A Public Option--To Be or Not To Be

[cal04]

From NBC's Mark Murray
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/07/1988678.aspx

This morning, the Wall Street Journal quoted White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel saying that he's flexible about having a public/government option in any health-care bill. "The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest," he told the paper. "The goal is non-negotiable; the path is negotiable."

The Journal continued, "Mr. Emanuel said one of several ways to meet Mr. Obama's goals is a mechanism under which a public plan is introduced only if the marketplace fails to provide sufficient competition on its own."

But the White House later pushed back a bit -- with a statement from Obama declaring his support for a public option. "I am pleased by the progress we're making on health care reform and still believe, as I've said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest. I look forward to a final product that achieves these very important goals."


Video: President Obama wants a health care reform bill on his desk by October, but resistance from the industry is a big reason why that may not happen. Sens. Bernie Sanders and John Barrasso discuss on the "Ed Show." (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31768616#31768616)

In an interview with First Read and NBC, John Podesta, the president and CEO of the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress, said that there are essentially three variations of public plans to help compete with private insurers. One is a full public plan, which Obama and Podesta support. Two is the bipartisan Daschle-Dole-Baker proposal, which has a public plan that operates at the state level. And three, there's the co-op option.

[DJ13]

1. there are essentially three variations of public plans

Actually theres a fourth version.

Any of the first three proposals can be enacted as only coming into play with a trigger.

The trigger is an insurance lobby compromise that would be so restrictive a public option would never happen.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Obama's statement was more supportive of the public option than Rahm Emmanuel's...

...but neither of them is saying that there must be a public option.