Obama summit to revisit health reform
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Bill Radke: Back to Washington now. The coming week could make or break health care reform. President Obama will host a bipartisan summit as he tries to revive legislation that is now stalled. Marketplace’s John Dimsdale has that.
John Dimsdale: As early as this weekend, the president will post online a comprehensive reform plan online to kick off Thursday’s summit.
Ralph Neas: I’m not sure what’s going to be in it. And trust me I’ve been trying to find out.
Ralph Neas is with the National Coalition on Health Care Action Fund. He says lawmakers can find common ground, like preventing insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Neas: I think it’s a tremendous idea that there be a starting point for the Democrats, and I hope the Republicans are going to do the same thing.
Fat chance, says one Republican Senate aide. He says the GOP prefers to start over. But Newt Gingrich, who will blog about the summit on the Center for Health Transformation Web site, thinks Republicans should issue their own proposal.
Newt Gingrich: Can they find out of the president’s plan five or six things Republicans could vote for, and would the president be willing to bring up a bill that was the things they agree on rather than spend the time fighting over what they don’t agree on?
But both Neas and Gingrich are skeptical the two parties will bury the hatchets.
In Washington, I’m John Dimsdale for Marketplace.
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