FRONTLINE: Obama's Deal - Inside the Battle for Health Care Reform

Click on the PBS video FRONTLINE: Obama's Deal - Inside the Battle for Health Care Reform (or Google to find): http://www.thirteen.org/programs/frontline/obamas-deal/

Watch the video (about 56 minutes).  While watching, answer the discussion questions listed below: (Type in your responses; a few sentences for each question.)

1) In May 2009, the Obama administration held a health care reform meeting with the president and all interested parties. What was the Obama administration trying to accomplish, and what was it trying to avoid, based on lessons learned in the past?

2) In what ways were the demands of the health insurance lobby in opposition to the health care reforms candidate Obama proposed during the 2008 campaign?

3) Karen Ignagni and the health insurance lobby wanted the final health care reform bill to require everyone to buy health insurance and not include a public option.

Why did the health insurance lobby want everyone to have to buy health insurance?

Why was the health insurance lobby against a public option?

4) Name some of the reasons many in the Obama administration felt Montana Senator Max Baucus was the least likely person to deliver real comprehensive health care reform.

5) Health care reform activists like Dr. Margaret Flowers were angry with Senator Baucus during the committee hearings.

Were their protests justified?

How could Senator Baucus have responded differently? What might have been the outcome?