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Phil Picardi
St. Paul, Minn.

Sen. Franken optmistic about progress on health care reform

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DFL U.S. Senator Al Franken says he "feels very good" about the progress of health care reform in the Senate.

Franken said he still favors a government-run health insurance plan known as a "public option" as part of a health care overhaul, but he says a compromise being discussed in the Senate sets up government-negotiated non-profit health plans that would compete with plans from insurance companies.

"We're very close to insuring 31 million more people," Franken said. "We're very close to very big insurance reforms that will create security for people, that will make sure that you can't be prevented from having a policy because you have a pre-existing condition, that you're not going to go bankrupt if you get sick."

Whatever health care overhaul plan the Senate may pass would still need to be reconciled with a House bill that includes a public option.