Watered-down 'public' health plan emerges in U.S. Senate

The latest idea bears little resemblance to the original vision outlined by liberals, and embraced by Obama, during the 2008 presidential campaign. That called for the government to sell insurance to workers and their families in competition with industry giants like UnitedHealthcare.

But instead of Medicare-for-the-masses, it would be Blue Cross Blue Shield or Kaiser Permanente, albeit with a government seal of approval from the department that handles the health plan for federal employees, including members of Congress. The Office of Personnel Management — OPM — would become an instantly recognizable federal acronym, like FDA and CDC.

“I think it's the right way to go because it's simple and the public can grasp it,” Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, said Monday, reflecting a general hope that a deal is close.

Lawmakers will be able to tell their constituents “you're going to get exactly what we have, and that every federal employee has, you can buy into it,” Begich added.v

Five moderates and five liberals tapped by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., planned to work on the compromise Tuesday as the Senate debated the 10-year, nearly US$1 trillion bill. A vote on an amendment to tightly restrict abortion coverage by health plans receiving federal subsidies could also happen Tuesday.

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