Public option hits a wall in blue states

This was supposed to be the year blue states created government-run health insurance plans, after health care-fueled midterm election victories. But legislation around the country to craft a so-called public option — a longtime progressive goal — has stalled over political and financial roadblocks, underscoring the challenge of creating coverage expansions even less comprehensive than the "Medicare for All" plan championed by Democratic presidential contenders and progressives in Congress.