Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Healthcare Reform double take: Former Senator Bill Frist giving a wink to the Public Option

While promoting is new book today on CNN's American Morning, former U.S. Senator and Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) gave a wink to the Public Option. In his interview with John Roberts, Senator Frist acknowledged the out of control cost associated with the current Health Care System, $15,000 per year Health Insurance Premiums for a family of four in the United States that continue to rise, and that the number of people that absolutely can't afford current Health Plans is around 20 million, out of the nearly 50 million (which is still a massive number of uninsured Americans).

When asked about the proposed Public Health Insurance Option, Bill Frist indicated that something needed to be in place that would hold the Health Insurance industry's feet to the fire and at the end of the day, the possibility of the Public Option should be available, more or less endorsing the "Trigger" proposal by moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine.

There are many liberals and progressives out there that are less than pleased with President Obama and the less than assertive way he has participated in Healthcare Reform efforts. But, it must be pointed out that this is the most that has been done to address Health Care in the United States since FDR. It is unlikely that a Public Option will come out of the Senate and if it survives in the House, it is going to be very difficult to get the two bills reconciled with a Public Option. Maybe having the figurative "Gun to the Head" approach with the Public Option "Trigger" will work and get the Health Insurance industry to do the right thing. Regardless, this seems like the best that can be done at this point.

The saying goes, two things you never want to see made is sausage and laws. Americans got to see how laws are really made in this country and it made them sick. So much for Healthcare Reform...

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