“I THINK
THEY MADE
PRETTY
NAIVE
MISTAKES.”
—AFL-CIO PRESIDENT
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
RICHARD TRUMKA
in provision known, then-White
House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, a notorious political knee-capper, kept his cool.
“Find a way to get to yes,” he
told the senator during a meeting
in Reid’s office.
The final bill expanded Medicaid eligibility, improved access
to health insurance by allowing
children up to age 26 stay on their
parent’s plan, and banned discrimination against patients with preexisting conditions. It capped the
amount of money insurance companies could spend on non-health
care functions, helped seniors with
their prescription drug coverage,
and promoted preventative care.
But it did not include a public
option — with could have saved
tens of millions of dollars, according to the Congressional Budget
Office — or the Medicare buy-in
provision. And the administration
had limited the ability of the government to negotiate directly with
drug companies