Senate bill to include public option

The Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this week he will include a public insurance option - with states having the choice of not participating - in the health reform bill he will bring to the Senate floor. It's a change for Reid, who is recent weeks had indicated he would not go with a public option, similar to Medicare for people under 65, to compete with private insurance companies.

The inclusion of a public option at this stage shows that our efforts are having an impact - but we've got to keep pushing to get the best bill we can.

"Organized labor is flexing its muscle in Senate negotiations over healthcare reform and winning important concessions," the Washington newspaper The Hill reported when Reid made his announcement. In his version of the reform bill, Reid is also "raising the taxable level on high-cost insurance plans; and increasing the penalty for those companies that fail to provide health insurance to employees," The Hill said.

We need to keep pushing for two reasons.

First, while the changes are an improvement, they're not enough of an improvement. A lesser tax on our benefits is still a tax on our benefits.  Things are moving in the right direction, but we need to move them further.

Second, the situation is still fluid.  Reid has sent proposals to the Congressional Budget Office to estimate their cost.  Until he gets those estimates, the bill isn't set in stone, and voices of support or opposition can still have an impact.

Reid's final bill will be a merged version of bills from the Senate Finance Committee - a bill with serious flaws - and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Even when Reid finishes his version of the bill, the game isn't over.  The bill can be amended on the Senate floor, and needs to attract enough support to survive a filibuster.

Also, the House reform bill, H.R. 3200, will be going to the House floor. CWA supports this bill because it taxes millionaires instead of taxing our benefits, because it requires all employers to pay their fair share, because it includes a strong public option, and protects pre-Medicare retirees.

When the House and Senate pass different reform bills, they'll go to a conference committee to be combined, and then will go back to both houses for final votes. The process is likely to run through November and into December, with several important decision points along the way.