Today’s Selection Of Opinions And Editorials
Senate Finance Committee Bill's Soft Spot: Health Care Insurance Mandate The Christian Science Monitor"Americans must be aware of how mandates might impinge on their choices and how vulnerable Obama's plan might be to court challenge" (10/13).
Why We're Breaking With The Blue Dogs On The Public Option The Hill
"Far from being an option of last resort or a government-funded takeover of the country's health care system, we see the public option as a critical market mechanism that will drive down costs, foster competition and expand Americans' insurance choices" (Rep. Jane Harman and Rep. Loretta Sanchez, 10/13).
Tort Reform The Salt Lake Tribune
"When it comes to health care, any reduction in rocketing costs is a good thing, but reforming malpractice law is hardly a panacea" (10/13).
As Baucus Bill Skimps, Health Reform Suffers The Boston Globe
"The good news in yesterday's Senate Finance Committee vote for health care reform was that Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine joined the effort and rewarded the push for bipartisan backing by President Obama and committee chairman Max Baucus. The bad news was the bill itself -- a small step forward, but too skimpily funded to make the kind of difference that the public is counting on" (10/14).
The Baucus Bill Is A Tax Bill The Wall Street Journal
"Middle-class families would get hit with a double-digit increase in their marginal tax rate" (Douglas Holtz-Eakin, 10/13).
Insurers Push Back The Los Angeles Times
"Senate Democratic leaders will now try to reconcile the Finance Committee bill with the more free-spending alternative approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. They should take the opportunity to address the affordability problem and the incentive to forgo coverage, both of which interfere with the bill's efforts to control costs" (10/14). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.