One of the topics I’ve been covering regularly at Washington Monthly has been the politics of health care reform above and beyond the disposition of “ObamaCare” by the Supreme Court, which is likely to be announced in the next two weeks.
If the Court does strike down or disable the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, then the GOP’s alleged “replacement” plans will get considerable attention. And it’s important for Democrats to understand that Mitt Romney’s overall health care agenda–including his endorsement of the Ryan Budget and of legislation designed to disable state insurance regulation–would represent a large step back from the health care status quo ante, which would be bad enough for many millions of Americans.
Moreover, Romney’s claims to support “popular” reforms associated with ObamaCare, such as the prohibition of exclusions for pre-existing conditions, are completely bogus.
The stakes in November with respect to health care cost, coverage and quality go well beyond the simple yes-or-no questions about ObamaCare. It will represent a choice between a systematic effort to create a rational system of universal access to affordable health insurance, and a big step back towards the 1950s.