WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s call for a healthcare summit including both his fellow Democrats and Republicans sets the stage for a final push to get stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over.

Obama asked Republicans to bring their best ideas for overhauling the U.S. healthcare system to the February 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month.

The summit, which Obama wants televised, would give him another chance to sway public opinion on the unpopular legislation, which is critical to his domestic agenda.

The meeting also would answer criticism that Obama did not engage Republicans and instead negotiated backroom deals in an effort to get healthcare legislation passed.

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s call for a healthcare summit including both his fellow Democrats and Republicans sets the stage for a final push to get stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over.

Obama asked Republicans to bring their best ideas for overhauling the U.S. healthcare system to the Feb. 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month. [ID:nN07151850]

The summit, which Obama wants televised, would give him another chance to sway public opinion on the unpopular legislation, which is critical to his domestic agenda.

The meeting also would answer criticism that Obama did not engage Republicans and instead negotiated backroom deals in an effort to get healthcare legislation passed.

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s call for a healthcare summit including both his fellow Democrats and Republicans sets the stage for a final push to get stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over. Obama asked Republicans to bring their best ideas for overhauling the U.S. healthcare system to the Feb. 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month. [ID:nN07151850] The summit, which Obama wants televised, would give him another chance to sway public opinion on the unpopular legislation, which is critical to his domestic agenda. The meeting also would answer criticism that Obama did not engage Republicans and instead negotiated backroom deals in an effort to get healthcare legislation passed. "The president is trying to turn around the sour mood on this issue and mitigate the criticism that he’s ramming this bill down people’s throats," said Bob Blendon, a health policy and political analyst at Harvard University. But congressional Republicans said they were wary of Obama’s intentions and in no mood to compromise on a plan that polls show is opposed by a majority of Americans. "Republicans welcome honest discussion, but this event reeks of political gamesmanship," said Republican Representative Tom Price. "The only constructive discussions will start with a blank sheet of paper." The White House said the summit was not intended as a vehicle to start the healthcare debate all over again. The reform effort would lead to the biggest policy changes in the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system since the creation of the Medicare government health insurance program for the elderly in 1965. "The president doesn’t think we should start over," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said. The session will give Republicans a chance to explain their unified opposition to the bill. They see their stance as a key to their upset victory in Massachusetts last month, when Republican Scott Brown claimed the Senate seat of late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. NO COMPROMISE "I don’t think it’s probably possible to compromise on this bill," Representative Dave Camp, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, told Reuters. "The structure of it is done in such a way that it is going to raise costs, raise taxes and empower government to get between people and their doctors," he said. Some said the setting — a televised meeting of top leaders in both parties — could lead to more political point-making than compromise and progress. "In Washington, negotiations don’t happen in front of cameras," Concept Capital, a private firm that tracks Congress and the White House for investors, wrote in a report. Fox News said on Monday it had obtained a letter sent to Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, by John Boehner and Eric Cantor, the top two Republicans in the House, questioning Obama’s commitment to working with members of both parties. Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said that, on the contrary, the president was looking forward to reviewing Republican ideas. "He’s open to including any good ideas that stand up to objective scrutiny," Gibbs said in a statement. "What he will not do, however, is walk away from reform and the millions of American families and small business counting on it. The recent news that a major insurer plans to raise premiums for some customers by as much as 39 percent is a stark reminder of the consequences of doing nothing." A summit marked by more partisan gridlock could give Obama an excuse to move ahead on the bill through a budget process that requires only a simple majority of 51 votes in the 100-member Senate, bypassing Republican opposition. "Obama seems to be sending a signal they are going to go for the end run," Blendon said. "When he does, he can say ‘I tried.’" The battle over healthcare has consumed Congress since summer and Democrats are anxious to focus on job creation and the economy before congressional elections in November. The bills would extend coverage to millions of the uninsured and impose restrictions on insurers like requiring them to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions. The Senate and House of Representatives had passed separate bills last year and were working to merge them when Brown’s election cut the process short. Democrats said they hope to end the process before the summit so they have a final product to offer and that their bills already include many Republican ideas. "We have promoted the pursuit of a bipartisan approach to health reform from day one," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said. (Additional reporting by Donna Smith, Steve Holland, Susan Cornwell and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Vicki Allen) (For more on U.S. healthcare reform, click on [nHEALTH])

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s call for a bipartisan healthcare summit sets the stage for a final push to get the stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over.

