The legislation really would protect millions of Americans from medical bankruptcy. It really would insure tens of millions of people. It really will curb the worst practices of the private insurance industry. It really will expand Medicaid and transform it from a mish-mash of state regulation into a dependable benefit. It really will lay down out-of-pocket caps which are a lot better than anything people have today. It really will help primary care providers, and it really will make hospitals more transparent, and it really will be a step towards paying for quality rather than volume.
To put it more starkly, it really will be the most important progressive policy passed since Lyndon Johnson.
Klein goes on to outline what’s not-so-great about Baucus’ proposal, but his starting focus on that proposal’s merits — from a Progressive point-of-view — is noteworthy. Pending the impact (if any) of Obama’s much-anticipated speech tonight, Klein’s bottomline-read of Baucus’ proposal might be an early sign of a retrenchment among Progressives re: what’s acceptable.