It’s magic. Not only does the recently passed health care reform cover more people, it cuts deficits too.
Ha! You know it, I know, we all know it: Major government entitlement programs always end up costing far, far more than their original advocates claim.
Or should we just trust trust the reform’s advocates no matter what past experience and rational accounting say?
Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn turned to MSNBC to explain all about how Obamacare would slash the deficit. “We’re extending the life of Medicare by nine years, and if you’re taking the waste, fraud and abuse out of this, the savings that you get there will come as things grow. Savings will grow.”
Ah, waste! Fraud! Abuse! Politicians love such talk, at least until the waste and fraud gets renamed “stimulus spending.”
Then Clyburn said: “You look at the community health centers. Savings will grow more in out years than in the first few years. So I believe — well, that’s my assessment, and that’s the way I’m explaining it to members. I hope I’m right.”
So there is hope.
Also, 32 million people will be coming into insurance plans and out of emergency rooms. (Unless there’s an emergency.) Also, Clyburn’s wife had bypass surgery and the bill included $15 for an aspirin. What we must understand is that the new command-and-control regime will “build savings into the system.”
Could what this third-ranking House Democrat really be trying to say is that he has no idea what he’s talking about?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.