Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said Tuesday morning in a conference call with Ball State University student media that Senate Democrats have the votes to pass a health care bill with a public option.
Dean also said it's time for the youth demographic to be more involved in the debate.
The statement came before a contentious day on Capital Hill surrounding the issue. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the new chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Tuesday morning he had the necessary votes to pass the public option through the Senate. But, the day concluded with the Senate Finance Committee rejecting two proposals to amend its version of the bill to include a government-run public option.
"I think we have the votes we need," Dean said. " ... As you know, [the public option] is the heart of reform. Without that, you really are just shoveling money into insurance companies. I'm still optimistic that we're going to get real reform this year."
The government-controlled public option has been a heavily debated part of the health care reform bills between mainstream Democrats, Republicans and the fiscally conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats.
The measure sets up a government-controlled and government-run health care choice for uninsured Americans that supporters say would offer premiums up to 20 percent less than private insurance.
Opponents argue the option is a "government take-over of health care" and the price tag on the Congressional bill - more than $1 trillion during 10 years - is too expensive.
This stage of the debate is an optimal time for 18 to 29-year-olds to "flex their muscle," said Robert "Biko" Baker, executive director of the League of Young Voters.
"I don't agree with what some people say about young people not caring about this issue, because from what I've seen, they do," Baker said. "It just took us a while to get our voice out strong. We've done well over the last couple weeks getting out over Twitter and Facebook, but we have to know how to get away from those too."
Experts say young voters may be unwilling to get involved with health care because they feel it doesn't effect them.
Nicknamed "the young invincibles" by insurance companies, 30 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds don't have health insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit organization that tracks health care issues in the United States.
Since young voters show the strongest support of the public option among polling groups, Dean said the Obama administration needs to fully embrace the option so they regain interest in the debate.
"I'm not too sure that some of the folks around [President Obama] have [embraced the public option] and I think that's a problem," Dean said. "The young people are not going to go to the ramparts for health care reform. They are going to go to the ramparts for the President. The President needs to be very clear what's in this bill so that the young people understand it."
That's something sophomore Cody Hager said is causing him and his friends to turn away from the debate. Hager said he was involved with the Obama campaign last October, but admits it's hard to stay involved in the debate's complexities.
Baker said Hager is part of the youth vote that "went to sleep" after the election and health care could be the "issue that wakes them up."
"At the end of the day, the public option is a no-brainer," Baker said. "We have to look at what our financial future looks like and what's most important to us. We have to take control of our destinies."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
