The Healthcare Horserace began in earnest this weekend with the unveiling of Senator Ted Kennedy’s American Health Choices Act. And, while the temptation is to refer to the national debate unfolding over the future of American healthcare as Obamacare, it is rapidly becoming clear that the new president is little more than a enabler for the Lion of the Senate and his legacy. Of course, Kennedy-Care doesn’t have much of a ring to it, so what do we call it? We’ll get back to you on that. It’s time to get back in the race.
While there are those who question whether the healthcare system should be reformed at all (see Patrick E. Bell’s Cato: Why Doing Nothing Is An Alternative), the consensus is that the healthcare system in this country will undergo major reform before the year is out. The real question seems to be whether the Congressional Democrats will ultimately propose a reformation or a cataclysm? If the bill leaked by Senator Kennedy’s HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Committee accurately reflects the direction we’re heading in, the American healthcare system is about to be broken down and rebuilt like a Marine recruit at Paris Island.
In draft form, the American Health Choices Act is a 167-page bill which provides very few choices. Under Teddycare (this is a work in progress folks, so bear with me), every American will be required to obtain and maintain health insurance - at a level of care and cost which has yet to be determined. That’s right. A debate that began with terms like “universal access” and “choice” with regard to your healthcare future has evolved into universal mandatory participation. Insurance companies must accept any and all applications to their plans by residents of the states in which they operate. Finally, all employers - with the exception of small businesses of a yet to be determined size - are required to provide health insurance for their employees or pay a penalty (a not so fancy stand-in for tax) to the government. So much for choice.
So, what is President Obama’s role in all of this? The enabler-in-chief is charged with using his approval ratings to sell his political mentor’s plan to an unsuspecting public . That means plenty of photo-ops with Kennedy and Senator Max Baucus. It means a weekly radio address where the President continues to promote the concept of reform through talking points. The public aspects of this debate will continue to be about higher quality at lower costs, consumer choice, and budget restraint.
The actual policy will be left to a man who is on the verge of realizing his political destiny. Regardless of your politics, none can question Senator Kennedy’s dedication to social change in this country. Despite his declining health, Kennedy is expected to take the lead in pushing healthcare reform through … as Bully of the Senate if need be.
Tags: American Health Choices Act, Barack Obama, CATO, HELP, Max Baucus, Obamacare, Ted Kennedy, Teddycare, universal mandatory participation
So what’s the alternative? Right now the Dems have a plan, the opposition has nothing. As the Dems learned from 94-06 those with a plan usually win out.
No doubt this bill is a disaster. But no doubt people want change, businesses can’t afford to keep shouldering 20% plus rate hikes, families buying thier own have no security, near 60% of bankruptcies are related to medical costs. The system is dysfunctional and headed for disaster regardless. So people will naturally move to support anything different, even if they haven’t really read the thing. It’s the way America works.