Toothless Reform

Massachusetts Health Insurance Reform......a page out of the Newt Gingrich playbook for health care reform(AFL-CIO) or the Wile E. Coyote-Acme Rocket plan or just "Toothless Reform"?

It's all so hard to figure, isn't it? According to an official statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney regarding recent Massachusetts healthcare reform legistlation, the "legislation leaves middle-income families dangling without a safety net, jeopardizes families who currently have employer-sponsored health care, and gives employers a free ride ........a page out of the Newt Gingrich playbook for health care reform".

We just wonder exactly what is contained in the final signed version. While everyone pontificates over the broader ideological strokes, it's usually the fine print that kills the cat.

One thing we know, the final veto version denies dental coverage ($75M) to adult Medicaid recipients because, "it provides a service not offered by most Massachusetts employers", Governor Romney aptly (HUH?) noted. That gets right to the vanilla core of real healthcare reform issues. Call it "Toothless Reform" , if you will.

Newt, you're off the hook, 'cause maybe, this is a page out of the Wile E. Coyote 'Acme Rocket' playbook for healthcare reform? One thing for sure, if you want real reform, follow the money trail. Where it leads is where the real balance of power and core reform issues reside.