Senate Votes No to Public Option in Health Care Bill

On September 29, 2009 the US Senate’s Finance Committee voted against two amendments for a public health care option. Opponents to the public option plan believe that government would eventually have full control over health care, leaving private insurers to go out of business. However, Public Option proponents reject this claim, stating that public option would provide needed competition for private insurers while making health coverage accessible to millions of people currently lacking health insurance.

The Finance Committee is the last congressional panel to consider health care legislation before debate begins in the full House and Senate. Democratic proposals passed by another Senate committee and three House committees all include the public insurance option.

In the House, Congressional Leadership have planned a series of meetings to begin merging the three versions passed out of House committees while bringing down the overall cost by $200 billion.