James Fallows of the Atlantic Monthly is one of our more astute observers. This is his nutshell view of the real meaning of the health care vote:
...the significance of the vote is moving the United States FROM a system in which people can assume they will have health coverage IF they are old enough (Medicare), poor enough (Medicaid), fortunate enough (working for an employer that offers coverage, or able themselves to bear expenses), or in some other way specially positioned (veterans; elected officials)... TOWARD a system in which people can assume they will have health-care coverage. Period.
Uh, no. It moves us to a system where people are obligated to buy private insurance, if they can afford it or if they qualify for government handouts to buy it. That creates an "assumption" that people have health care insurance, I guess, although that assumption won't be true for millions, but I'm not inclined to make a big fuss over it.
(It's just as easy to say that this bill moves us toward a system where abortion is no longer covered for all women, not only the poor who can't afford insurance. Is that so great?)
This bill was a partisan victory for the Dems and it was good news for Obama. It's too soon to say how things will work out for everyone else. Maybe it's a step forward to something better. Maybe not. We'll find out.
Posted by: Hypatia | March 31, 2010 at 12:09 PM
You're more skeptical than even me! I think it's a big step in that a certain principle is established, but I'm bothered, as you are, at the bonanza for insurance companies.
This bill is a lot like the Republicans put forward back in the early 90's, and it's not near as good as the proposal by Nixon in the early 70's--course he was forced into it, but we should have taken him up on it anyway. Some say that Ted Kennedy regretted it later.
Posted by: John Petty | March 31, 2010 at 08:48 PM