Health care more expensive, covers not many more people

So why are we doing it? Obviously, as Obama said, the Dems are passing health reform because it is the most "politically rewarding" of any action they can take, and that's a quote. IOW, they can get more power from this single act than anything else. Just be sure to declare yourself a "Democrat" if you want to get health care.

Take the "individual mandate," which would legally require everyone to buy insurance starting in 2013 or face a fine. Proponents claim that such a mandate is necessary to draw young, healthy people into the insurance pool, and so help bring down premiums for the old and sick, many of whom may not be able to find affordable coverage -- or so the argument goes.

If Congress is going to force everyone to get insurance, it should also do its best to make sure that policies are affordable. Naturally, the Senate package does the opposite. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that individual insurance premiums would be 10 to 13 percent higher under the Senate bill than in the absence of reform.