Blog - Another Public Option Alternative

Sen. Mary Landrieu [D, LA], one of the key swing votes in the Senate health care debate, has begun passing around her own alternative plan to the public option as written into the bill. The Politico:

Landrieu calls her proposal the “competitive community option,” which sounds remarkably similar to a trigger proposal advocated by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

A state-based nonprofit insurance competitor would kick into effect where coverage is not considered affordable. It would receive seed money from the government, but would be funded through premiums.

In contrast to Snowe’s proposal, Landrieu’s proposal would not be available on Day One. Landrieu refers to her idea as a “fallback.” She said the insurance market reforms should be given a chance to work.