I have an idea: When we realize we have a debilitating problem with our health care system and our medical bills are causing families to go bankrupt, why don’t we draft a reform proposal that actually does nothing to reform the system, but includes a procrastination clause that states that maybe later when the insurance industry is not sticking to their promises and millions of Americans are still uninsured and bankrupt- we might then decide to provide a solution. That way we can call it reform but really it’s just delay and avoidance. Sounds good right?

Well I can’t take credit because I didn’t come up with the idea – the conservatives and health insurance executives concocted that brilliant proposal. Yes, this ridiculous scheme – a fall back option for the public health insurance plan – actually does exist. It’s called the “trigger” and it is quickly spreading through Congress.

A public health insurance plan, either in the form of Medicare or an insurance pool that provides a choice of coverage for all Americans, has been the main topic of discussion in the health care reform debate thus far (unfortunately more progressive options such as single-payer health care are just getting laughed off of the stage by industry and conservatives – but hey, maybe one day we will get there.) The “trigger” is basically a way to kill the public health insurance option before it even gets out of the gate. The proposal calls for a public option to kick in a few years down the road, only if “triggered” – in others words, when private insurance companies fail to bring down health care costs and expand coverage. Well, we all know that in legislative terms “a few years” means never and that the private industry has already failed at cutting costs and expanding coverage. So why delay the inevitable need for a real solution?

But there is hope for health care reform, in fact, President Obama is not backing off of his stance for a public health insurance option. The President met with a group of senators last Tuesday and wrote a letter to Senators Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Baucus (D-Mont.), both chairmen on the leading health reform committees, that was wrought with a sense of urgency and insistence on a public choice for all Americans. See a clip from the letter below:

I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest.

Also many Americans nationwide have been showing their support for strong health care reform, during the Organizing for America Health Care Kick-Off of house parties and town hall meetings this past weekend, and the upcoming Health Care for America NOW National Rally & Lobby Day where thousands will gather on June 25 to demand health care reform.

However, there is still strong opposition from the GOP in Congress . A group of Republican Senators, including the top Republican member on the Senate Finance Committee, Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), just sent a letter to Obama declaring their opposition to a government-run plan.

The insurance industry is also continuously expressing their opposition to a public option (not surprisingly, since their profits will be compromised.) The lovely Conservatives for Patients Rights (CPR), headed by the fraudulent former insurance executive Rick Scott, has been airing new fear-mongering ads every other week; just last weekend NBC aired a 30-minute infomercial from CPR that was filled with false claims and conveniently omitted information on Rick Scott’s sketchy past.

So despite support from our President and many of our citizens, we have to remain concerned and engaged in the pressing issue of a public option in health care reform. The devious Trojan horse that is the trigger proposal is threatening real reform, but Senator Kennedy is drafting strong legislation that resembles the universal health care plan adopted in Massachusetts, mandating all Americans to have insurance and opening Medicaid to those in poverty, and not making room for a silly trigger. We should see this legislation by next week.

We know the issue of health care is complex, but it is vital in restoring our economy, our health and our future. All you have to do is simple: Let Congress know you want real reform and that you are not going to be fooled into supporting some trigger-happy, false solution.