House liberals appear willing to accept weaker public option

They may not like it, but many House liberals look ready to accept a compromise healthcare bill, putting Democratic leaders well on the way to delivering on President Barack Obama's call for overhaul.

After claiming for months they couldn't vote for a bill without the strongest possible government-run insurance option, liberals are putting aside their disappointment over the weaker version in the legislation for a historic chance to remake America's medical system. "The current language is far weaker than what I would have preferred, and I think that is also true of the Progressive Caucus," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said. "But because I did not come up here to participate in gridlock and acrimony, I have told leadership that I am willing to compromise."

House floor debate could begin late next week on the sweeping bill that extends coverage to 96% of Americans, imposes new requirements on individuals and employers to get insurance and provides subsidies for lower-income people.The bill includes a new public insurance plan that would pay providers and hospitals rates negotiated by the HHS secretary.

In one bit of sobering news, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that only about 6 million people would sign up and that premiums for the government plan could be higher than for private coverage. The CBO says sicker people with higher costs probably would be attracted to the government plan. By comparison, 162 million people would remain covered through employer plans.

There are still concerns from moderates over the bill's cost—$1.055 trillion over 10 years—and long-term spending implications, and disputes to be resolved on how to block federal funding of abortions and prevent illegal immigrants from getting taxpayer-funded care. But the once-strident liberal opposition to the version of the public insurance option in the bill Pelosi released Thursday had all but disappeared 24 hours later.