The Neverending Health Care Debate

If you thought the health care debate amounted to something akin to medieval torture, get ready for another go of it in the Iron Maiden. The health care debate isn't going away. Instead, it will evolve. Instead of debating hypothetical, we'll debate reality. That may be the best thing for the debate. Instead of talking about what may happen, we'll talk about what has happened. For instance everyone from Caterpillar to AT&T has come out to say that the new health care bill will cost them from $100 million next year to $1 billion.

AT&T Inc. will book $1 billion in first-quarter costs related to the health care law signed this week by President Obama, the most of any US company so far.

A change in the tax treatment of Medicare subsidies triggered the noncash expense, and the company will consider changes to the benefits it offers current and retired workers, AT&T said yesterday in a regulatory filing.

Meanwhile, Democrats appear confused by what is in and isn't in the bill. They claimed that children with a pre existing condition will now be covered but it turns out that isn't the case.

As we move forward, the side that wins the debate will be the one that shows the most important tangible effects of the bill. The health care debate will evolve to the tangible effects of the bill.