Like Neo in the Matrix, you've felt that there's something wrong with the health care reform effort. You made the calls. The polls and Congress backed your views. So what the hell happened? You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind. Why would Obama be so interested in promoting the Senate efforts when the House was undoubtedly passing better legislation? Why let Max Baucus spend the summer wasting time trying to court Republicans?
Well, the health care deal has been in place since May, since then it’s just been a matter of breaking the news to the Senate and House that there was a deal.
Remember this story?
Industry reps offer $2 trillion in health savings
In a rare move before the administration has unveiled all the details of its proposal, the industry groups are trying to strike a deal now with Obama officials to help get coverage for all Americans in the hopes they can stave off legislation that would restrict their profitability in future years. Obama has courted industry and provider groups; he invited representatives to a health care summit discussion at the White House. There is a sense among some of the groups that this may be the best opportunity to strike a deal before public opinion turns against them, fueled by anger over costs.
Insurers, for example, want to avoid creation of a government health plan that would directly compete with them to enroll middle-class workers and their families. Drug makers worry that in the future, new medications might have to pass a cost-benefit test before they can win approval. And hospitals and doctors are concerned the government could dictate what they get paid to care for any patient, not only the elderly and the poor.
We already know the Pharma’s deal couldn’t be overturned by the Senate. I would suspect that all of the other deals made on May 10th, 2009 aren’t going to be compromised by the final legislation.
At the last minute there was a deal to extend Medicare to those age 55. But that didn't jive with the deal the hospital's made, so that had to go.
So in the end we're getting a health care bill, but we didn't get the transparency we were promised. Nor were we informed that we were wasting our damn time trying to get a better bill. The power brokers had already decided behind closed doors.