Health wonks will delight in the 137 page document compiling the Senate Finance Committee's questions to Kathleen Sebelius and her answers. A couple highlights that caught my eye. First, on the individual mandate:Whatever that answer is, it's not a "no." Another interesting moment came when Sebelius was asked about the employer tax exclusion. Watch this skillful bit of diplomacy:Do you support an individual or employer mandate to purchase health coverage as part of health care reform, and if so, how would you believe such a mandate should be enforced? As noted in my answer to the previous question, the President‘s campaign plan emphasized shared responsibility, including the responsibility of employers and individuals. The health care system cannot be reformed without each participant‘s contribution to change. We are committed to working with the American public and with Congress on how to specify policies and balance priorities.
The President believes health reform should build upon the existing employer-based health care system, through which the majority of Americans receive their health care. The tax exclusion contributes to sustaining this system. That said, he recognizes that many members of Congress have views on that subject. He has stated that he would consider this among other sources of financing if that is what it takes to cover all Americans.And then, of course, there's the exected public plan question:We believe in the principle of choice and ensuring the private market works.
The President wants to make health care affordable for families and businesses. We want to give Americans a choice of which health insurance option works for them. While the President discussed proposals to ensure that Americans had benefits as good as Members of Congress, his campaign plan also proposed a public option alongside private insurance options in a National Health Insurance Exchange. He recognizes the importance of giving the American people this choice, which will also challenge private insurers to compete on cost and quality, not cream-skimming and risk selection. At the same time, he recognizes the importance of a level playing field between plans and ensuring that private insurance plans are not disadvantaged. The President is open to good ideas from both sides of the aisle, and he will work with Congress on this and other elements of the plan.You can download the whole exchange here. Let me know if you catch anything interesting that I missed.
