Bill Nelson: Medicare buy-in is “going to be a non-starter”

Sen. Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, in an interview with Fox’s Martha Maccallum:

NELSON: I’m lukewarm on it, because I think when we get the score back from the CBO that it’s going to be too costly, and I think to the individuals — remember these are uninsured folks that you’re trying to get insured — and for them to buy into this Medicare, I think would be expensive for them. So, at the end of the day, I think it’s going to be a non-starter.

With the skepticism of Lieberman, Snowe, and now Bill Nelson -- not to mention Landrieu and Lincoln -- how realistic is Medicare buy-in? Obviously, Bill Nelson thinks it's close to being DOA. And if it is DOA,  is there any way of creating the competition needed to justify the health insurance mandate other than switching gears and using reconciliation? Or are people really ready to accept legislation that does nothing whatsoever for anybody to create competition and control costs?