Guarded_JJ Optimism_NN1 Among_II Insurers_NN2 ,_, but_CCB Some_DD Health_NN1 Sectors_NN2 Remain_VV0 Skeptical_JJ In_II an_AT1 important_JJ victory_NN1 for_IF the_AT insurance_NN1 industry_NN1 ,_, Senator_NNB Max_NP1 Baucus_NP1 's_GE legislative_JJ proposal_NN1 does_VDZ not_XX call_VVI for_IF a_AT1 government-run_JJ health_NN1 plan_NN1 that_CST would_VM directly_RR compete_VVI with_IW private_JJ insurers_NN2 ._. 
Insurance_NN1 stocks_NN2 rose_VVD on_II that_DD1 news_NN1 Wednesday_NPD1 ._. 
Although_CS that_DD1 exclusion_NN1 had_VHD been_VBN expected_VVN ,_, its_APPGE confirmation_NN1 Wednesday_NPD1 meant_VVD that_CST the_AT insurance_NN1 companies_NN2 "_" ducked_VVD a_AT1 bullet_NN1 ,_, "_" said_VVD Erik_NP1 Gordon_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 business_NN1 professor_NN1 and_CC industry_NN1 analyst_NN1 at_II the_AT University_NN1 of_IO Michigan_NP1 ._. 
The_AT Baucus_NN1 proposal_NN1 is_VBZ "_" a_AT1 lower_JJR dose_NN1 of_IO poison_NN1 than_CSN the_AT other_JJ proposals_NN2 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD in_II an_AT1 e-mail_NN1 message_NN1 ._. 
Other_JJ bills_NN2 circulating_VVG in_II Congress_NN1 call_NN1 for_IF a_AT1 government-run_JJ public_JJ insurance_NN1 option_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB while_CS the_AT insurers_NN2 were_VBDR careful_JJ to_TO publicly_RR praise_VVI the_AT Baucus_NN1 proposal_NN1 as_CSA offering_VVG something_PN1 that_CST might_VM have_VHI bipartisan_JJ appeal_NN1 ,_, they_PPHS2 were_VBDR also_RR quick_JJ to_TO raise_VVI concerns_NN2 about_II a_AT1 potential_JJ competitor_NN1 that_CST Mr._NNB Baucus_NP1 did_VDD include_VVI :_: new_JJ nonprofit_JJ insurance_NN1 co-operatives_NN2 ._. 
"_" New_JJ health_NN1 insurance_NN1 reforms_NN2 and_CC consumer_NN1 protections_NN2 will_VM guarantee_VVI access_NN1 for_IF all_DB Americans_NN2 without_IW the_AT need_NN1 for_IF a_AT1 new_JJ untested_JJ government-created_JJ co-op_NN1 that_CST could_VM disrupt_VVI the_AT quality_NN1 coverage_NN1 on_II which_DDQ millions_NNO2 of_IO Americans_NN2 rely_VV0 today_RT ,_, "_" Karen_NP1 Ignagni_NP1 ,_, the_AT chief_JJ executive_NN1 of_IO the_AT trade_NN1 group_NN1 America_NP1 's_GE Health_NN1 Insurance_NN1 Plans_NN2 ,_, said_VVD ._. 
Insurers_NN2 also_RR voiced_VVN objections_NN2 ,_, shared_VVN by_II some_DD other_JJ segments_NN2 of_IO the_AT health_NN1 care_NN1 industry_NN1 ,_, about_II the_AT proposal_NN1 's_GE call_NN1 for_IF new_JJ fees_NN2 or_CC taxes_NN2 that_CST companies_NN2 would_VM have_VHI to_TO pay_VVI to_TO help_VVI finance_VVI the_AT health_NN1 care_NN1 overhaul_NN1 ._. 
The_AT insurers_NN2 contend_VV0 that_CST they_PPHS2 would_VM be_VBI asked_VVN to_TO pay_VVI a_AT1 disproportionate_JJ share_NN1 of_IO the_AT cost_NN1 of_IO the_AT legislation_NN1 ,_, as_CSA the_AT Baucus_NN1 plan_NN1 would_VM call_VVI for_IF significant_JJ cuts_NN2 in_II payments_NN2 to_II insurance_NN1 companies_NN2 that_CST cover_VV0 Medicare_NP1 patients_NN2 ;_; taxes_NN2 on_II the_AT most_RGT expensive_JJ policies_NN2 the_AT insurers_NN2 sell_VV0 ,_, and_CC a_AT1 $6_NNU billion_NNO annual_JJ industry_NN1 fee_NN1 that_CST would_VM be_VBI allocated_VVN among_II companies_NN2 based_VVN on_II their_APPGE market_NN1 shares_NN2 ._. 
