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Perhaps the most contentious piece of potential health care legislation facing Congress today - namely the public health insurance plan option - seems to be suffering from a lack of concrete supporters.

According to a recent article by The Wall Street Journal, the public health insurance plan "may be losing momentum in Congress," forcing supporters to fight for it.

The issue is whether or not such an option would drive the private health insurance plan off the market. Opponents argue that with so many perks coming at a better price, no one will want to purchase individual health insurance themselves.

Supporters argue that this would force the private market to offer better coverage at more affordable prices.

Potential solutions include "a network of regional health co-operatives, and a public plan with a "trigger" that would kick in if private insurers fail to cover certain groups."

In other words, only those who are denied coverage for pre-existing conditions could qualify for a "trigger" plan, since a private company isn't likely to take them on.

This, unfortunately, does little to mediate the issue of cost. For those who can't afford coverage there must be an option.

And, as 47 million Americans can attest, there are a lot of people who can't afford a decent health insurance plan right now.