[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                BREAKING THE STALEMATE ON PUBLIC OPTION

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, we need to stop ranting and start reasoning. 
Health care providers have pushed against the public option, citing 
payment as one of their primary concerns. Instead of seeing the issue 
within the lens of payments based on Medicare rates versus negotiated 
ones, I believe we can attract health care providers to the public 
option with a new incentive to break the stalemate. Malpractice is a 
primary psychological, emotional issue with doctors, dentists, 
hospitals, administrators, and pharmacists.
  Additionally, it is a principal issue of economic obsession with 
providers who bitterly resent paying for liability insurance. When it 
comes to you, it is not petty. If there is malpractice, you certainly 
want to contact an attorney.
  Progressives have always championed community health centers. My 
proposal expands the liability program used by these community health 
centers.

                          ____________________