employers with more than 50 workers wouldn't be required to provide health insurance, but they would face fines of up to $750 per employee if even part of their work force received a government subsidy to buy health insurance, this person said. A bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee had a lower fine of up to $400 per employee… The bill is expected to expand health coverage to tens of millions of Americans by giving low- and middle-income Americans ...

If This Is True...
True North - Pointing Minnesota in the Right Direction — ... If this WSJ article is true, Democrats are opening themselves up for a huge new flood of well-deserved criticism. They're also heading for a constitutional challenge. Here's what the WSJ is reporting: ...

If This Is True…
California Conservative —

The Case Against Including A Free Rider Provision In The Merged Senate Bill
Wonk Room — ... and will send it to the Congressional Budget Office today for an evaluation of costs.” Insiders tell the Wall Street Journal that the measure will include an opt-out public option and a free-rider employer provision, similar to the one included in the Senate Finance Committee’s bill. Under the merged bill, “employers with more than 50 workers wouldn’t be required to provide health insurance,” the Journal writes, “but they would face fines of up to $750 per employee if even part of their work force received a government subsidy to buy health ...

Health Insurance Companies Are Racking Up HUGE Weak Profits. Meanwhile Super Awesom Government Run Medicare Is A Fraud Magnet
Ace of Spades HQ — ... to oversight and anti-fraud work. One of our biggest challenges has been that we have a program that pays out over a billion claims a year, over $430 billion, and our oversight budget has been extremely limited. Oh, it's too big now so obviously the way to get costs down is to add tens of millions of more people to the system. What could possibly go wrong? We may get to find out sooner than later as the Senate Democrats have cobbled together their two health care bills into a single Frankenstein's monster single bil l. It's being sent out for CBO ...

Decisions Close on Public Option in Merged Bills
Open Left - Front Page — ... Congressional Budget Office.  Last week, Reid indicated that when he finally sent a bill to the CBO, it would mean he had made a decision on the public option: "I've had a number of meetings in my office, dealing with Democrats and Republicans on the public option aspect of it...when the decision's made to send this on to the CBO, I will have made a decision as to what we're going to do with the public option. Today, reports indicate that Reid is sending a bill to the CBO, and that it includes the opt-out public option: ...

Federalism Lives
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan — Reid signals that a public option, with an opt-out for the states, will be in the final Senate bill. You could see this coming. ...

Ram It Through– Dems Ready to Nationalize Health Care
Gateway Pundit — They’re Going to Ram It Through… Dems are ready to nationalize the health care industry. Public option here we come– Democrats are putting the final touches on their plan to takeover the nation’s health care industry. The Wall Street Journal reported: Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health ...

The public option: by hook or by crook
neo-neocon — ... But if you take a look at the details of the Senate bill that supposedly is the leader right now, you’ll see what I mean. Everything about the public option is designed to appear to retain the private insurance choice, while at the same time having the actual affect of making the private option non-competitive, and most likely ultimately phasing it out.] ...

Senate “Close” To Unveiling Health Care Bill That Would Fine Employers For Not Providing Health Care
Say Anything — ... By the way, what do Democrats want these employers to do?  Pay health care fines or hire people? ...

Senate On Verge of Health Care Plan That Will Dramatically Increase Number of Unemployed Low-Income Workers
Confederate Yankee — Senate On Verge of Health Care Plan That Will Dramatically Increase Number of Unemployed Low-Income Workers Democrats in the Senate should call this precisely what it is the Screw The Poor Compromise : Details of the legislation could change, but its broad outlines are becoming clear. Employers with more than 50 workers wouldn't be required to provide health insurance, but they would face fines of up to $750 per employee if even part of their work force received a government subsidy to buy health insurance, this person said. A bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee had a ...

The Public Option "Opt-Out" -- By: Stephen Spruiell
The Corner on National Review Online — It looks like the Democratic leadership is coverging around a "public option" government-run insurance plan. Reid et al hope to bring moderates on board by allowing states to opt out: ...

Am I seeing things? AP takes on “skyrocketing health insurance industry profits” smear
Sister Toldjah — ... taken out of Joe the Taxpayer’s pocket to pay for, lies that will help give the government more and more control over your healthcare decisions. Related Reading: (AP) Pelosi: Health care ‘public option’ needs new name (NYT) Senator Reid Announces an ‘Opt-Out’ Public Plan Michelle Malkin’s commentary on Reid’s plan (WSJ) Senate on Verge of Health Bill

Reid's Bill Is Ready And Goes To The CBO Today. What About Our Costs?
Crooks and Liars — ... Unfortunately, there's still one big elephant in the reform room: There are no restrictions on increases based on age. Unless something changes drastically in the final version of the bill (and if you don't call your congress critter, it definitely won't), this is a giant shell game in which health insurers will get their profits from one new underwriting emphasis rather than another. ...

Senate Bill Doppelgänger
Centrisity — ... though the red states usually have the highest number of uninsured and underinsured folks. Personally, I’m not a fan of a federally run system. I’d rather have the federal government give states seed money to build their own public co-ops and have the states figure it out themselves. I also think it’s unclear whether or not Reid can get the 60 votes he needs to avoid passing this thing via reconciliation. However, putting all that aside…let’s remember the most important part of health care reform… Also expected are new rules on insurers to ...

Health Care’s Heart Failure
The Moderate Voice — As Congress stumbles toward a final deal, the process is a reminder of the disheartening political climate in which we live today. No one will really be happy with the final result. How could they be? In a world where human considerations are swamped by partisan posturing, the bottom line, if anyone can figure out what it is, will not be how much better or worse it makes our society but who wins and who loses. At heart, it will be a collection of poor compromises. Here, for example, is Harry Reid, the worst Senate Majority Leader in memory, after reading ...