Healthcare making History..

Finally getting around to giving my two-cents on the Historical Healthcare Passing.  You're not going to get a lot of blogs from me regarding politics..as my approach is..if we stop voting..will they all go away?  Nonetheless..this Healthcare thing..is a good thing.  Here's my take..

For 100 years America has been talking about a national health care system. It almost happened under FDR..and then under Truman..and then Kennedy and Johnson talked about it before Johnson decided on Medicare instead. Nixon tried..and of course Clinton. And finally..after a century..the House passage of the Senate health reform bill just now..219 to 212..means that we’re on the eve of quasi-universal health care for the first time.

First..this isn’t my dream plan..and it’s my understanding that it is weaker than the plan that Nixon pursued in the early 1970s. I would love to see a single payer system..something like Medicare for all. But I also think that this will be a considerable help in two important ways..access and cost control. It looks as if it will provide coverage to 30 million people who otherwise wouldn’t have coverage..and underinsurance will probably be less of a problem as well. As for cost control..we’re beginning to see some steps that should over time curb the rise in health care costs (i.e., the Cadillac tax on insurance plans..even if is less than before..and the research on effectiveness of various interventions). In short..it’s not a masterpiece..but it’s better than what we have now.

To me..one of the winners in this was Nancy Pelosi. We’ve had a series of relatively low-key House speakers in recent years..and she came across as quite forceful in this effort. The health bill wouldn’t have passed without her..and it’s her triumph. Could she end up as one of more historic speakers? Sure..a lot of people don’t like her..but they didn’t like “Czar” Joseph Cannon either.

On the politics of this..my instinct is that it may not be as bad for Democrats as people think. Once it’s clear that black helicopters will not immediately whisk away our children..the outrage may die down a bit..and at least Obama won’t seem ineffectual. But while my hunch is that Democrats won’t take the hit some are expecting..I’m not sure about that. What’s your take on that..from wherever your perch is?


Peace out my HALEYUNNS!