So, it is looking very much like the public option is now going to be put out to pasture unless the insurance companies don’t comply with various rules.
I can’t imagine this will ever ever trigger.
1. If insurance companies don’t comply, we will simply have the same fight all over again with people punching each other in the face.
2. if the public option does need to come into play, it then has to get built and that will take no small amount of time.  And, of course, we’ll be completely unprepared.
3. I have no doubt that there will be a ‘good faith’ clause somewhere in there.  Basically, if the insurance companies TRY and comply, then the public option trigger isn’t invoked.  And, of course, you can’t actually measure ‘good faith’.  The same people who defend insurance companies now will, surely, defend them later.  “Oh, look, they are TRYING to do what we asked but they are only poor defenseless corporations”.  And, if the insurance companies know the problem is coming, it gives them plenty of time to move money around to encourage their congressional champions.