If They Just Pass The Popular Bits

Benjamin Zycher, writing at NRO's health care blog, outlines what he sees as the next battle:

Dems will now turn to a limited version of health-care legislation designed and labeled as "insurance reform" that is, sharp limitations on underwriting combined with guaranteed-issue and no-cancellation regulations. In other words, no denial of coverage based on medical condition.

This would yield a massive adverse-selection problem: No one would sign up for coverage until they developed expensive medical conditions. Even accident victims would be invited to sign up for "insurance" shifting their known costs onto others as they were wheeled into the emergency rooms. This, of course, would destroy the private-insurance sector, leaving only government to fill the void. Voila! Single-payer by stealth.

As he writes:

Public-opinion polls show overwhelming support for such regulations, and Republicans in Congress would be hard-pressed to oppose them.

In the end, they may realize just how sensible the current Senate bill is. There are some twists and turns in this yet to come.