Gibbs: Public option just 1 way to achieve goal of health insurance for millions without it

October 5th, 2009 Health care issues: Insurance market overhaulA look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Are changes in the insurance industry enough to fix problems in the nation's health care system? THE POLITICS: To help expand health coverage, President Barack Obama is seeking changes to underwriting practices that can prevent Americans from obtaining affordable insurance. His proposals would ban higher premiums, caps or denial of coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition or when a person gets sick.

September 13th, 2009 Axelrod says public option is aliveWASHINGTON — The top adviser to President Barack Obama says the White House is "not willing to accept" that Congress will reject a government-run public option in the health care overhaul. David Axelrod says such an option remains Obama's preference for setting up a system that would provide coverage for Americans who can't afford health insurance.

September 13th, 2009 GOP senator: Public option on health care is deadWASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker says it's clear to him that the White House is ready to abandon a government-run public health insurance option. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says that President Barack Obama's address to Congress this past week was combative and showed little sign of compromise.

September 9th, 2009 Not-for-profit public option part of health planWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says a not-for-profit public option needs to be available as part of any health care overhaul. He says it would keep insurance companies honest.

September 8th, 2009 Health care issues: The public insurance planA look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Should Americans have the option of getting health insurance from a government plan that competes with private companies? THE POLITICS: Many Democrats want to do away with private insurance and replace it with something resembling Medicare coverage for all, but that's not politically feasible. Offering the choice of a government insurance plan was a compromise within the Democratic Party.

September 6th, 2009 White House: public health care plan is negotiableWASHINGTON — White House officials said Sunday a government health insurance option is negotiable, signaling a potential compromise on an issue that President Barack Obama's liberal supporters consider do-or-die. As Obama prepares for a Wednesday night speech to Congress in a risky bid to salvage his top domestic priority, political adviser David Axelrod said a public plan is not the core issue in the health care debate.

August 30th, 2009 Kerry: Compromise may be necessary but not yetWASHINGTON — A leading Democratic senator says backers of a public option in President Barack Obama's attempt to overhaul health care may need to compromise on the issue but adds that such a point hasn't been reached yet. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts suggested that compromise on the public option could become necessary if and when Democrats get to the point where they are not going to get there.

August 23rd, 2009 McCain: Obama must drop health care public optionWASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain says President Barack Obama will have to drop proposals for a government-run health insurance option if he hopes to reach congressional agreement on health-care reform.

August 20th, 2009 Obama stands by belief a public option is viableWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is standing by his position that a public option for health insurance coverage should be considered as part of legislation to overhaul the health care system. In an interview Thursday with Philadelphia-based radio talk show host Michael Smerconish, Obama said that "the press got excited and some folks on the left got a little excited" when the administration last weekend made statements indicating that a publicly-run health insurance option was just one of several alternatives.

August 18th, 2009 Gibbs insists Obama not backing off public optionWASHINGTON — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs insists the Obama administration has not shifted its goals on health care reform or distanced itself from a government-run public insurance option. He said in a meeting with reporters Tuesday morning that news stories suggesting that the administration was ready to abandon the public option as it battles to push health care reform through were overblown.

August 18th, 2009 Liberals push for public health insurance planWASHINGTON — Congressional liberals are telling the Obama administration that a health overhaul bill cannot pass unless it includes a new government-run insurance option. The Congressional Progressive Caucus, made up of more than 80 liberal House members, wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing opposition to her weekend comments suggesting a public option was not essential to a health overhaul.

August 18th, 2009 FACT CHECK: White House ignores health concessionWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has indicated a willingness to drop a government-run health care plan from any overhaul. The White House says that's not a shift.

August 17th, 2009 Dean: Public option a must for health care reformWASHINGTON — Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean is arguing that there can be no meaningful overhaul of the health care system without a public option for coverage. A leading player in the party's liberal wing, Dean said in a nationally broadcast interview Monday he thinks providing a government role in insurance coverage is fair.

August 16th, 2009 Sebelius: Public insurance option not essentialWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's health secretary is suggesting the White House is ready to accept nonprofit insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run public option in a health overhaul plan. A Republican senator says that is worth looking at.

August 16th, 2009 Shelby: Insurance co-ops worth looking atWASHINGTON — A Republican senator says a potential administration shift from a government-run health insurance to a privately run cooperative is something that opponents like him should consider. Alabama's Richard Shelby is a vocal opponent of the health care overhaul proposed by President Barack Obama.