CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript

Interview

Let's talk with the Democratic governor of Montana, Governor Brian Schweitzer. He's joining us right now.

Governor, thanks for coming in.

GOV. BRIAN SCHWEITZER (D), MONTANA: Good to be back.

BLITZER: Do you have any problems with what the president wants to do?

SCHWEITZER: No, not at all. What the president has said is that we need to extend health care to all of America. And we've demonstrated that we pay about twice as much as the other industrialized countries. And we've got about 16 or 18 percent of the people who don't have health insurance.

So if we can squeeze some savings out of our health care system, there's easily enough money to pay for that last 16 to 20 percent.

BLITZER: He says he wants what's called a public option -- a government run-insurance agency, in effect, to compete with the private insurance companies.

Are you OK with that?

SCHWEITZER: Well, I think, you know, that 47 percent of America gets their health care from some kind of a government health care system, whether it be Medicare or Veterans Administration, Indian Health Services and Medicaid. So 47 percent are already on some kind of a government plan.

All he's suggesting is that we ought to have the opportunity to choose. If you like one of those 400 or 500 insurance companies that are for-profit out there, that's fine. If you'd like to buy into a public system like, I don't know, like call it buying into Medicare, you would have to pay the going rate. And if they could offer you that service for less money than one of those insurance companies, why the heck would we be against that?

BLITZER: I guess you support the president on that point, as well.

The critics, though, you know, say they -- that they fear that the government would drive these private insurance companies out of business. They claim you can't really compete with the federal government.

You disagree.

SCHWEITZER: Well, I'm telling you what the -- when the -- when the world ends, the coyotes, the cockroaches and I'm sure the insurance companies will still be in business. Don't cry for them, Argentina. They're going to be in business. They know how to adapt.

They've adapted when all these people joined Medicare and veterans health. They said that they'd go out of business then, too. So, of course, that's what they've got to say. They're in a business and they would like to keep the monopoly in it.

BLITZER: What about the president's proposal today -- and you heard him reiterate it at -- at your town hall in Montana -- that if you lower the deductible rate for the richest Americans, those making more than $250,000 a year, how much they could deduct from their charitable contributions, for example, that would help pay for the health care reform.

Is that OK with you?

SCHWEITZER: Look, there's a lot of ways of skinning this cat. And one of the ways would be to raise money from other sources. But the fastest way of getting there is through cost containment. We spend 30 to 50 percent more than all the other countries. If you squeeze out a little bit, we can get everybody covered.

BLITZER: Some other governors, and probably you, as well, are afraid some of the costs may be thrown to the states and that you may have to foot the bill for some of these new expenditures.

Are you worried about that?

SCHWEITZER: Well, one of the proposals out there would extend the Medicaid benefits to everybody in your state that is up to 133 percent of federal poverty. Effectively in Montana, that would increase the number from about 90,000 that are covered in this federal and state partnership to almost 200,000. So naturally, that would cost some more money.

But the folks in Washington, D.C. have recognized that states are pretty good penny pinchers. In Montana, we'll pinch -- we'll pinch that penny until it's a copper wire a mile long. We -- we negotiate. We use science-based medicine so that we're getting the best results for the dollars we spend. And we're -- we're sharing this with the federal government.

So if they're going to move more people into the Medicaid program, I'm sure that they're going to have the -- the dollars to go with those people that are coming into our system.

BLITZER: And you guys know how to pinch pennies there. I know that for sure.

One final question with a quick answer, if you can. The end of life counseling that's become a big debate out there; the former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, calling these death panels and all of that.

Do you have a problem with the government paying doctors to give some advice -- voluntary advice to people who are getting older about living wills or hospice care, this kind of information?

SCHWEITZER: It's happening all over America right now. It's just that these health care professionals are not being compensated. I think that that should be a part of our health care system. Give people advice. Give them the options about their health care system. Let them know what's available to them.

How could you be against that?

BLITZER: All right.

We're going to leave it right there, Governor.

But just remind me, the health insurance companies will be there, the coyotes and what else -- the cockroaches -- when -- when all the world ends?

SCHWEITZER: When the world ends, the coyotes and the cockroaches and you can bet the insurance companies will still be in business.

BLITZER: I just wanted to make sure I got that right.

Governor, as usual, thanks for coming in.

SCHWEITZER: Thank you.

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