

The Stateists are really, really worried about the fate of ObamaCare. They’ve already started throwing around blame and coming up with excuses, said excuses not including “hey, it was unconstitutional” and “people really, really hated the Mandate.” And they’ve also decided to push something else if Obamacare goes down. Witness Eugene Robinson

In arguments before the Supreme Court this week, the Obama administration might have done just enough to keep the Affordable Care Act from being ruled unconstitutional. Those who believe in limited government had better hope so, at least.

If Obamacare is struck down, the short-term implications are uncertain. Conservatives may be buoyed by an election-year victory; progressives may be energized by a ruling that looks more political than substantive. The long-term consequences, however, are obvious: Sooner or later, a much more far-reaching overhaul of the health-care system will be inevitable.

Our only choice is to try to hold the costs down. President Obama tried to make a start with a modest approach that works through the current system. If this doesn’t pass constitutional muster, the obvious alternative is to emulate other industrialized nations that deliver equal or better health-care outcomes for half the cost.

I’m talking about a single-payer health-care system. If the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare, a single-payer system will go from being politically impossible to being, in the long run, fiscally inevitable.

So, let’s replace an intrusive, overbearing law (Obamacare) ruled unconstitutional and that people really hate with another that is even more intrusive, overbearing, and will lead to rationing, long waits, denial of service for seniors, pain pills instead of surgery, canes instead of knee replacement, and a large percentage take out of our weekly paychecks. I’m sure people would love that even more than Obamacare. How, exactly, would this work? In countries the size of our states, they already have trouble with single payer. Costs are out of control, service is poor, doctors work bankers hours, doctors often leave for greener pastures, the systems are deep in the red, and hospitals are a mess.

It’s hard to tell whether liberals are serious, or just attempting to say to Obamacare haters that there is a law of unintended consequences.

If Obamacare goes down in full due to there being no severability, or the GOP takes over the Senate and White House, and keeps the House, allowing repeal and replacement, some parts of Obamacare that are popular will have to be kept, such as “kids” being able to stay on their parents insurance till age 26, preventative care, no dropping people who get sick, and no denials for pre-existing conditions. That last one is already a part of the GOP plan.

Here’s an interesting by-product if Obamacare goes down either from the Supreme Court or repeal and replace: the takeover of the student loan industry by the federal government, which has already been put in place, will be left in limbo. There’s so much extra crap within the Affordable Care (snicker) Act that it’ll be hard to know where to begin in fixing this mess.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.

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