Reid: Any reform will have ‘public option’

Any health insurance reform bill that lands on the desk of President Barack Obama will include a so-called "public option," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday.

What that public option will be remains unclear.

"We are going to have a public option before this bill goes to the president's desk," Reid said during a conference call with Nevada residents. "I believe the public option is so vitally important to create a level playing field and prevent the insurance companies from taking advantage of us."

Progressive supporters of national health insurance reform are pressuring Reid and other politicians to include what they consider to be a robust public option: a government-run health insurance plan that serves as an alternative to privately run plans and is available to everyone. Insurance companies fear such a plan would wreak havoc on their industry and are lobbying hard against it.

Conservative Democrats and at least one Republican, Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, have indicated they would support less aggressive reform.

Proposals include a public option with a trigger, which means the public plan wouldn't kick in unless certain market conditions are met.

Yet another idea is an insurance exchange that would offer a selection of privately run health insurance plans. It could include a type of publicly run plan.

"Remember, a public option is a relative term," Reid said in an article posted by Politico shortly after the conference call. "There's a public option, there's a public option, and there's a public option. And we're going to look at each of them."

Reid told Nevadans on the call that once two Senate committees complete their health reform proposals, he will work with the committee leaders and the White House officials to reconcile the differences.

In addition to the fate of the public option, Nevadans on the call with Reid asked about tort reform, coverage for people with pre-existing health conditions and rising costs for health care.

A caller identified as Steve from Henderson said he spent a lot of time talking to doctors recently, as his wife has been in and out of the hospital for 45 days.

"A good portion of their cost is from malpractice insurance," he said. "It appears the Democrats are not in favor of tort reform."

Reid countered by saying malpractice insurance represents just 1.5 percent of the cost for medical care. He also spoke favorably of creating a panel of doctors and lawyers who would scrutinize malpractice claims to reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits.

"The doctors should stop whining about this and just take care of their patients," Reid said.

Another caller, Elizabeth from Gardnerville, said her 23-year-old daughter was having trouble getting health insurance after developing a heart condition.

She said she and her husband have five kids, three in college, and are having difficulty paying bills.

"It is killing us financially, and if your bill will help, more power to you," she said. "It is very frustrating and heartbreaking to watch your children suffer."

Caller Phil from Las Vegas said he thinks a mandate to force all Americans to buy health insurance would be unconstitutional.

He said he doesn't have insurance, but saves his money to pay for medical care out-of-pocket.

His wife is Peruvian and he has gone to Peru for prostate surgery and would go back for other care, he said.

"If I do need medical treatment, I pay cash for it," he said. "I take good care of myself. I don't want to be paying monthly insurance premiums."

In addition to answering callers' questions, Reid spoke favorably of providing incentives for healthy behavior, an idea Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., successfully included as an amendment to the proposal in the Senate Finance Committee.