A new NBC/WSJ poll will be released later today that shows support increasing for the public option: According to the poll, 48% say they favor a public health plan administered by the federal government that would compete with private insurers, compared with 42% who oppose it. That’s a shift from last month, though within the [...]

According to the Huffington Post, NBC News correspondent Chuck Todd reported Tuesday morning that the Obama White House, despite public expressions of support for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to pursue an opt-out public insurance option, remains skeptical that Reid can come up with the votes. The administration basically told Reid, “You’re the vote [...]

I know it’s fun to get he pom-poms out, but what exactly is everyone celebrating? MoveOn, which was asking members to pressure Obama last week, is now shifting gears to make sure the Democratic Party gets in line and votes to block a filibuster. Health Care for America Now was championing Reid for “standing up” [...]

The public option has received the lion’s share of attention in the health care debate, but there is an equally important one relating to generic drugs that could mean the lifesaving drugs of the future remain too expensive for all but the wealthy. Biologics are drugs made from living organisms, and they are considered the [...]

The news yesterday was the Harry Reid would include a public option with an opt-out provision in the Senate bill. There has been some reporting Reid might not have the votes for the opt-out and might need to water it down to a public option “opt-in,” state-based public plans, or trigger. A public option opt-in [...]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will go with the public option. . . with an opt-out. . . and co-ops. Read Reid’s statement. The devil is in the details with the public option opt-out–and we still have very few details. There are many unanswered questions, and the answers will determine if the opt-out is a failure. [...]

The CBO examined the effect of ending the anti-trust exemption and found: Based on information from the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, consumer groups, and private attorneys, CBO estimates that both of those effects would be very small, and thus that enacting the legislation would have no significant effect [...]

I’m glad to see that Senate Majority Leader has decided to be a real leader and defy Olympia Snowe (R-ME). There is no reason to have a 60 member caucus if you are unable or unwilling to use it to fulfill the top priority of the Democratic party with the best reform bill possible. It [...]

The good news: Pressure on Reid from progressives when his poll numbers are flagging made him defy the White House. More importantly, he ratted them out to the press. Rahm thought he could continue to push for triggers in the background and satisfy the base by mouthing gibberish about “the President supports a public option” until it was too late. It didn’t work out so well.

The bad news: Having a state opt-out that will make corporatist Democrats happy is quite likely not to be “available nationwide from day one,” and thus does not meet the the definition of a “robust public option” by anyone’s terms.

Several news sources are reporting that Harry Reid plans to put a national public option with an opt-out provision in the merged Senate bill. So far, there have been almost zero details on how this national public option with an opt-out provision would be structured. I’m going to explain four important variables and how they [...]