Kerry Pushes For Public Option Trigger In Closed-Door Meeting

[blueclown]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/kerry-pushes-for-public-o_n_220822.html

In a closed-door meeting of Senate Finance Committee Democratic members and their staff Wednesday evening, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) suggested that the committee bill include a ten-year delay between passage of health care reform and the implementation of a public option that Americans could buy into, according to two Democratic aides.

Under the plan floated by Kerry, a public health care option would only be triggered by private insurance companies failing to meet certain criteria after ten years. Known as the "trigger" in legislative lingo, the idea is vociferously opposed by health care advocates who consider it the death of reform.

Reform advocates say that the system is already broken and that there's no need to wait any longer, also warning that the insurance industry might be able to game the criteria and prevent the public plan trigger from ever being pulled.

One source familiar with Kerry's unexpected suggestion said that the idea seemed to have little impact on the meeting and that the senators quickly moved on.

Previously, Kerry has expressed strong support for a public option without a trigger so that would be available immediately.

Unreal!

A supposed "liberal" like Kerry is advocating something like this? He deserves a Massachusetts primary in 2010. He has been bought and paid for by Big Pharma and the insurance companies. Such a shame, too. He used to be a fighter for liberal causes. Now he's just a sell-out.