Nov 19
Daschle tapped for HHS
By Denise Ross
If you haven’t yet read Tom Daschle’s latest book, Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis, now is the time. Since Prez-elect Obama has tapped TAD to head up HHS, that book will likely serve as the road map for the coming health care reform the nation will undergo.
Here’s something I did not know about Daschle’s role within the Obama campaign:
He currently serves as the head of Obama’s health-care policy group as the president-elect prepares to take office on January 20.
I do see some storm clouds on the horizon, and I’m not talking about doctors who might whine about possibly taking pay cuts or the insurance robber barons who will put the biggest teenaged drama queens to shame (not to mention the auto industry execs) in trying to protect their profits. I’m talking about a pair of Daschle’s former charges in the US Senate, Ted Kennedy and Max Baucus and maybe even Hillary:
Mr. Baucus would create a nationwide marketplace, a “health insurance exchange,” where people could compare and buy insurance policies. The options would include private insurance policies and a new public plan similar to Medicare. Insurers could no longer deny coverage to people who had been sick. Congress would also limit insurers’ ability to charge higher premiums because of a person’s age or prior illness.
Baucus got way out front on the thing on Nov. 12. Kennedy weighed in this week despite his brain tumor treatment:
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who has announced plans to craft sweeping healthcare legislation next year, asked the former presidential contender to head a working group focused on insurance coverage.
(’Member that one time when Sen. Kennedy endorsed Obama and gave Hils the cold shoulder at a key time in the Dem primary?)
Anyway, this all looks - from the Hoghouse Blog HQ vantage point - like the elbows are already out and competing plans will be on the table before Obama and Daschle officially take office. No doubt Daschle’s experience leading the Senate Dems and his Zen-like ability to calm choppy Capitol Hill waters will come in handy in the coming months.
Good luck, Sen. Secretary Daschle. You might need it! (And congratulations on what is sure to be a surge in book sales.)
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I’ll ignore the (obvious) economic and policy arguments against universal health care: costs, crappy European service, etc.
1. If we can’t give decent health care to our Native American population and our vets, which are required to do, what will the universal system look like?
2. We don’t have enough doctors and nurses. It will be a sad day (but soon coming under Obama and Daschle’s plan) when our seniors have to wait to see a doc because illegal immigrants now have benefits thanks to Obama. Oh well (says the Ds), when the illegals can vote (the next step), they’ll thank us with their support.
If anyone would care to refute, I’ll enjoy your comments and have time to read in a few months as I am waiting to see an emergency room doctor for my critically ill child. Oh, I guess you are right, Obama will propose a dumb DOA plan, let it die and then blame the Reps, so I won’t have to worry for now.