Individual Taxes: TaxVoxAs rhetoric, President Obama’s speech last night was an A+. As policy, it was the clearest description we’ve yet heard of what he really wants. As a step towards getting a bill passed...we’ll see. Here are some thoughts about what the President said. After a summer of confusion, Obama told us what he wants health reform to look like: Everyone would be able to buy insurance at a reasonable price, regardless of health status; everyone would have to purchase coverage; government subsidies would be available to help many (though not all) of the uninsured buy coverage; and any bill would be fully funded. This is insurance restructuring, not system reform. Still, if Washington can pull it off, it would be a very impressive achievement.
September 10, 2009Howard Gleckman