If there was is anyone in Congress who was still on the fence on the public option surely they aren't now. No one could have made the case better that a public option must be included than the insurance industries themselves yesterday when they said that if the current health bill in the Senate passes that premiums will go up. They argue that premiums will have to go up in order to maintain their profits.

I'd just like to personally say thank you to Karen Ignagni over at AHIP.org for reinforcing to the American people that without a public option to keep the insurance companies in check that premiums will go up. Of course I think that most Americans already knew that without Ms Ignagni telling us again yesterday. But still, thanks again to Ignagni for telling us again.

I think we all know that the best way to cut costs of anything is to cut out as many middlemen as possible. I have believed and continue to believe that it's just a matter of time before we as a society finally realize that the insurance companies do nothing to help in providing  health care in America except drive the cost up by them being one extra stop between and ill American and the American getting care.

I don't think it's a matter of if but a matter of when the last health insurance company in America exists. At least for basic care. There may continue to be a few that would provide insurance for some type of above and beyond premium cutting edge or experimental care but in the future about 95% of health care in America will not involve a private health insurance company.

Very simple. The government will collect the money needed for health care either through premiums or taxes or both and the single payer system will then be in effect and it will be that way for the rest of the life of our nation. We must not forget that this is not just a financial issue it is also a moral issue.

Let me just also add that health care costs can't be brought down simply by a better and more efficient system of collections and payments. Bringing down health care costs will also have to involve a renewed effort in America to have a healthier population. Programs and initiatives to encourage better fitness, better diets and less stressful lifestyles.

Yes, lowering health care costs I believe will be about a 50/50 effort with half going toward a better system of fixing and paying for sickness and half going toward initiatives of preventing sickness in the first place. But first things first, and right now that is a major reform of the health care system in America. I think it will happen. I think it's about to happen. It's the primary reason I donated about 20 hours a week to Obama's presidential campaign and I hope I'm not disappointed.

One more thing. I promise this is the last. It doesn't take 60 votes to get a public option. It merely takes 60 votes to end discussion on a pending bill. I have to believe that there has to be a handful of Senators who even they they may not vote for the public option they still will have the decency to not vote to prevent the bill going to a vote. When that happens we only need 51. Actually only 50 because I kind of have a hunch in the case of a tie that the public option can count on Joe Biden voting yea.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos