[lbo-talk] Senate Dems drop public option

[Chris Maisano]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30371.html
 
Even though it doesn't include any sort of public option, is it actually possible that the Senate bill has become better with the inclusion of the Medicare extension to people aged 55 and up? After all, the "public option" likely would have sucked anyway, and the downward extension of Medicare is something that single-payer advocates have been pushing for. Though I suppose that the sickest folks 55+ could potentially just be dumped into Medicare while the inscos reap the benefits. Does anyone with more expertise in healthcare have any thoughts?