Greg Sargent got a tip from Capitol Hill with some very important news about the House health insurance reform bill:
In another step forward for the public option, I’m told reliably by a source that House leaders have been given a new Congressional Budget Office “score” finding that the evolving House bill — when you include a robust public option — reduces the deficit and is under the President’s cost goal of $900 billion.Max Baucus, Kent Conrad and the Blue Dogs have made a very big deal about the CBO score for the health care legislation. This latest development could, and should, pave the way for a solid reform bill -- with the "robust public option." It saves money. Who can argue with that? Besides the insurance industry lobbyists and their toadies in Congress.
The CBO estimate, which is newer than the one reported over the weekend, will likely be discussed at the Dem caucus meeting tonight. This is a step forward because it could make it more palatable to Blue Dogs to support a House bill with a robust public plan, meaning one that reimburses providers at Medicare rates plus five percent.
