Senate Leaders Weigh Public Insurance Plan That States Can Opt Out Of

Houses's Public Plan Gets Boost With Deal on Medicare Payments

By PATRICK YOEST and MARTIN VAUGHAN
WSJ

WASHINGTON – Senate Democratic leaders are pushing a revised version of a public health-insurance plan that states could choose not to offer, as part of initial efforts to try to blend two committees' version of health overhaul legislation.

Senators on Thursday said that the Democratic leadership was surveying whether there was support for the proposal, which would create a nationally run public health-insurance option from which states could voluntarily opt out. The proposal has emerged from talks led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) aimed at reconciling health-care bills approved by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The idea isn't new: it has been presented by Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) as a way to bridge differences between liberal and moderate senators on the public plan. But moderates--whose support is considered vital for reaching a 60-vote threshold needed to break filibusters in the Senate—didn't appear enthusiastic about the proposal Thursday.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) said that he is "not comfortable with that being...the option available."

(More here.)