It Better Not Suck

Many thanks to my friend, Y., a frequent reader who rarely comments. We had an e-mail exchange earlier today on health care reform. It helped me clarify what's pissing me off so much.

Early on, there was talk of putting Teddy Kennedy’s name on the final version of the upcoming health care reform legislation. In response, Bob Ceska wrote a Huffington Post piece with the perfect headline:

Healthcare Reform Named After Ted Kennedy Must Not Suck

The current bill is way overdue, but it won’t be worthy of Teddy's monicker. It goes a long way, but it doesn’t get all the way to the finish line on:

• Universal health coverage for all who reside within our borders
• Universal, hassle-free portability
• Mental health parity
• Effective pharmacuetical price controls
• Universal access to the full range of contraceptive, family planning, abortion, and reproductive health care services.
• Universal access to medical marijuana.

Oops, I got carried away.

Strike bullet number six. At least if you’re going to quote me.