a sharp line being drawn by the health insurance lobby against talk in Democratic circles

Hillary Clinton is not even president and there is already a sharp line being drawn by the health insurance lobby against talk in Democratic circles of her proposal to make a public insurance option available through the public exchanges. Stung by the exit of so many large carriers from the exchanges, most notably Aetna Inc.'s departure from most of its marketplaces for 2017 after the company said it would do the opposite, Senate Democrats have recently circulated a non-binding resolution to amend the ACA and create a public option. What form this public option would take is a mystery, as it is in Clinton's campaign platform.

The Senate resolution spearheaded by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has 33 co-signers and declares support "to build on the ACA by ensuring that, in addition to the coverage options provided by private insurers, every American has access to a public health insurance option which, when established, will strengthen competition, improve affordability for families by reducing premiums and increasing choices, and save American taxpayers billions of dollars." Media reports said that after the Merkley push became public, industry lobbyists worked as

sociation members to call lawmakers and object to the plan, even if a public option has zero chance of being enacted with the current Congress led by Republican majorities in the House and Senate.