Hoyer: House bill could shed public option

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A public health insurance option may have to be axed from the U.S. House healthcare bill so it can pass, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday.

Hoyer's position conflicts with that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who has said a robust public plan is crucial for any healthcare reform package to pass the House, The Hill reported.

"In the final analysis, we have to see what will pass," said Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat. "If the public option wasn't in there, I still could support it, because I think there's a lot in there that's good."

Even without a public health insurance option, Hoyer said, critical changes can be made to the U.S. healthcare system, such as capping out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and improving access to insurance.

Hoyer's remarks came the same day that Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., healthcare point man for the fiscally conservative "Blue Dog Coalition," withdrew his support of a public option he and several other Blue Dog Democrats reached as a compromise that helped get the bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee.