Northwest senators skeptical of Baucus health plan

A long-awaited health care overhaul unveiled by Montana Sen. Max Baucus is not winning rave reviews from fellow Northwest lawmakers.

Baucus, a Democrat who chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee, outlined a landmark $856 billion, 10-year measure Wednesday that would extend insurance to about 29 million Americans who now lack it.

But even some Democrats on the Finance panel called the proposal seriously flawed.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the Baucus draft does not offer enough choices and could force millions of Americans to pay more for medical care.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said she wants a greater emphasis on reducing costs and assurances that the bill will reward states that deliver Medicare and other services efficiently. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, decried the bill's price tag, saying it would drive up the federal deficit.

Wyden, Cantwell and Crapo all serve on the Finance panel.

Baucus said his plan - more than a year in the making - would make it easier for families and small businesses to buy health care coverage while ensuring that Americans can keep their current health care coverage and slowing the growth of health care costs over time.

"This plan is balanced, based on common sense, and is right for Montanans and Americans," Baucus said. "This is our moment to finally make quality, affordable health care available to everyone. It's time to get this done."

The Finance Committee plan is considered by many to be the most likely proposal to win Senate passage with some GOP support. The plan represents the most moderate of several health care proposals being considered in Congress.

It does not create a new government-run insurance program to compete with private insurers, but would require most people to purchase insurance coverage or pay a fine. It also would prohibit insurance companies from charging more to people with more serious health problems.

Wyden said D-Ore., said Baucus' proposal doesn't go far enough to control costs or guarantee greater consumer choice among health plans.

"You look at the bill and the text of the legislation legally bars more than 200 million people from having any choice at all, let alone (getting) what members of Congress get" for health care, said Wyden, referring to a frequent statement by President Barack Obama that Americans should get the same kind of health care plan the members of Congress do.

"With choice you get the chance to hold insurance companies accountable, and you get competition and the opportunity for reduced premiums for citizens and reduced costs to taxpayers," Wyden said.

Wyden and Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, met privately with Obama at the White House on Wednesday. Wyden and Bennett are lead sponsors of a separate health care bill that has support from at least 15 senators, including five Republicans.

Cantwell, who met with Obama on Friday, said she will continue to press for reforms that reward Washington and other states that deliver Medicare and other health care services efficiently. Doctors in Washington, Oregon and other states focus on prevention, wellness and primary care - and are so efficient that Medicare actually pays them less money than other states that are more focused on traditional fees for services, she said.

Cantwell also supports a so-called public option that would create a government-run health care system to compete with private insurers. "I think it's very important in driving down costs," she said.

Crapo said he was disappointed that Baucus unveiled his plan without backing from any GOP senators, including those in the so-called Gang of Six that have led negotiations on health care. Neither Crapo, Wyden nor Cantwell are included in the group.

"This $856 billion proposal would build even more onto our multi-trillion dollar federal deficit," Crapo said in a written statement. "It appears that the plan would be paid for with more than $500 billion in cuts to existing health care programs accompanied by more than $300 billion in new taxes taken from consumers."

Even with those proposed tax and spending increases, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the proposal would still leave millions uninsured, Crapo said.

"We need to keep working to get this legislation right and not succumb to artificial deadlines," he said.

---

On the Net:

Senate Finance Committee: http://finance.senate.gov