Obama asked Republicans to bring their best healthcare ideas to the February 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month.

The summit, which Obama wants televised, would give him another chance to sway public opinion on the unpopular legislation that is critical to the president’s domestic agenda.

The meeting also would answer criticism he did not engage Republicans and instead negotiated backroom deals in an effort to get it passed.

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s call for a bipartisan healthcare summit sets the stage for a final push to get the stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over. Obama asked Republicans to bring their best healthcare ideas to the Feb. 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month. [ID:nN07151850] The summit, which Obama wants televised, would give him another chance to sway public opinion on the unpopular legislation that is critical to the president’s domestic agenda. The meeting also would answer criticism he did not engage Republicans and instead negotiated backroom deals in an effort to get it passed. "The president is trying to turn around the sour mood on this issue and mitigate the criticism that he’s ramming this bill down people’s throats," said Bob Blendon, a health policy and political analyst at Harvard University. But congressional Republicans said they were wary of Obama’s intentions and were in no mood to compromise on a bill that polls show is opposed by a majority of Americans. "Republicans welcome honest discussion, but this event reeks of political gamesmanship," said Republican Representative Tom Price. "The only constructive discussions will start with a blank sheet of paper." The White House said the summit was not intended as a vehicle to start the healthcare debate all over again. "The president doesn’t think we should start over," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said. The session will give Republicans a chance to explain their unified opposition to the bill. They see their stance as a key to their upset victory in Massachusetts last month, when Republican Scott Brown claimed the Senate seat of late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. NO COMPROMISE "I don’t think it’s probably possible to compromise on this bill," Representative Dave Camp, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, told Reuters. "The structure of it is done in such a way that it is going to raise costs, raise taxes and empower government to get between people and their doctors," he said. Some said the setting — a televised meeting of top leaders in both parties — could lead to more political point-making than actual compromise and progress. "In Washington, negotiations don’t happen in front of cameras," Concept Capital, a private firm that tracks Congress and the White House for institutional investors, wrote in a report. A summit marked by more partisan gridlock could give Obama an excuse to move ahead on the bill through a budget process that requires only a simple majority of 51 votes in the 100-member Senate, bypassing Republican opposition. "Obama seems to be sending a signal they are going to go for the end run," Blendon said. "When he does, he can say ‘I tried.’" The battle over healthcare has consumed Congress since summer and Democrats are anxious to focus on job creation and the economy ahead of November congressional elections. The bills would extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured and impose restrictions on insurance companies like requiring them to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions. The Senate and House of Representatives had passed separate versions last year and were working to merge the two bills when Brown’s election cut the process short. Democrats said they hope to complete the process before the summit so they have a final product to offer. They said they have incorporated many Republican ideas into their bills already. "We have promoted the pursuit of a bipartisan approach to health reform from day one," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said. (Additional reporting by Donna Smith, Steve Holland and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Xavier Briand)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives will vote next week on repealing the antitrust exemption for health insurers, but Democrats remained uncertain on Tuesday on how to proceed on a broader healthcare overhaul.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a Tuesday meeting reached no decisions on the sweeping healthcare legislation that has been in limbo since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote in a Republican election upset in Massachusetts last month.

“We have a number of options,” Reid told reporters after the meeting with Pelosi. “We are going to proceed. We just don’t know at this time how we are going to proceed.”

Democratic leaders are searching for a strategy to merge the two versions of the healthcare bill passed last year by the House of Representatives and Senate and pass it again before sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on repealing the antitrust exemption for health insurers, but Democrats remained uncertain on Tuesday on how to proceed on a broader healthcare overhaul.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a Tuesday meeting reached no decisions on the sweeping healthcare legislation that has been in limbo since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote in a Republican election upset in Massachusetts last month.

