Evaluating Health Care Reform With Obama’s Own Words
So, beyond the policy proposals and the delivery mechanics and the existence of public plans, I’ll be evaluating the bill according to three principles:
1. When this plan goes into effect, will it bring an end to the battles that health insurance consumers must wage to retain their coverage, or will the practice of rescission continue?
2. When this plan goes into effect, will it bring an end to the long-term, intractable debt that millions of hard-working Americans incur, simply because they get sick, get injured and grow old?
3. When this bill is signed into law, will Obama truly be in the position to say he’ll be the last president to “take up the cause,” or will it be obvious that we’ve only kicked the can down the road, and that more needs to be done?
In truth, the way I see things shaping up, I don’t believe that the eventual reform legislation will achieve any of these things. At the same time, I think that if it makes it to Obama’s desk, he’s going to sign it. But, pursuant to the cause of Not Kidding Ourselves, he’d better not call it a victory. I think that anyone who believes that the enactment of legislation that fails to achieve these three key goals is some sort of astounding historical achievement, worthy of pomp and ceremony, better curb their enthusiasm.
(Via Huffington Post)
