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Baucus: We can accomplish health care reform ‘without’ public health plan option.

Today, during an event at the Center for American Progress Action Fund about reforming the health care system, ThinkProgress asked Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) if he agreed with Gov. Howard Dean’s (D-VT) argument that the government can’t improve the efficiency and quality of the health care system without giving Americans the choice of enrolling in a new public health care plan:

Let’s see what we come up with. I think we can accomplish the objective [Dean] wants without [a public plan]. We can, we’re going to have to work on it. But we may have to have it, [Dean] may be right. Just don’t know yet.

Watch it:

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The public, however, supports a public option. According to a poll by Lake Research, “73% of voters want everyone to have a choice of private health insurance or a public health insurance plan while only 15% want everyone to have private insurance.” The Wonk Room has more here.