Senate Democrats were forced to make concessions to some of their members and to Independents, the most significant being the elimination of a government-run insurance option to compete with private companies whose practices have been the focus of sharp criticism for decades.

VOA: standard.2009.12.25

Legislation that the president and his fellow Democrats want to pass by the end of the year would create a government health insurance option to compete with private insurers, require all individuals to have health insurance and mandate employers to provide it.

VOA: standard.2009.07.21

But labor unions and progressive groups tried to defeat her for opposing a "public option."

VOA: special.2010.06.12

You have the option of just eating one." Kristi Cunningham says she and Sam Whitfield hope to expand Curbside Cupcakes within Washington and to surrounding areas.

VOA: special.2010.04.12

But there is strong resistance in the Senate to a public option.

VOA: special.2009.11.13

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called a strong public option "essential" for any bill to pass in the House.

VOA: standard.2009.09.10

Hundreds of electric utility companies are trying to burnish their green credentials by offering customers the option of supporting alternative energy.

VOA: standard.2010.03.23

Reid said that the legislation he is proposing would allow states not to participate in the public option.

VOA: standard.2009.10.26

Another option,he says, is to put the waste aside and dispose of it properly when resources are available.

VOA: standard.2010.08.05

"I would promote this place to any young person that wanted to change themselves and find another option."

VOA: standard.2010.04.29

"I believe that a public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system,"

VOA: standard.2009.10.26

James has the option of remaining in his home state with the Cavaliers, or switching to another team.

VOA: standard.2010.07.08

Conservative Democrats and most Republicans are skeptical of a public option, saying it would lead to nationalized health care in the United States.

VOA: standard.2009.10.26

"And the message to every country, I think,is that doing nothing is no longer an option."

VOA: standard.2009.03.25