By NYCeve (Eve Gittelson)

First, a huge shout out to Howard Dean for telling the truth about the Baucus Insurance industry Protection Bill.

Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee chairman, minced no words about Sen. Max Baucus‘s healthcare proposal, unveiled to the public this morning. "The Baucus bill is the worst piece of healthcare legislation I’ve seen in 30 years," Dean said last night at a healthcare town hall and book signing in Washington. “In fact, it’s a $60 billion giveaway to the health insurance industry every year,” he said. “It was written by healthcare lobbyists, so that’s not a surprise. It’s an outrage.”

So what exactly are we going to do about the garbage legislation from the Senate Finance Committee?

First we have to deal with the “just pass anything” crowd.

Jay Rockefeller is emerging as an uncompromising healthcare warrior. He’s worried and so am I. Will Democrats redefine down the meaning of reform, snatch an easy victory and present the American people with unacceptable legislation?

Are Democrats dialling down expectations on what can be acheived under the banner of healthcare reform this year? Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) seems to be concerned they are.

Rockefeller emerged from the Senate Democrats’ weekly luncheon Tuesday afternoon, which featured an appearance by President Barack Obama’s communications guru David Axelrod, wondering aloud (perhaps rhetorically) whether the White House’s get-it-done message to Congress wasn’t bold enough.

“David’s in there — Axelrod — saying we’ve got to try to get ‘something.’ So, the new benchmark is, ‘Well, if we can do something, if we can do anything, then we can say we did healthcare reform,’” Rockefeller said.

If this is the plan then, as Dr. Dean has advised, we’ll have our fifty (with Biden), or fifty-one good Democrats, use reconciliation and deliver the American people from this healthcare evil.

The Baucus bill leaves out some of the president’s goals for healthca re reform, such as the controversial public option. While more palatable to Senate moderates, the Baucus proposal also drew criticism from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, who said yesterday he would not vote for it in its current form. “I’m glad Senator Rockefeller is not going to vote for it. I wouldn’t vote for it at all under any circumstances,” Dean added. Instead, Dean said Senate Democrats should and would end up using the reconciliation process to pass a plan with the public option. “It can be done, and that’s how it will be done,” Dean said, pointing out that a majority of Senate Democrats still support a more robust bill.

Americans are dying because for-profit insurers are out-of-control, and getting in what may be their last licks. The refusal to honor contractual obligations has reached epidemic proportions. In California claims denials are running as high as 40%

Just ask the family of 17 year-old Emily Gomez, if we need a public option.

Emily Gomez is fighting for her life, as her parents are fighting with their insurance company to pay for her treatment.

It’s estimated that eleven million Americans suffer from eating disorders, a condition that initially plagues, then kills. Emily Gomez is one of these young Americans dealing with this deadly illness.

Emily started passing out in school and several times she wound up in the hospital. Her doctor said something had to be done — and fast. “Her doctor would look at me and say, ‘You have got to do something and quick. … This child is extremely sick, and if you don’t do something immediately, you’re going to find her dead on the floor,’” Leigh Gomez said.

A team of pediatricians said outpatient care wasn’t enough. They said Emily needed long-term residential treatment.

But that treatment is expensive, ranging from $750 to $1,000 a day. Because Emily was so sick, her parents assumed the treatment would be covered by their insurer, but they were wrong.

“Each time I called, they just said I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do for you,’” Leigh Gomez said.

Like millions of us, survival for the Gomez family comes in the form of a public option. Nothing else matters, nothing else will do.