Yesterday, I drew attention to the CMS’s findings about the House’s robust public option tied to Medicare rates. There were two important findings: The first was that it would be 18% cheaper to insure someone with a robust public option. The second was that premiums for people who chose the public option would only be about [...]

Today the FDL Action PAC launches an online phone bank effort to call 40,000 of the most progressive Democrats in Nevada, asking them to contact Harry Reid and let him know they support a public option. As Senate Majority leader, it is Harry Reid’s choice and his alone to include the public option in a [...]

Tonight is a big night for the public option. CMS says the the public option will be dramatically cheaper than private insurance. Obama is really acting like he does not want a public option and would like it to die. He is telling supporters that they should really be super jazzed about the Baucus bill. [...]

The Hill is reporting that Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is looking very carefully at the public option opt-out “compromise”: “I think there’s one way that could work very well and could pick up some of the moderates,” Rockefeller told reporters. “I’m looking very much now at this opt-out public option.” Under the alternative proposal, the [...]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a study of the version of the health care reform bill, H.R. 3200, reported out by the Ways and Means Committee.* The study had some positive news for the robust public option tied to Medicare rates. The public option would on average have premiums 11 [...]

Tonight is a big night for the public option is both chambers. On the Senate side, Harry Reid will by huddle with Chris Dodd, Max Baucus, and several Obama aides to discuss the public option. What bastard compromise will come out of these closed door negotiating is anyone’s guess right now. Several senators have recently [...]

During the final debate in the Virginia Governor’s race, Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds opted to share some of his “thinking” with the public: [Deeds said] he “shared the broad goals” of health care reform, but would “certainly consider opting out” of a public option “if that were available to Virginia.” “I’m not afraid of going [...]

Colorado senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet are joining with their Governor, Bill Ritter, in asking for an up or down vote on the public option. The public option has majority support in the Senate, but likely lacks to 60 votes needed to add it as a stand-alone amendment to a bill without it. By [...]

Yesterday, I pointed out exactly how the Washington Post made a completely unprovable (and mostly likely false) statement in their paper. It now seems that Ben Nelson (D-NE) is using the Washington Post’s lies to make his case against a real public option. The Post falsely claimed: If a public plan were run by the [...]

Snowe says, “jump”; Baucus says, “how high?” The Washington Post misleads with their poll to give the false impression that a public options run by the states would make it more popular. If Obama was willing to make a real push, he could probably get the public option across the finish line. The Public Option is three times [...]