Former DNC chairman Howard Dean, who has long said the only way to health care reform is through a strong public option, told MSNBC today that even incremental reform could be "worth passing."

Speaking about the House health care bill, Dean said, "I think this is an incremental bill, but as long as it's got some elements of real reform in it, I think it's worth passing."

"When this all comes down, a vote for real reform, which is the public option, means you're on the side of the American people and giving them choices," he said. "A vote against the bill and against the public option means you're in favor of the insurance companies."

In the past, Dean has said that health care reform would be meaningless without a public option.

And the public option in the House bill is less than robust.

But Dean has also said he'd support the opt-out compromise being considered in the Senate, which would let states choose not to participate in a federal public option.

"If this is what it takes to get 60 votes I say go for it," Dean said at the time.