With Olympia Snowe’s support, talk of a “trigger” for the public option has been revived.
We have to continue to make it clear that a trigger on the public option does not in any way make it competitive against private insurers, and that we’re not going to fall for that as a “public option” in any shape or form whatsoever.
It’s why we need our progressives in Congress to continue to stay strong on their insistence that the final conference bill NOT have a triggered public option, but a public option that is competitive nationwide. We’re going to be hearing a lot of drum-beating about the Snowe trigger in the days ahead, so please don’t let up on those phone calls to our progressives with these talking points below!
(Basically, YES, TO THE ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION (MEDICARE PLUS 5%) — NO TRIGGER, NO CO-OPTS, NO OPT-OUT!)
Hi [Representative’s Name]. I want to thank you for supporting the public option, but I don’t want you to support a trigger or the state opt-in proposal for the public option! A trigger on the public option would be a surrender to the private insurance companies. Please don’t let the insurance lobbyists win by allowing a trigger on the public option, or by allowing states to opt-in to the public option. I want a national public option that’s available in all states immediately without an opt-out, an opt-in, or a trigger. I also don’t support co-operatives as an alternative to the public option since the CBO have said they will do nothing to lower costs of private insurance premiums. If the bill doesn’t have a public option to control premium costs, please vote against that bill!
http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=161&ParentID=0&SectionID=4&SectionTree
=4&lnk=b&ItemID=159
