Public Option With Optout For States?

Apparently, the Democrats in congress are willing to compromise in order to get the so-called "public option" passed, i.e. the institution of government-run health care for everyone.

Senate Democrats are leaning toward including a government-run insurance plan in a health-care measure that would let individual states opt out, a proposal House leaders signaled would be acceptable.


The establishment of the so-called public option to compete with private insurers is opposed by Republicans and has split Democrats. To get support from reluctant members of his party, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is likely to include the opt-out version in the legislation, said a Democratic aide who requested anonymity.


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who backs what she calls a more “robust” form of the public option, was asked yesterday about the Senate proposal at a Washington press conference. “I don’t think there’s much problem with that,” she said.

More on this from bloomberg.com

Does this sounds like Two Americas or what?

While the public option is a great idea, and fundamentally necessary for the success of health care reform, allowing states to opt out will create a situation in which Republican-run states (which are often poorer states, by the way) will deny their citizens the health care that the citizens of Democratic-run states will receive.

In essence, Americans living in places like Mississippi or Florida will get nothing while Americans living in Wisconsin will get their doctor bills paid for.

Does this sound like two Americas or what?

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