Pelosi Health Care Count Reveals Vote Deficit for Public Option

HopeTracker| A plan to reform healthcare that includes a robust public option would actually cut the deficit, according to preliminary estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

For the purposes of the CBO analysis, a robust public option was defined as one that reimburses doctors at Medicare rates plus five percent. President Barack Obama said he wouldn’t sign a healthcare bill that adds to the deficit.

Politico reports this morning that Nancy Pelosi counted votes last night and determined that she could not pass a “robust public option” — as part of the national overhaul of heal care.

The most likely compromise on the public health care option appears to be a trigger option for a government plan. This option would satisfy ‘reluctant liberals’ who are threatening to walk away from the bill and give America’s health care providers the opportunity to make health care work within the capitalist sector.

According to Politico, the speaker has proven herself a reliable vote counter, and she wants to release a bill that she knows can get at least 218 votes. Aides say the count was somewhat of a surprise, but not completely.

Update on Sat, October 24, 2009 by Anne

Read Huff Po for response to yesterday’s Polito story. Everyone connected with pushback, arguing that the public option is not dead, except for a trigger option.

Huff Po says that Reid has almost enough votes in the Senate to pass a public option with an op-out clause by state.

Read: Seething Dems Hit Back at Report Public Option Is Dead in House