Health Insurance Industry Overrules House Committee on Single-Payer

Monday, November 02, 2009

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) was incensed on Friday upon learning that House Democratic leaders had quietly dropped his provision for allowing states to create their own single-payer health insurance program as part of the federal health reform plan. Kucinich’s amendment passed the House Committee on Labor and Education with bipartisan support in July, but was not included in the larger health care plan unveiled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late last week.

 
Calling the House plan “a bailout for insurance companies,” Kucinich said none of his colleagues gave him any rational explanation for eliminating his opt-in public option for states. “I can only assume the insurance company interests brought pressure to take it out. Otherwise I would have heard from someone,” he said.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
Pelosi's Not-So-Public Option (by John Nichols, The Nation)

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