Senators are in high powered meetings on the Hill this weekend to hammer out a solution to the public option problem. The players:
The moderate Democrats –Lincoln, Mark Pryor (Ark.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Thomas Carper (Del.) and Mary Landrieu (La.) – attended each session. Harkin, Rockefeller, Brown and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) represented the liberals. Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), another participant, has served as an intermediary between the two sides.
The liberals are well represented, I think. Which makes me a little more comfortable with the following...
I don't know what to make of this proposal yet. But if it's better and less expensive than the public option, it might be worth exploring:
There appeared to be serious consideration of a new proposal on the table: a national health plan similar to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, which provides insurance to members of Congress and federal workers. It would be administered by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the federal plan, and all of the insurance options would be not-for-profit.
This is basically the Swiss health insurance system. Private (unfortunately) but non-profit and government operated. But, in this plan, the privates are literally forced by the Office of Personnel Management to negotiate lower rates if they want to participate -- and the plans can't earn a profit.
Rockefeller and Harkin appear to be on board. Dick Durbin co-sponsored a similar plan earlier in the year. Sherrod Brown doesn't want any more compromises, but he says he's open to a strong pitch.
Again, I'll withhold judgement until the CBO and House progressives weigh in. But at a glance, I can tell you that this is definitely better than a triggered whatever-the-hell. On the other hand, like Senator Brown, I'm exhausted with the compromising.
Additional reporting from Ryan Grim here.