# Public Option Dropped; Medicare Expanded: Net Effect?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-dropped-medicare-expanded-net-effect/520691>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 10, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-dropped-medicare-expanded-net-effect/520691 "2009-12-10T04:03:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-dropped-medicare-expanded-net-effect/520691/21 "2009-12-11T03:57:48Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> An influential progressive in the House of Representatives says that the public option compromise taking shape in the Senate might not survive the lower chamber–particularly if the Senate tries to jam its health care bill through the House.

[Grijalva Says The Senate Public Option Compromise Is A Non-Starter](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/grijalva-says-the-senate-public-option-compromise-is-a-non-starter.php?ref=fpa)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-dropped-medicare-expanded-net-effect/520691/22 "2009-12-11T04:13:11Z")

</div>

I don’t get the fact ABC news said that even with the bill 19 million Americans will remain uninsured. OK what is trying to be accomplished? Isn’t the point to insure everyone? I guess not.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-dropped-medicare-expanded-net-effect/520691/23 "2009-12-15T02:44:11Z")

</div>

> [@Squink](#):
>
> [Grijalva Says The Senate Public Option Compromise Is A Non-Starter](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/grijalva-says-the-senate-public-option-compromise-is-a-non-starter.php?ref=fpa)

Ah, yes, this is the other thing. The House Progressive Caucus will reject any bill without a public option. So will Sens. Burris and (probably) Sanders.

And Lieberman is now even [rejecting](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul)the Medicare compromise (which was a compromise on the public option, which was a compromise with single payer advocates).

Hopefully, this will be instructive for Obama–you can’t compromise on fundamentals. He tried to find a happy medium, but the health insurance lobby is implacable. They took his compromise and met him halfway on it, declared victory, then had their man on the inside crush the watered-down deal.

The 60 votes in the Senate do not exist. The question is whether he’ll be able to get 51 senators to pass it via reconciliation–and what form that bill will take.

Right now, it’s looking like it’ll just be held up indefinitely … or until the Cobra extensions expire, millions are unemployed \*and \*without health insurance, and things get ugly enough for a large-scale, nationwide single payer movement.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-dropped-medicare-expanded-net-effect/520691.md?page=1)