In Which We Find Karen Weldin Stewart Abandoning Delaware Consumers Again

Back in June, we discussed the actions of KWS to apply for waivers from the medical cost ratio rule for two insurance companies so that they can continue to pay commissions to brokers and sales agents. Since then, HHS has finalized its rule that requires that the costs to pay premiums or other support to brokers and sales agents be categorized as Administrative Costs and therefore included to the maximum 20% overhead allowed by the ACA. Delaware’s own Insurance Commissioner voted in a recent NAICS action to vote on a resolution that recommends that Congress exempt the fees insurance agents and brokers from medical loss ratio calculations (pdf) and that HHS revive their rulemaking to exclude brokers and agents from the the administrative costs of insurance companies.

Jacob Hacker Endorses Medicare Buy-in

Even though apparently Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson are now bad-mouthing a deal they helped to make, Jacob Hacker was in the news last week endorsing the Medicare Buy-In. Hacker being pretty much the Godfather of the Public Option. The complete interview on this (including others) is here on the PBS website, but this piece from Hacker is important:

Tom Carper’s Chief of Staff Now Lobbies for Wellpoint

You read that right — the nation’s largest insurer has hired Tom Carper’s ex-Chief of Staff as a lobbyist to campaign for their interests on the health care bill:

The Castle Amendment – Bend Over!

Here is the amendment Mike Castle added to the GOP “Die Quickly” Health Insurance Bill.
‘‘In applying subparagraph (B), a group health plan
(or a health insurance issuer with respect to health
insurance coverage) may vary premiums and cost
sharing by up to 50 percent of the value of the benefits under the plan (or coverage) [...]

Breaking: Carper On Board With Public Option!?

It’s the current lead story on Talking Points Memo:
Guess he’s been getting the messages left at his office. He still sounds a little weaselly about it, and decidedly unenthused, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be off the reservation.

Attempted Murder Or Just Business As Usual?

Love, love, love the fact that people against the public option worry so much about rationing, but not so much about stories like these:
Via HuffPo:  Rather than continue to pay for Ian Pearl’s million dollar medical treatments, one insurance company has decided to end certain lines of coverage altogether, reports William Ehart of the Washington [...]

Sen. Tom Carper Talks About State-Run Public Options

This video from the Nightly Business Report is not embeddable, but click here and the player should come up for you. There is a transcript, too.

More Like This Please! Shep Smith Dismisses the Talking Points

You have to see it really, but there is a transcript here. Shep Smith had on repub Representative John Barrasso from Wyoming for a discussion of the Public Option for health insurance reform, which definitely did not go as the Representative likely expected.

Chart of the Day

The latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll is out and the news is pretty good, actually:

Breaking: Carper Votes Against Rockfeller Public Option –UPDATED

Via Steve Benen:
Updated — Carper votes against the Rockefeller Amendment and for the Schumer Amendment.

Tom Carper Wants to Give In to the GOP on Health Care

Watch this video of Carper on CNN yesterday — captured by Jed over at dKos:

In Which The News Journal Phones It In Again

…and shows themselves to not be paying attention to one of the biggest legislative efforts of a lifetime.

Today The Editors (a term probably more symbolic than a reflection of the actual work being done) published an editorial in which they intone with all seriousness — Health plan will cost money: It’s time Washington admits it.

Baucus Has Lost His Ever-Lovin’ Mind

No public option plus a mandate that everyone buys insurance plus a fine of up to 3,800.00 for those who don’t purchase insurance equals disaster… and protests Tea Baggers could only dream of achieving.