Health Care Reform's "Public Option" Thrown Back Into The Mix

U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, on Monday, decided to include a "public option" in his health care reform bill.

The "public option" will allow the U.S. Government to offer its own tax-payer funded health care insurance plan to every American. The option is viewed by the Obama Administration and members of his Democratic party as a way for the government to compete with private insurance companies and thus lower the cost of health care insurance for all Americans. 

Mr. Reid  said that his bill will allow states to "opt out" of the public option, but declined to comment on the specifics of how states could "opt out". As in the original HR3200 health care reform bill, the Washington Times reports that Mr. Reid's bill "is expected  to require all Americans to purchase insurance and impose stiff penalties if employers do not provide it." The HR3200 bill also imposes stiff penalties on any American that declines to enroll in a health care plan. 

The "public option" is the bill's major bone of contention. It's a major reason why protesters turned out in droves at town hall meetings and over 100 thousand protesters  attended an "anti-government" rally in Washington D.C. on September 12th.  Republicans are unanimous in not supporting this option. The lone Republican, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, that originally supported the bill, has now withdrawn her support due to the public option inclusion. 

Former Democratic Senator and now independent,  Joe Lieberman of  Connecticut,  said that he doesn't support the public option.  Sen. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Democrat, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that he's "not excited" about the "opt-out" idea.

The Washington Times reported on Tuesday that Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, said "Majority Leader Reid is taking the gutsy and appropriate road in fighting for the right policy, something the American people want and an issue on which every senator should be held accountable."

The Times also said that, "In announcing his decision, Mr. Reid cited public opinion polls that suggest Americans favor establishing the public health insurance plan designed to compete with private insurers. A CNN poll released last week, for instance, found that 61 percent of Americans favor a government-run health insurance plan, up five perecentage points since late August."

Other polls, such as Rasmussen, indicate that only 23% of American voters strongly favor the Democrat's health care reform plan and that 40% strongly oppose. And that if the plan passes only 23% of American voters believe that the quality of health care in America will get better and 53% believe it will get worse. In the same poll, 57% of American voters believe that if the plan is passed, health care costs will go up and 18% believe that costs will go down. Overall, 45% of American voters are for the plan and 51% are opposed.