Henry Waxman reached an agreement with House Blue Dogs on healthcare reform and the public option:
The Blue Dogs wrestled some concessions out of Waxman (D-Calif.), particularly related to a public health care option and employer mandates. The committee's current version of the public option now more closely resembles that of the health committee in the Senate.
For instance, rather than linking the public option to the rates enjoyed by Medicare, the new language would require a separate agreement without Medicare's bargaining power, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius would be responsible for negotiating deals with service providers from day one of the public plan's existence, rather than year three. States can also set up co-op insurance plans in addition to the public option, but not in its stead.
In and of itself, this isn't good, but it's not terrible either. What truly blows here is that the public option will be further compromised and watered down when and if it even gets to a conference committee to be reconciled with a much more conservative Senate bill.
In other words, the public option doesn't get any stronger from here -- it can only be weakened.