Bipartisan Fail

by digby

The policy wonk who designed the public option explains why triggers are bullshit — in great, convincing detail:

A workable trigger would, at a minimum, need to achieve three goals: (1) establish a reasonable and measurable standard for private plan performance that sets out clear affordability and cost-containment goals for a specifically defined package of benefits, (2) assess this standard in a timely fashion with information available to policymakers after reform legislation passes, and (3) if this standard were met, quickly create a public health insurance plan that would effectively remedy the situation.

The modifier “quickly” in the third goal is crucial: Runaway health costs are a grave and growing threat to federal and state budgets and to the health security of workers, their families, and their employers. Waiting longer than absolutely necessary for affordable coverage is certain to cause great harm. Indeed, it might actually compound the current crisis. Without an imminent threat of public plan competition, private insurers are likely to raise premiums in anticipation of the implementation of reform—as suggested by AHIP’s recent prediction of big premium increases if reform passes. Delaying a public plan may also jeopardize the cause of reform itself, because requiring Americans to buy unaffordable coverage has the potential to provoke a political backlash. (Polls show that Americans are more supportive of a mandate when they know they will have the choice of a public plan.)

There’s more policy details at the link.

Obama simply has to find another way to appease the jackass triplets: Landrieu, Lincoln and Nelson — and he has to rid himself of the idea that Olympia Snowe brings anything to the table if she refuses a public plan. Her objections are irrational and stupid if cost is her primary concern. And if bipartisanship is the White House’s primary concern they should recognize that irrational, stupid Republicans are a dime a dozen and if that’s what they want then there are a million ways to destroy health care reform with far more of them on board. Dealing only with Snowe guarantees that failure will completely laid at their doorstep. Why do it?

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