This past week brings great change to health care in America for senior citizens.  And even greater change for children, unemployed and those who have been unable to get health insurance coverage.  

But the legislation did not include the public option, a government-sponsored health care plan (like Medicare and the VA array of medical services) that competes with private insurers.  Competition between public and private insurers will keep costs at a more manageable level.

The first significant poll taken after the March 21 vote (CNN) found sizeable opposition to the legislation:            .

• In fact, the first major poll taken after the March 21 vote suggests a much different picture than what’s being touted by the Tea Party and GOP “leaders” like U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).
• ·         A CNN poll taken a day after the vote found Americans opposed the health-care reform bill by a margin of 59-39 percent.
• ·         Sounds gloomy at first blush, but let’s dig deeper into those numbers.
• ·         Later questions in CNN’s poll reveal that of the 59 percent opposed, 13 percent oppose it because it is “not liberal enough,” to use the poll’s wording. Those people are likely progressives who are upset that a public option wasn’t included in the final version.
• ·         If you add the 39 percent who support the bill and the 13 percent who want it to be more liberal, you end up with 52 percent — a majority who thinks major reforms are necessary and not mere tinkering of the status quo.

That’s a very different take on the CNN poll.  Polls conducted over the past year found a majority of Americans supported a public option (like Medicare and the Veterans Administration Medical Services) or an expansion of Medicare to all age groups.

A CBS News/New York Times poll from the summer of 2009 showed that 72 percent of Americans supported a government-sponsored health-care plan (the public option) to compete with private insurers.  Multiple polls taken last year confirm the strong support for the public option in healthcare reform. 

So why did we not get a public option in the new law? 

Huffington Post Reporter, Mike Mogulescu, confirmed today that President Obama cut secret deals with the pharmaceutical and hospital lobbies last summer. In order to gain their support for health care reform, the President had to agree not to push for a public option.  The New York Times article quoted several White House sources regarding the secret agreement. 

There is hope, however, for the majority of Americans who support a public option in health care reform.  Many House Democrats support it as well.  And they have said they will introduce a public option bill later this year.  President Obama has said he is willing to re-visit the issue.

The majority of Americans who want the public option will be looking for additional legislation this year.