The health care reform law that's now emerged as such a pivotal part of our collective future came about as a way to expand coverage and help control costs.
(I know, there's no way it can do both – especially as it's written now, but I've already beaten that death-paneled horse.) There's little question we've expanded (or will expand) coverage. Mission accomplished, as our last president once proclaimed. We'll see an almost-unprecedented leap in the number of insured over the next half decade.
Problem is, it couldn't come at a worse time. The market might be bouncing along now, but the dollar's falling faster than offshore drilling prospects. And our debt continues to balloon faster than a college freshman.
The latest drop in the bucket is the $5 billion the administration dropped yesterday to cover health care costs for early retirees. The temporary program is meant to stem the tide of companies running away from employer-sponsored health care, closing the Medigap, or at least slapping a Band-Aid on it.
It's a noble effort, but there's also an obvious PR angle here, with the administration hoping this helps sway a still-unconvinced public. And, honestly, this fix was long overdue. But, again, the timing couldn't be worse.
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