This robust support for the public option -- in what most observers consider the most conservative committee in the Senate -- signals a sea change in Congressional opinion toward the public option. The odds are now very high that some form of public health insurance option will be included on the final bill when it emerges from a House-Senate Conference Committee later this fall and is ultimately passed by Congress.
A Robert Woods Johnson Report indicates that over the last ten years wages have gone up 29%, health insurance rates have gone up 120% and the profits of the private health insurance industry have gone up 428%. No wonder insurance companies don't want competition!!A public option in the market place will drive down the prices of premiums for private insurance. That, of course, is why the private insurance companies hate it. Insurance companies aren't seriously worried they will be forced out of business. They just don't want to cut their prices and profits.
The Congressional Budget Office has found that it will save the Government huge amounts in subsidy monies that it would otherwise have to pay to make more expensive for-profit plans affordable. The most robust version of the public option saves over $100 billion over ten years.
If you don't have a public option, Congress' only choice is either to cut subsidies that are the major means of providing affordability -- or they must raise more revenues. Given the massive need for affordability, and reluctance of many to raise taxes, the public option is looking better and better to many swing Democrats.
Sens. Harkin, Schumer and Rockefellar are speaking very positively tonight. They believe the bill will be on the presidents desk this year and it WILL have the public option! Don't believe the conservative pundits, they will be all over this story showing it in a bad light. What happened today was positive. A majority of this country wants the PO, and we will get it!
Now thats what I wanna hear!!
read more at Huffington Post
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/growing-momentum-for-publ_b_303415.htmWhat are the reasons for the resurgent congressional support for the PO?? Well for one, voter support is as strong as ever, and two, members of congress will have to live with the consequences of what they pass for years to come.So what does this all mean?? This is a victory for dems today, don't be fooled by conservative pundits talk and there will be lots of it!! Though it's down, the public option is not out. "The public option is on the march," Rockefeller said.
