Republican senator: White House ready to give up on public option in health insurance overhaul

October 14th, 2009 Health care issues: The 'trigger' public planA look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Would a so-called "trigger" or "fallback" public plan win enough votes to get some sort of government-run insurance option in any health care legislation Congress may pass? THE POLITICS: The trigger option is seen as a possible compromise that would replace the idea of allowing the government to sell insurance in competition with private insurance. Many Democrats want the so-called public option but Republicans oppose it.

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 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 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 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 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 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 20th, 2009 Pelosi: House health bill needs public planSAN FRANCISCO — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says there's no way the House can pass a health overhaul bill that doesn't include a new public insurance plan. Her comments at a news conference Thursday in San Francisco come as the White House faces a liberal backlash for indicating openness to leaving a public plan out of a final health bill.

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 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 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 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 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.

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.

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.