LANSING — U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said today that she expects a health care overhaul to pass by the end of the year, but she first wants to make sure people can afford the coverage they would be required to have.
“You just can’t say to somebody making $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 a year that you have to pay $1,000 a month for insurance,” Stabenow told health officials and local leaders at a county health department.
The Michigan Democrat sits on the Senate Finance Committee, a key player in health care talks.
The panel is working on a compromise package that would require people to get insurance, either through an employer, on their own or through a government program. Federal subsidies would help low-income and many middle-class households afford the premiums.
But Stabenow said she is concerned that the tax credits or subsidies are “not enough.” A challenge is finding a way to make it cheaper to buy insurance by raising revenue elsewhere, she said.
Stabenow said health insurers and drugmakers should pay additional charges because they reap big profits in the current system. She said more than half of the new costs could be saved by focusing on the quality of care instead of quantity — the number of visits to the doctor, for example.
The health care debate is complicated, Stabenow said, making it easy for opponents to “scare people” with “misinformation.” She said that as the discussion continues beyond the August congressional break, people will learn more about uncontroversial provisions already agreed to such as consumer protections that would end denial or cancellation of coverage for medical reasons.
Her meeting with health officials was not a public town hall-style event like those that have been disrupted by demonstrators. Reporters were allowed to listen to the end of a question-and-answer session between Stabenow and invited guests. She is unlikely to hold a town hall on health care, though she did characterize today’s meeting as “public.”
“I talk to people all the time. We have people calling our offices. I’m doing all kinds of meetings and (am) out and available and will continue to do really a variety of things,” Stabenow said.
Back-to-back town hall meetings held last week by Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, got so raucous that police had to escort people out. Dingell has vowed to push ahead with Democratic-led efforts to extend coverage to all.
Stabenow expects deal on health care reform by end of year | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
“You just can’t say to somebody making $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 a year that you have to pay $1,000 a month for insurance,” Stabenow told health officials and local leaders at a county health department.
The Michigan Democrat sits on the Senate Finance Committee, a key player in health care talks.
The panel is working on a compromise package that would require people to get insurance, either through an employer, on their own or through a government program. Federal subsidies would help low-income and many middle-class households afford the premiums.
But Stabenow said she is concerned that the tax credits or subsidies are “not enough.” A challenge is finding a way to make it cheaper to buy insurance by raising revenue elsewhere, she said.
Stabenow said health insurers and drugmakers should pay additional charges because they reap big profits in the current system. She said more than half of the new costs could be saved by focusing on the quality of care instead of quantity — the number of visits to the doctor, for example.
The health care debate is complicated, Stabenow said, making it easy for opponents to “scare people” with “misinformation.” She said that as the discussion continues beyond the August congressional break, people will learn more about uncontroversial provisions already agreed to such as consumer protections that would end denial or cancellation of coverage for medical reasons.
Her meeting with health officials was not a public town hall-style event like those that have been disrupted by demonstrators. Reporters were allowed to listen to the end of a question-and-answer session between Stabenow and invited guests. She is unlikely to hold a town hall on health care, though she did characterize today’s meeting as “public.”
“I talk to people all the time. We have people calling our offices. I’m doing all kinds of meetings and (am) out and available and will continue to do really a variety of things,” Stabenow said.
Back-to-back town hall meetings held last week by Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, got so raucous that police had to escort people out. Dingell has vowed to push ahead with Democratic-led efforts to extend coverage to all.
Stabenow expects deal on health care reform by end of year | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
