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Senator Harry Reid's announcement today came as good news to those following the health care reform debate in Congress. The inclusion of a "public option" is certainly a move in the right direction and very welcome. But, we're still a long way from a robust public option. The "opt-out" choice available to individual states leaves us with some very big questions and ups the ante significantly on the 2010 election.
To use a cliché, "the devil will be in the details." The Majority Leader has yet to unveil the specifics on how the opt-out would work. Unfortunately it would involve governors and state legislatures. Depending on how the legislation is written it will take one, or a combination of those to opt-out. Do you want the future of your health care in the hands of "the answer to everything is a tax cut" Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop? Or, do you want it in the hands of House Speaker Andy Dillon whose health care reform plan is a thinly veiled attempt at union busting? The answer is no. Don't forget both have said they want to run for governor in 2010.
(As blue_onyx pointed out in the comments, Bishop has indicated he'll run for AG, not Gov. But in all honesty, would you expect any different from Mike Cox, our current AG, who does little to defend consumers?)
Should you support opt-out? No. Let's thank Harry Reid for starting to turn his ship around, but let's also make sure he doesn't abandon the wheel now.
For some perspective about how opt-out could potentially affect states with current governors and legislature if a vote were to come today, Jon Walker at Fire Dog Lake has an excellent analysis. He presents several scenarios of what states would require only a governor's decree, legislature only approval and both governor and state legislature approval in what are currently Republican controlled states. He concludes:
A combined total of 154 million people (51% of the population) live in states where Republicans control the governor's mansion or the state legislature.
If people think my numbers are too "worst case scenario," remember: there will be four years and two election cycles before the public option is made available. Currently the Republican Party is very close to a historic low and is expect to improve over the next few elections. Republicans (and/or Democrats opposed to the public option) only need be in power briefly at sometime in the next four years to be able to opt out their state. If you don't think the next four years will see a multi-million dollar surge in donations from health insurance companies to politicians at the state level, you don't understand politics.
Hold firm on a robust public option. We've come a long way, but it's no time to stop. This is only the first leg of a 4 X 400 relay.
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