Healthcare: Democrats trade public plan for lowering the age threshold for Medicare
Democrats Agree To Tentatively Trade Opt-Out For Trigger, Medicare Buy In, And More | TPMDC
Paul Krugman likes it, so that's saying something, but that may just be because he gets coverage under this plan. I don't see how this will help anyone under 55 who is currently without insurance or has been denied it because of pre-existing conditions.
An aide briefed on the negotiations among the gang of 10 offers up the rundown of the most important aspects of the public option compromise being sent to CBO.
If this trade-off carries the day, the opt out public option is gone.
In its place will be many of the alternatives we've been hearing about, including a Medicare expansion and a triggered, federally-based public option, the aide said.
As has been widely reported, one of the trade-offs will be to extend a version of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan to consumers in the exchanges. Insurance companies will have the option of creating nationally-based non-profit insurance plans that would offered on the exchanges in every state. However, according to the aide, if insurance companies don't step up to the plate to offer such plans, that will trigger a national public option.
Beyond that, the group agreed--contingent upon CBO analysis--to a Medicare buy in.
