Robert Laszewski

We’ve been getting lots of news these past few days leading to optimism that a bipartisan health care bill will soon emerge from discussions between the “Coalition of the Willing.” That term refers to the three Republicans and three Democrats trying to find common ground in the Senate Finance Committee.

The Congress has looked at taxing about everyone and everything to pay for half the cost of a health care bill.

Most health care experts agree the reason our system is so unaffordable is because of all of the waste and unnecessary care - up to 30% of what we spend.

There is a major bipartisan effort going on in the Senate Finance Committee to reform the healthcare system. Reportedly, one of the elements of that effort may be a tax on "gold plated" health insurance benefits above a certain threshold -- $17,000 for family coverage is one option being discussed.

During the next ten years, we are on track to spend something approaching $40 trillion on health care in America. The stakeholders need to be proposing something that is more than a rounding error - it needs to actually make a difference toward making entitlements and private health insurance affordable.

I typically don’t talk about my travels on this blog but something happened this week that bears reporting. Whether the federal government should or should not offer a public health plan alternative to compete with private insurers in the under-age-65 market is a hot topic in Washington and in the market.