The proposed Medicare extension making the rounds in the Senate is "an idea worth consideration," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters at his weekly press briefing Tuesday.
It was not an endorsement of the extension proposal, which would allow Americans aged 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare coverage for a premium, as a replacement for the public option. A high-ranking Senate Democrat told HuffPost Monday that the actual proposal would not strip out the public option entirely in favor of a Medicare buy-in, but that idea has nonetheless quickly gained steam among some opponents of the public plan.
"I don't want to anticipate what is acceptable or not acceptable on things that are being discussed in the United States Senate," Hoyer said when asked whether the buy-in could fully replace a public plan open to all ages. "There's a lot being discussed."
But, he said, "I think it's an interesting idea," especially if it can get the 60 votes necessary to proceed to a final vote in the Senate.
The House Majority Leader expressed his admiration for his Senate counterpart, Harry Reid (D-Nev.), in continuing to work through this latest in a long series of compromise options.
"I congratulate him for the extraordinary, herculean efforts that he is making to bring 60 votes together to get something done in the United States Senate," Hoyer said. "So I think that's an idea worth consideration."
At least one leading House Democrat, however, is unwilling to consider an end to the public option. Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said in a Tuesday statement that Reid and the White House have already compromised too much.
"We need strong leadership so close to the finish line, not efforts to water down a bill to the breaking point in a misguided attempt to win votes that were never there," Grijalva said.