Senate Plan Might Not Include Controversial "Public Option"

Breaking news from Washington DC includes reports that the Senate Finance Committee is close to reaching a bipartisan compromise on health reform that would not include the controversial "public" health plan option or an employer mandate. This is critical in that it may signal consensus developing to create a bipartisan health reform bill that at least initially excludes the most debated aspects of health reform. Clearly it is too early too tell whether we would see any specific language before the Senate recess, but it does appear that progress is being made on the Senate side.

What does this mean? Well it certainly is a sign that more moderate health care reform could prevail this year despite the much more dramatic reforms being debated by the House. For patients and the health care industry in general this would allow some of the benefits of expanding access to health insurance while leveraging the existing private payer markets.