Excerpt:
A new Washington Post – ABC News poll shows that a clear majority of Americans still back a government- run health care plan to compete with private insurers.
What perhaps is most striking about the new poll results are that 56% of Republicans responded that they would back a public option if a public plan were run by the states and available through subsidies only to those who lack affordable private options.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the public option is getting a new life in the Senate. Democrats writing legislation are now considering several alternatives to the Senate Finance Committee’s bill that did not include a public option. While none involve an expansion of Medicare that many progressive Democrats are advocating, several include a public option.
While a public option is only a possibility at this point, one thing is certain: Most Americans want a public option, and despite millions of dollars spent on lobbying and ads by the health care insurance industry, it is not dead yet.