The elephant in the waiting room

No matter what you think of the obstructionist self-interest of Bob Greczyn and the leadership at Blue Cross Blue Shield, those guys aren't stupid.

A significant flaw in the proposed Senate bill, Greczyn said, is that the penalties for those who choose not to buy insurance - $95 the second year and eventually up to $750 - aren't strong enough to compel people to buy coverage.

Greczyn said he suspects that many younger, healthier people won't purchase health insurance because the penalty pales compared to premiums.

"My guess is that, no matter what passes, you're going to have Health Care Reform II, you're going to have Health Care Reform III, because we're going to get into the implementation of this and we're going to find out that some of these things just ain't gonna work, and then we'll have to fix them," Greczyn said.

I wonder who he means when he says we'll have to fix them?

The only reform that wouldn't require this kind of unproductive cat and mouse game for the next hundred years would be straight-up single payer. Bob knows that, and so does everyone else with half a brain. Which is why it'll never happen. Corporate self interest is the most powerful force in America today.