Moments ago, I spoke with Richard Kirsch, campaign director for Health Care for America Now. I described the public option proposal that’s being considered in the Senate (outlined by Sen. Tom Carper here) and asked whether it would meet HCAN’s muster.
Kirsch said it’s too early to tell. “There are a lot of rumors right now,” Kirsch cautioned.
He said HCAN will wait until there is a finalized bill on the table before weighing in on whether the public option meets HCAN’s principles, which, he reminded me “are that it’s national, that it’s run by the government or an agency accountable to the government, that it’s available on day one,” and that it provides competition necessary to drive down premium prices.
In the meantime, he notes, HCAN will be pushing for the most robust public option possible, praising the ideas on offer in the House of Representatives.
