Sunset Mandates, Eliminate Excise Tax, Then Support Health Insurance Premium Assistance Bill
Posted on Sat Dec 19, 2009 at 08:50:04 AM EST
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If I have understood correctly the concessions to Ben Nelson, I am prepared to support the bill - with 2 conditions - sunset the mandates in 2019 and eliminate the excise tax, using instead the House financing approach. Of course this bill is not health care reform - but it is health insurance premium assistance for the less well off paid for by the wealthy (IF the House financing provisions are used).
In order to have another chance to reform health care, the bargaining chip of the mandates needs to be put back on the table at some point in the future. Sunsetting the mandates will do that.
Nothing to have a parade about, but with those two changes, Democrats can argue they did some good with this health insurance premium assistance bill without crippling the chance for real reform in the future.
Speaking for me only