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There has been such a huge fixation on both the public option and the individual mandate that most people seem to have the ignored fact that the totally uncontroversial parts of Obama's plan will completely revolutionize the system. Even if the public option and the individual mandate remain dead for all time, the remaining parts of the proposal will still give us the most sweeping healthcare reform the country has ever seen. There are a number of things already embraced by most Republicans which will be real game-changers.
1) Creation of a national health insurance exchange to allow individuals and small businesses to buy coverage across state lines.
2) Large new tax credits for individuals and businesses who buy coverage.
3) Ending discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.
4) Prohibiting insurers from cancelling coverage when people get sick.
5) Eliminating the current practice of charging people extra fees for preventive care.
6) Capping total out-of-pocket costs to individuals so that getting treatment won't drive people into bankruptcy.
7) Closing the "donut-hole" gap in prescription drug coverage.
8) Taking up medical malpractice reform at the federal level. Until now, it's always been done piecemeal on a state-by-state basis with many states doing little to curb lawsuit abuse.
When the Democrats finally realize that the public option and the individual mandate are not going to pass in this Congress they will drop them so they can get all these other changes passed. Most Republicans in Congress support the reforms listed above. These things are not small potatoes. It will happen before the fall elections.
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