Optional Public Option Enters Health Care Talks (Trigger)

[No Elephants]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Democratic leaders met Thursday night with White House officials to consider including a government-funded public health insurance option, along with a provision allowing states to opt out of it, in a health care overhaul bill.

Two senior Democratic Senate sources told CNN that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leaning toward a public option with the state opt-out provision in the Senate health care bill that will reach the full chamber in coming weeks.

<snip>

In recent days, two administration officials have told CNN that the prevailing White House opinion is for the Senate health care bill to include a so-called "trigger" mechanism proposed by Snowe that would bring a public option in the future if thresholds for expanding coverage and lowering costs go unmet in coming years.

The source familiar with Thursday evening's meeting said Obama "pushed for a so-called trigger, because it's the more bipartisan way to go," due to Snowe's support for the concept. A critical White House goal in passing a health care bill is the ability to call it bipartisan, so Obama officials are wary of doing anything to alienate Snowe




Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/22/health.care /

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Much more at the link. The article lays out the various positions, stating who opposes and supports each position.

[aquart]

1. It can leave on the same snow white horse it rode in on.

Where do they get their fucking nerve? MURDERERS.

[RandomThoughts]

2. LOL, talk about making stuff up to defend a position.

A trigger to stop the process not to keep industry in check. Tell the truth at least, it has nothing to do with Bi-Partisanship. It has to do with one group of about 5% of the people, and a few that want to claim to be in power that sell out to them. Good luck with that.

At least be honest about it. At least Cheney was honest about what he thought, even if many of us, including me disagree with Cheney. The reasons for those compromise makes them look worse then Cheney. That's a positive comment for Cheney, regardless of his many mistakes, or things I disagree with him on. At least he said what he thought.

Just tell people, you don't care what the people think, you have big corporations to take care of. That is what Cheney said when asked what he thought about 'we the people'.

[Connie_Corleone]

3. I call bullshit on Obama wanting a "trigger".

I take what the anonymous "source" said with a grain of salt.

[fujiyama]

4. The senate compromises in place already are bad enough

They're already talking about having it negotiated with insurance cos as opposed to medicare rates.

No trigger! That's one of the worst excuses for reform. It forces nothing and accomplishes nothing.

[IsItJustMe]

5. Our bought and paid for politicians can spend billions upon billions of dollars for unjust wars and

and billions upon billions of dollars to reward wreckless bankers who are using tax payer money, in one of the largest crap shoots in the history of humanity, and yet they will not get behind a bill that would provide life saving medical treatment for those of us in this country who can least afford it.

Shame on you.

[badgervan]

6. I Don't Believe This Story.....

.... and who are these "sources"? CNN, being the vanilla news org it's become, has always been pushing this idiotic "trigger" option. If we don't get a true, strong and real Public Option ( Medicare E, as I've seen it called for about 48 hours now ), one helluva lot of Dem office holders are going to be out of a job very soon... and I include our double-crossing Prez in that statement. I voted for Obama specifically to get decent and affordable health care for ALL. And Harry Reid should start telling these bluedog traitors they'll be off all committees and not heard from again if they vote against their own Party on this... and on other bills. Lieberman can lead that pack right out the door. Thanks, Rahm.

[bertman]

7. Trigger must DIE!!

Sorry, Roy.

[Gently Used Deal]

8. Snowe Job

You know, allowing Olympia Snowe to define the healthcare debate not only allows her to stay elected in Maine thru the worst GOP downturns, it also neuters every progressive who wants real universal healthcare.

You may also notice more LL Bean on the first family this winter.

FDR should have done it this way - a "sort of a new deal" highlighted by a possible, but elusive "social security option" as long as a single, vulnerable GOP senator can stomach it.

Way to go, small thinking Dems of the 21st century. Majorities as far as a blind man can see.

[WriteDown]

9. Where does Roy Roger's stand on this?

[geek tragedy]

10. Not breaking news, not even news. This has already been beaten to death. nt

There have been about a dozen stories in response to this over the weekend.

[Overseas]

11. The trigger blew off its hinges years ago. 44,000 early deaths.

We are negotiating reforms right now BECAUSE all the triggers of decency have been blown off their hinges.

Over ten years ago, when the private sector defeated our last attempt at national health insurance, they told us they could do better and what did we get?

Premiums skyrocketing year after year.
"Recision" aka dropping coverage.
Millions of bankruptcies due to health emergencies.

[laughingliberal]

12. This story is from Thursday

And was addressed last night on the White House Blog:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/25/public-option...