Another reason to pass the health insurance bill
From the USA Today:
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The Senate health care bill betrays the promise of fundamental Though it includes some positive subsidies and regulatory tweaks, the bill creates few mechanisms to halt premium increases, bust insurance monopolies and end price discrimination — and it includes no public insurance option. . . For these reasons, the Senate must vote “no” and start over. . . Notice the loudest argument against that move is procedural, not substantive. . . insisting their bill is our “only hope.” The “only hope” rationale, of course, is an artificially manufactured assumption, not some Law of Nature. . . [AO: A number of arguments against the health insurance bill seem to be premised on what is not included in the bill. Paraphrasing the writer, David Sirota, Congress should start over because Democrats promised more and the current bill does not include all, or at least some, of the important promises Democrats made. As Sirota explains, many counter that this bill is our only hope.” Here’s a suggestion, let’s combine the believe of those who think that we can easily start over with those who think the current bill is our “only hope.” Add to that the recognition that the problem many have with the bill is not what’s in the bill but what’s missing from the bill and voila! I offer a two part health insurance bill. What do I mean you ask? Well, we pass the bill we have (to satisfy the “only hope” camp) then immediately go to work adding the pieces that are missing (to satisfy the “must start over” camp). Think about it this way, if we could pass health insurance reform by next fall by starting over that satisfies those who what to start over, we can have that same outcome by passing the current bill and immediately going to work to add the missing pieces. Indeed, my recommended approach might take less time to have all the pieces passed into law. Moreover, it satisfies a significant number of people who want the current version passed plus it hedges against the possibility that by not passing the current bill and starting over we may end up with no reform at all for the foreseeable feature. What says you? ] |
Read the full opinion HERE.
