Kennedy-Dodd Health Care Plan Cheaper, Covers More People

So we're going to go with the cheaper, more effective health care plan? That's just crazy enough to work.

Fester at Newshoggers explains why the Congressional Budget Office's new score of this version of the bill is going to be very helpful politically:

The real value of this CBO score with the complete HELP framework including the public option and the employer mandate is that it is a cudgel against the 'centrist' Democrats who don't want the public option overtly because it is 'too expensive' and potentially because it is a threat to major local employers and campaign contributors of regionally dominant health insurance providers. The public option is the best means of cost control and doing without it means a weaker bill for significantly more cost.

According to an AP report--and I do not trust the AP one little bit--this plan will fine people who do not get coverage.