First, the private insurance system has already failed. We should not be rewarding that failure with a continued monopoly on health insurance. Second, if we all agree that a) choice is good, and b) a public option decreases costs for both itself and private insurance (due to competition) then that means it would save us the most money to have it from the beginning, and every day it is postponed is just money wasted. Third, the worst situation would be exactly what the insurance companies are pushing for: a mandate that everyone buy insurance without also providing a public option, because since we’d still have to subsidize low income people’s policies it amounts to a wealth transfer from the taxpayers directly to private business, when a public option could deliver the same or better care cheaper, and any plan that includes any kind of public offering (even just a so-called trigger) is also going to include a mandate — so we need the public option available on day one.

It’s nice to say that Snowe is “looking for ways to make it work” but it sure seems like she’s looking to protect the profits of WellPoint and Aetna (who make up 88% of the Maine insurance market) instead of making sure people can have the affordable health coverage that they deserve.