Okay, Public Option is dead. I have made my peace.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

"I will hope no more forever"

(That's a joke... ask a native American.)

I cannot get too outraged about the surrender of something I didn't expect to happen in the first place.

I was "pre-raged" on this one.

But I reserve the right to pitch a holy fit if any new-fangled abortion restrictions become law.

[jenmito]

1. According to Howard Dean, the alternative may very well be BETTER than the PO...

A "Medicare Buy-in," according to Dean, is a "very good idea," saying it gives people "real choice" and is better than the watered-down public option. And people can start enrolling in June 2010!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. I can see that on everything except cost

Between SCHIP and Medicaid and Medicare at 55 the only people left out are the healthy young adults who provide all the profits.

Leaving 18-55 to the private sector and picking up everyone else seems like a short-cut to fiscal disaster.

But that's my first blush. We don't know the details.

[Kdillard]

4. Yeah from the little information that has come out about the

Alternative it sounds better than what was offered by Reid and closer to what progressives had in mind in the first place. I want to hear the CBO scoring. Hopefully everything comes together and people will get the best possible outcome.

[jenmito]

5. I'm a little worried that the CBO scoring won't be "deficit neutral."

But they must know what they're doing...

[Thrill]

6. This doesn't help the younger folks. Thats a big problem in my opinion. BIG PROBLEM

[izquierdista]

9. When the only jobs left are with the military

They will be covered too -- VA and military hospitals. You have to look at the long view here.

[DrToast]

7. Do you really think the PO is going to be killed for something BETTER?

Dean's trying to sell you a bridge.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

10. That's an interesting point. Depends on whether it is a zero-sum game with Insurance Industry

The question is, is there any proposal that would be better for the insurance industry without being worse for the public?

In terms of coverage, of course. The government could pass a law taking charge of the health coverage of all sick people. Insurance would love that and it would help all the sick people.

In terms of cost, it may well be zero-sum. In the above example America would go broke and insurers would do fine.

So this "compromise" may be good on coverage but cost a boat-load of money.

???

[HughMoran]

8. What about small business? We'll go under soon if they don't do something soon

$36,000/year for family coverage (split between employer and employee) is a disaster - we can't afford to hire people who are married & need insurance.

[jenmito]

11. We have to wait to hear the details. n/t

[HughMoran]

13. De-plan boss, de-plan!!

There's got to be something for small business and others under 55!!!!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. a start until we get a single payer option

[CK_John]

2. The GOP will give on the Public Option but will demand a "draft" in return. n/t