"Public Option" Important?

The debate over health care reform has become the dividing line between Democrats and Republicans. Most Democrats argue that any health care reform must include the choice of federal coverage, while Republicans can only see it as a step towards "government takeover" and Obama seems to be in the middle of everything. Policy experts believe that the federal plan will eventually become one of the largest insurer providers in the country, this would mean a large expansion in the government's responsibility. But despite everything, Democrats continue to debate whether health care should be available to all Americans or through private insurers for most Americans like it has for the past years. As a former breast cancer patient, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Senator John Edwards, can see that so many people can't afford any type of health insurance and she feels like it's really important to do something about it. She became a strong advocate for a health care plan with a public option proposal that was first unveiled in 2007 by her husband. Before the 2008 presidential campaign a health care reform bill was only talked about, but now it has a become a major issue that needs to be addressed. Jacob Hacker, a political scientist, proposed a plan he called "Medicare Plus" in 2001, ths would give employers the choice to either offer private insurance or coverage through a government health plan similar to Medicare. Estimates showed that his public option plan would actually end up covering most of workers and their families and the government would have an important role in all of this. It's definately a tough job for everyone in the White House, but I think that a solution will definately come soon.