Las Vegas NowNevada Governor Reacts to Possible Public Option

Nevada Governor Reacts to Possible Public Option

The decision to add a public option onto the health care reform bill is getting mixed reaction on Capitol Hill. While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added the public option into the bill, he did offer a provision that would allow states the ability to opt out.

Some Democrats are calling the decision bold and gutsy, but moderate Democrats, who could sink the proposal, aren't saying much.

Republicans are still opposed to the public option, saying they feel government competition would drive private companies out of the insurance business.

States having the option to opt out of this plan has Nevada leaders wanting to learn more. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons says it's too early to know if the state will opt into the plan. He says he's open to learning more about this proposal, but can't say yet what this would mean for the Silver State.

"I don't know what the opt out phrase means for the state of Nevada or any other state," he said.

Gibbons isn't quite ready to say what Nevada might do with the proposal of public option. "I think this is a little preliminary. We don't know what the details are. We don't know what that's going to do to Nevada and we need to get that information before we can make a decision," he said.

Senator Reid drafted the latest health care bill that includes a public option. "It's the first big step in making sure the people of Nevada and in this country have a fair playing field -- a level playing field, a reasonable place to go and buy insurance, many different options," he said.

But Reid's plan, states will have a choice if they want to join or not. "Under this concept, states will be able to determine if the public options works well for them and will have the ability to opt out if they so choose," he said.

Governor Gibbons says nothing comes for free and Nevadans may have some tough choices with this latest health care draft. But Gibbons needs more details before any considerations are taken. "You don't know what those details are. As they always say, ‘The devil is in the details,'" he said.