The Health Plan No One is Debating

Today, I found a piece on the Wall Street Journal website that mentioned a health plan that we all have missed. You can read about it at http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=674. It is a nice description of the proposed legislation. The proposal is bipartisan. The proposal has been estimated to be budget neutral through 2014. The plan would rely on group insurance and competition but through state level pooling rather than employers. It would even result in 99% of Americans being covered. It has a lot to offer.

However, it may be ignored for several reasons. First, neither of the sponsors are really "big name" senators. Second, it is a true overhaul of the current system. Third, despite being a real change, it is not single payer so those who are supporting that approach are not in favor. Even if this quiet little bill were "just right" for the country, it is probably "just wrong" for politics.

It shows how irrational our system of political debate can be.