With Medicare for All shelved for the time being (due to President Biden’s opposition and lack of broad political support), the “public option” is seen by single-payer advocates as the next best alternative. Proponents in several states are taking the lead in pushing the concept forward, and, in one — Nevada — a combination of ambiguity and unabashed coercion allowed state officials to outmaneuver their opponents. Their strategy might work elsewhere too (there are eighteen states contemplating similar reforms), although the fights this approach causes with providers may yet prove debilitating.
Unlike the mandatory public insurance of Medicare for All, the public option promises a government-administered plan only for those who want it. The thinking is that creating another robust public insurance plan might make the transition to full single-payer easier when its political opening finally arrives (or so the thinking among advocates goes).
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