“We have a number of options,” Reid told reporters after the meeting with Pelosi. “We are going to proceed. We just don’t know at this time how we are going to proceed.”

Democratic leaders are searching for a strategy to merge the two versions of the healthcare bill passed last year by the House of Representatives and Senate and pass it again before sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on repealing the antitrust exemption for health insurers, but Democrats remained uncertain on Tuesday on how to proceed on a broader healthcare overhaul. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a Tuesday meeting reached no decisions on the sweeping healthcare legislation that has been in limbo since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote in a Republican election upset in Massachusetts last month. "We have a number of options," Reid told reporters after the meeting with Pelosi. "We are going to proceed. We just don’t know at this time how we are going to proceed." Democratic leaders are searching for a strategy to merge the two versions of the healthcare bill passed last year by the House of Representatives and Senate and pass it again before sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature. The repeal of the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies was included in the House-passed healthcare overhaul bill but not in the Senate’s version. The repeal has been a top priority for some House Democrats. Health insurers for about 65 years have been exempt from federal antitrust laws, which are designed to protect consumers from price fixing and other anti-competitive acts. The insurance industry has said the exemption is warranted because health insurers are regulated by states. But a number of lawmakers and consumer groups support repeal of the exemption. They argue that states often lack the resources to regulate the insurance industry effectively. "Eliminating this industry giveaway will create more choice for consumers and create more competition for insurance companies," said Representative Louise Slaughter, chairwoman of the House Rules Committee and one of the authors of the repeal language included in the broader House bill. "Getting this done is critical to getting real meaningful health insurance reform that will benefit all Americans by lowering costs," she said. ‘HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK’ If the House passes the antitrust exemption repeal bill, the Senate would have to approve it before sending it to Obama to sign into law. "We’ll be happy to take a look at it," Reid said. Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said the House antitrust vote scheduled for next week did not signal the House would break up the broader healthcare reform measure and try to move it piecemeal through Congress. That has been one suggested strategy for the healthcare bill. Under another strategy, the House would pass the Senate bill without changes, eliminating the need for another Senate vote, and use a process known as budget reconciliation to make final changes in the two measures. That process requires only a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate. Obama has urged lawmakers to pass the healthcare bill but has shifted his domestic agenda to make job creation and economic recovery his top priority. "It’s not over," Obama said of the healthcare debate during a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire on Tuesday. "We just have to make sure that we move methodically and that the American people understand exactly what’s in the bill." Reid said reconciliation remained an option for passing the bill, but refused to say if a strategy would be agreed upon before Congress leaves town for a one-week break at the end of next week. "As I’ve learned, especially on healthcare — no arbitrary deadlines. It just doesn’t work," Reid said. (Editing by Will Dunham)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic congressional leaders said on Thursday they would keep pushing for a stalled healthcare overhaul and would explore all options to pass it, but acknowledged the process would not move quickly.

The day after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to the Congress, leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives said they would not abandon the bill despite sharp Democratic divisions on how to proceed.

“We will move on many fronts — any front we can,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the overhaul, mired in legislative gridlock since last week’s Republican win in Massachusetts cost Democrats their crucial 60th vote in the Senate.

“We must take whatever time it takes to do it,” she told reporters. “But we are going to get healthcare reform passed for the American people.”

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic congressional leaders said on Thursday they would keep pushing for a stalled healthcare overhaul and would explore all options to pass it, but acknowledged the process would not move quickly.

The day after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress, leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives said they would not abandon the bill despite sharp Democratic divisions on how to proceed.

“We will move on many fronts — any front we can,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the overhaul, mired in legislative gridlock since last week’s Republican win in Massachusetts cost Democrats their crucial 60th vote in the Senate.

“We must take whatever time it takes to do it,” she told reporters. “But we are going to get healthcare reform passed for the American people.”