Socialised healthcare

I read somewhere that the health care bill was 2400 pages.

Why is it that the media report it as a universal health care package ? Wouldn't that just be a few pages of legislation ?

At 2400 pages, its the mother of all crap sandwiches. There is stuff in the bill forcing restaurant chains (with 20 or more outlets) to put calorie counts on their menus.

But focussing on one of the main points, the bill basically punishes Americans who don't purchase their own home insurance. Here are some lovely examples courtesy of Mike Shedlock's terrific blog:

Example 1:

Had a VERY INTERESTING conversation this evening with a CFO for a local business who employs about 100 people total..

I asked him how this health care bill was going to affect the company he works for.

He told me that he had run the numbers based upon providing health care for all of their employees and realized that he could save the company 1/2 million dollars by just paying the $2000 per employee penalty and not offering any coverage at all.

Example 2:

I ran the same simulation for the company I retired from. As a retiree, I continue to be in their group plan, at my own expense.

They can save $607,000 by terminating the health insurance plan, offset by a fine of $200,000.

One informed commenter sums up:

It is only after this bill is law for 5 or 10 years that we will begin to understand its effects. I believe they will be:

1. Costs far greater than anyone is the Government is letting us know. I challenge to name 3 government programs that cost what the government claimed they would. I can't think of one, except, I think I read, the prescription drug bill.

2. Like Mass. the costs will increase greatly on an annual basis.

3. The quality of medicine will drop drastically. Can you name me a single government program of this size that actually improves anything. Feds got into schools and they got worse, Feds got into energy and the situation is worse.