President Obama’s speech to Congress and the nation on his newly reworked vision for healthcare reform isn’t until Wednesday, but in a somewhat surprising preamble on Sunday, a senate Democrat moderate implied that a public option would still remain a possibility in the healthcare coverage markeplace. Only if the market were not to “behave” as well as major payers would have their senate benefactors approve — a public option would then be available for the un- and underinsured to take that coverage. Dubbed by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) as a “trigger mechanism”, this model could represent a compromise with regard to insurance reform now being sought by Obama.

With the arrival of a yet another neologism in the war of words on healthcare reform comes a renewed debate on its meaning. Expect to hear more about this “trigger mechanism” in the next few days, as the president and Congress desperately try to hammer some sort of reform through to passage outside of reconciliation. If this proviso does make its way toward ultimate passage, don’t expect any major kudos for Obama from his base. The perception of progressives and liberals of complete abandonment on the issue of health reform at the hands of Obama will continue to have much more of an impact than what he is widely expected to announce on Wednesday. | LINK via DailyKos

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