I'm not crazy about the opt out idea in practice but if it passes then at least we'll have it; my concern is that they also have a provision in the bill that would limit access to the Public Option to only those without insurance. The option should be available to anyone who wants it and honestly if it's a good plan then I'd love to opt in to it and take my money back from the private insurance companies; but with the current Senate bill; I won't be allowed to do that.

The more I read about the opt-out option, the more I like it. I really don't see a reason why any state (except maybe SC) would decide to opt out. To that point, I haven't read anything about the benefits of opting-out. I'm assuming that there is a tax benefit to not accepting the federal money, anyone have any ideas about what that may be?

Does anybody really think the opt-out is a big deal? Oh ya... it "basically throws the right to the wolves". Really? Really?

There is a majority already... you really think this is gonna bring em in like a pig call at feeding time?

It's just amazing to me... we push for health care reform... we say we want competition... to get that competition we need a large pool of people to keep cost down/competitive so hey... let make everybody pay! And if they don't like it then we can either fine them or throw em in the pokey (were they will get HC for free... go figure). So we cheer the great accomplishment that 10% might get it... and it's a bargain at 900 billion+.

As I posted earlier...

I guess i'm being cynical... I should not have expected this much from these precious anointed few. After working a blistering 3 day work week im sure this is the best they can come up with. We sure are lucky to have them.

Now, just make it a real "option" so that everyone has the option of the PO regardless of whether they are currently insured or not.

It is not the advocacy groups or Moveon who changed tunes, it is the democratic representatives in the Senate after consistent efforts from the progressive grass roots.

For one, thankfully, Reid had displayed a character, out of his normal tune.

I want to see what happens when a state opts out and folks live on the border of a state that doesn't opt out. I can see folks using opt in addresses in order to get health care for their family. Let's hope any state that opts out will anger those who live in those states to the point that they throw them out of office. I just can't imagine a governor or state legislature telling its citizens that "no, you can't have health care".

Was the Public Option really as dead as the mainstream media (and even here recently on TPM) have been making out?

Or was this yet another example of 'He-said-She-said' journamalism where the reality on the ground -- Dems got the votes, Dems got the votes -- was conveniently ignored so that we could hear yet more of Chuck Grassley and Olympia Snowe?

remember Harris Wofford? he was elected Senator (beating Thornburgh) in PA yrs ago, by running on a Public Health Care platform!
let the Dems learn from this, and show some cojones now.
and if Snowe doesn't like it, let her melt in the sunshine.

I just watch Maddow's show, and I am pretty worried about the news. We root for an public option, but then according to what mentioned in her show, the Reid's bill will only cover the uninsured peeps + opt out for states. How will this work? Are we getting $#@! again by the politicians? That only covers 10% of Americans, and how do we get a big pool to compete with the insurance companies? And how does the govt PO can pay for a small pool of mostly sick people that are not wanted by the insurance companies???