Kerry says compromise on health care overhaul’s public option may be necessary, but not yet

September 13th, 2009 Gibbs: Public option 1 way to meet coverage goalWASHINGTON — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says it's not true that a health care overhaul will affect people who already have insurance. He says President Barack Obama is determined that health care legislation provides Americans with a choice of insurers and competition for the companies that now dominate the market.

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 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 12th, 2009 Obama: Public option helps health care competitionMINNEAPOLIS — President Barack Obama says he wants to see a government-run option in the health care overhaul and remains open on "how to set this up." Speaking at a rally Saturday in Minneapolis, Obama was responding to growing concerns that the government could squeeze out private insurers and lead to a federal takeover of health care. Obama stressed that a government-run plan would be one of many options for people seeking affordable care.

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 2nd, 2009 SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Sen. John Kerry said Wednesday he would take up one of Sen.

September 1st, 2009 Hoyer maintains support for public optionWALDORF, Md. — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told cheering and jeering constituents Tuesday he still supports a public health insurance option as part of a health care overhaul.

August 31st, 2009 Sen. Grassley hopeful on limited health reformDES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley said Monday he remains hopeful a limited health care reform measure can be negotiated but a small group working on the issue agrees a government-run public option won't be part of a package.

August 30th, 2009 Kerry: Kennedy would compromise if necessaryWASHINGTON — A leading Democratic senator says the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy would have been ready to compromise on overhauling health care, but negotiations had not yet reached that point.

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 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 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.

July 16th, 2009 GOP fails to strip public option from health billWASHINGTON — Republicans have failed to strip a government-run benefits plan from the House bill overhauling health care. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 25-15 on Thursday to keep the government-run option in the bill, rejecting an amendment by Wisconsin Republican Rep.

July 5th, 2009 Senators say compromise key to health care billWASHINGTON — It will take a compromise on a government option for insurance if the Senate is to agree on a health care overall before next month's break, two senators said Sunday. President Barack Obama is pushing for an Aug.