Health Care Reform - Senate Bill to Include Opt-Out Public Option

In an announcement Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) articulated that the melded Senate Finance and HELP committee health reform bill will include a public option. States, however, under this draft, will be able to opt-out of the public health plan option program. Senate leaders are preparing to submit the legislation to the Congressional Budget Office as soon as Monday to be scored. Details of the new bill haven't been set, but an outline is becoming clearer.

The Wall Street Journal reports on how this legislation would affect employers:

Employers with more than 50 workers wouldn't be required to provide health insurance, but they would face fines of up to $750 per employee if even part of their work force received a government subsidy to buy health insurance, this person said.

Read the complete article at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125658273270408669.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond

The New York Times article can be found at: http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/reid-to-announce-opt-out-public-plan-today/?hp