Could it be true… is there really still hope for a public option?

Senate Democratic leaders met with White House officials this evening to mull over the possibility of adding a government-funded public health insurance option in the Senate health care bill. According to CNN’s Web site, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leaning toward including a public option with a provision to permit states to simply “opt out” of the public option. This state opt-out provision may just be the answer to finally passing health care reform in the United States.

“President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders say the non-profit public option will bring competition to the health insurance industry and lower costs while expanding access to Americans currently without coverage,” as reported by the CNN Web site.

The public option debate has definitely created heavy tension and controversy between the Democratic and Republican parties. Republicans, and even some moderate Democrats, oppose a public option; whereas Democrats are very much in favor of one. In fact, some Democrats, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have gone as far as to say no public option, no bill.

Although the provision may gain the approval of moderate Democrats, Republicans on the other hand are a whole different story. Republican opponents argue that a public option “would drive out private insurers from the market and lead to an eventual government takeover of the health care system.”

Sen. Olympia Snowe, the only Republican senator to support any kind of health care reform thus far, does not support the modified public option, as confirmed to CNN by Snowe’s spokesman, John Gentzel.