Public Option May be Included in the Final Bill

October 26, 2009

House and Senate Democratic leaders may be close to agreement on some sort of public option.

Indications are that a government run insurance plan may be included in the healthcare reform bill. If included, states may "opt-out". There is no real clarification on what the "opt-out" provision would look like in addition to what ramifications this would have on the states that choose to "opt-out". The Democratic contingency is really working hard to put a bill on the President's desk for signature by the end of the year.

Other articles in today's NAHU Newswire include:

• Schumer (D-NY) says Democrats near 60 votes on reform bill with public option.
• LATimes: Health reform will increase insurer's incentive to deny costly claims.
• Despite Democratic rhetoric, insurer's profits said to be "anemic."
• Medicare fraud now totaling about $60 billion per year.
• Senate bill may include higher penalty for businesses if workers get subsidies.

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