Health care issues: Are insurance market changes enough to fix the health care system?October 5th, 2009 Health care issues: Insurance market overhaulA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Are changes in the insurance industry enough to fix problems in the nation's health care system?
THE POLITICS: To help expand health coverage, President Barack Obama is seeking changes to underwriting practices that can prevent Americans from obtaining affordable insurance. His proposals would ban higher premiums, caps or denial of coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition or when a person gets sick.
Senate Finance Committee votes down creation of public insurance planSeptember 30th, 2009 Public plan goes down in Senate Finance CommitteeWASHINGTON — The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market. The 15-to-8 vote could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole.
Gibbs: Public option just 1 way to achieve goal of health insurance for millions without itSeptember 13th, 2009 Gibbs: Public option 1 way to meet coverage goalWASHINGTON — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says it's not true that a health care overhaul will affect people who already have insurance. He says President Barack Obama is determined that health care legislation provides Americans with a choice of insurers and competition for the companies that now dominate the market.
Axelrod says public option is alive but says it's not essential to health care overhaulSeptember 13th, 2009 Axelrod says public option is aliveWASHINGTON — The top adviser to President Barack Obama says the White House is "not willing to accept" that Congress will reject a government-run public option in the health care overhaul. David Axelrod says such an option remains Obama's preference for setting up a system that would provide coverage for Americans who can't afford health insurance.
Obama pitches public option on health care overhauls, says he's open on 'how to set this up'September 12th, 2009 Obama: Public option helps health care competitionMINNEAPOLIS — President Barack Obama says he wants to see a government-run option in the health care overhaul and remains open on "how to set this up."
Speaking at a rally Saturday in Minneapolis, Obama was responding to growing concerns that the government could squeeze out private insurers and lead to a federal takeover of health care. Obama stressed that a government-run plan would be one of many options for people seeking affordable care.
A look at the main points of Obama's health care speechSeptember 9th, 2009 A look at the points in Obama's speechA look at key points in Obama's health care speech:
—Individuals would be required to carry basic health insurance. Those who can't afford it would get a hardship waiver.
Health care issues: The public insurance planSeptember 8th, 2009 Health care issues: The public insurance planA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Should Americans have the option of getting health insurance from a government plan that competes with private companies?
THE POLITICS: Many Democrats want to do away with private insurance and replace it with something resembling Medicare coverage for all, but that's not politically feasible. Offering the choice of a government insurance plan was a compromise within the Democratic Party.
Hoyer maintains support for public health insurance option amid 'boos' at town hall meetingSeptember 1st, 2009 Hoyer maintains support for public optionWALDORF, Md. — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told cheering and jeering constituents Tuesday he still supports a public health insurance option as part of a health care overhaul.
FACT CHECK: White House health care rhetoric ignores concession on government-run planAugust 18th, 2009 FACT CHECK: White House ignores health concessionWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has indicated a willingness to drop a government-run health care plan from any overhaul. The White House says that's not a shift.
Former Democratic Chairman Dean argues no health care overhaul likely without public optionAugust 17th, 2009 Dean: Public option a must for health care reformWASHINGTON — Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean is arguing that there can be no meaningful overhaul of the health care system without a public option for coverage. A leading player in the party's liberal wing, Dean said in a nationally broadcast interview Monday he thinks providing a government role in insurance coverage is fair.
Sebelius: Obama OK with insurance co-ops to offer choice, competition to private plansAugust 16th, 2009 Sebelius: Public insurance option not essentialWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's health secretary is suggesting the White House is ready to accept nonprofit insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run public option in a health overhaul plan. A Republican senator says that is worth looking at.
In pitch for health care overhaul, Obama says insurance companies holding Americans hostageAugust 14th, 2009 Obama assails health insurance companiesBELGRADE, Mont. — President Barack Obama says Americans are being held hostage by health insurance companies that deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions or cancel coverage when people get sick.
Obama says Congress agrees with him on broad health careJuly 23rd, 2009 Obama: Lots of agreement on health overhaulWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says lawmakers and he are in general agreement on important parts of a potential health care overhaul. Obama planned to say Wednesday night that the proposals would add stability to existing plans.
Republican lawmakers fail to strip government-run option from health care billJuly 16th, 2009 GOP fails to strip public option from health billWASHINGTON — Republicans have failed to strip a government-run benefits plan from the House bill overhauling health care. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 25-15 on Thursday to keep the government-run option in the bill, rejecting an amendment by Wisconsin Republican Rep.
Senators say finding middle ground on a public insurance plan is a key to health care overhaulJuly 5th, 2009 Senators say compromise key to health care billWASHINGTON — It will take a compromise on a government option for insurance if the Senate is to agree on a health care overall before next month's break, two senators said Sunday. President Barack Obama is pushing for an Aug.