Well, the answer to that question is, we don't know where we stand. Questions about what was actually sent to the CBO last night from many respected sources has been plenty. Howard Dean likes it, but maybe because it was an idea of his while he campaigned for the Presidency in 2004 Dean, who previously chaired the Democratic National Committee, said Medicare expansion "makes a lot of sense because you don't have to reinvent another bureaucracy to do it." Still, it is an idea that, implemented correctly, will not make the insurance companies happy. But a key factor that has been overlooked here, and a sign of real change in the system, is this tidbit : "The deal reached Tuesday puts even more requirements on insurers by requiring that 90 percent of premium dollars be spent on medical benefits, as opposed to administrative costs, officials said." Joe Lie still isn't happy with the possibility of even a trigger public option , but he is generally happy w...
