Nancy Pelosi Makes Public Option Stand

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just ran this tweet.

Photo: Americans Support A Public Option http://twurl.nl/v85epx

The link reveals this image of polls showing support for the public option.



The House version of health care reform is what voters support. Which makes me wonder what planet Gov. Bobby Jindal is on?

JINDAL: Absolutely. Well, let`s start first of all -- Neil, across this country, I think the debate`s over. I think the American people have spoken loudly. they have said they don`t want a government- run plan that increases their taxes, that increases government spending.

Jindal willfilly deceives Fox News viewers about poll numbers and the cost of a public option insurance program. A Congressional Budget Report found the public option would save $110 billion over ten year. Jindal is not truly fiscally conservative. Jindal made an outlandish claim about tort reform savings.

Third, if we`re serious about driving down the cost of health care, let`s address the cost of defensive medicine. Frivolous lawsuits, one study says, could cost as much as $100 billion a year. I think it`s telling neither of these plans really have significant reforms.

A CBO report found tort reform would only provide 0.5 percent savings to health care. A 2004 CBO report gave a more generous 2 percent savings. The problem with Jindal's logic is there is no trigger to force insuers to lower premiums on doctors, if tort reform passes. The medical profession and insurers may get savings. That does not mean those savings will be passed on to patients.