"_" These_DD2 unprecedented_JJ new_JJ taxes_NN2 would_VM make_VVI coverage_NN1 much_RR less_RGR affordable_JJ for_IF individuals_NN2 ,_, their_APPGE families_NN2 ,_, and_CC employers_NN2 ,_, "_" said_VVD Scott_NP1 P._NP1 Serota_NP1 ,_, the_AT chief_JJ executive_NN1 of_IO the_AT Blue_JJ Cross_NN1 and_CC Blue_JJ Shield_NN1 Association_NN1 ._. 
Despite_II insurers_NN2 '_GE complaints_NN2 ,_, they_PPHS2 stand_VV0 to_TO benefit_VVI from_II the_AT prospect_NN1 of_IO millions_NNO2 of_IO new_JJ customers_NN2 ,_, said_VVD Rick_NP1 Weissenstein_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 health_NN1 care_NN1 policy_NN1 analyst_NN1 in_II the_AT Washington_NP1 Research_NN1 Group_NN1 at_II Concept_NN1 Capital_NN1 ._. 
For_IF insurers_NN2 ,_, the_AT Baucus_NN1 proposal_NN1 represents_VVZ a_AT1 "_" fairly_RR strong_JJ mix_NN1 "_" of_IO both_DB2 positive_JJ and_CC negatives_NN2 ,_, he_PPHS1 said_VVD ._. 
Medical_JJ device_NN1 makers_NN2 ,_, meanwhile_RR ,_, opposed_VVD the_AT $4_NNU billion_NNO in_II annual_JJ fees_NN2 they_PPHS2 would_VM be_VBI required_VVN to_TO pay_VVI under_II the_AT plan_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB unlike_II two_MC other_JJ industry_NN1 groups_NN2 --_JJ drug_NN1 makers_NN2 and_CC hospitals_NN2 --_NN1 that_CST agreed_VVD this_DD1 year_NNT1 to_II specific_JJ plans_NN2 to_TO trim_VVI the_AT nation_NN1 's_GE medical_JJ bill_NN1 ,_, the_AT device_NN1 makers_NN2 have_VH0 not_XX advanced_VVN their_APPGE own_DA cost-cutting_JJ proposal_NN1 ._. 
The_AT American_JJ Hospital_NN1 Association_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ said_VVD its_APPGE members_NN2 were_VBDR still_RR reviewing_VVG the_AT plan_NN1 ,_, praised_VVD Mr._NNB Baucus_NP1 's_GE efforts_NN2 to_TO expand_VVI insurance_NN1 coverage_NN1 to_II more_DAR people_NN ._. 
The_AT pharmaceutical_JJ industry_NN1 ,_, in_RR21 particular_RR22 ,_, seems_VVZ to_TO have_VHI come_VVN away_RL with_IW much_DA1 of_IO what_DDQ it_PPH1 had_VHD agreed_VVN to_II with_IW Mr._NNB Baucus_NP1 ,_, in_II31 return_II32 for_II33 a_AT1 pledge_NN1 to_TO cut_VVI $80_NNU billion_NNO in_II costs_NN2 over_RG 10_MC years_NNT2 ._. 
There_EX is_VBZ no_AT provision_NN1 in_II the_AT proposal_NN1 ,_, for_REX21 example_REX22 ,_, to_TO require_VVI pharmaceutical_JJ companies_NN2 to_TO negotiate_VVI directly_RR with_IW the_AT federal_JJ government_NN1 over_II the_AT price_NN1 of_IO their_APPGE drugs_NN2 under_II Medicare_NP1 --_JJ something_PN1 the_AT industry_NN1 has_VHZ long_RR opposed_VVN ._. 
The_AT drug_NN1 industry_NN1 "_" has_VHZ masterfully_RR managed_VVN to_TO avoid_VVI the_AT spotlight_NN1 and_CC rhetoric_NN1 ,_, "_" said_VVD Les_NP1 Funtleyder_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS follows_VVZ health_NN1 care_NN1 at_II Miller_NP1 Tabak_NP1 &;_NULL Company_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 New_NP1 York_NP1 investment_NN1 firm_NN1 ._. 
James_NP1 A._NP1 Klein_NP1 ,_, the_AT president_NN1 of_IO the_AT American_JJ Benefits_NN2 Council_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ represents_VVZ companies_NN2 that_CST provide_VV0 health_NN1 coverage_NN1 to_II their_APPGE employees_NN2 ,_, was_VBDZ pleased_JJ with_IW the_AT proposal_NN1 's_GE middle_JJ path_NN1 ._. 
