Dean: Hudson ruling doesn't threaten health reform

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from Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/12/14/928990/-Dean:-Hudson-ruling-doesnt-threaten-health-reform


Tue Dec 14, 2010

On Monday's broadcast of Countdown, Keith Olbermann and Howard Dean reviewed the litany of problems with Henry Hudson's health care law ruling, starting Hudson's investment in a Republican political consulting firm that includes as clients Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli who filed the lawsuit upon which Hudson ruled.

Dean argued that Hudson's ruling was basically irrelevant, pointing out that the judge found the individual mandate was severable from the rest of the legislation and arguing that it wasn't essential for health care reform to work because there are other ways to prevent free riders. For example, Dean said there could be enrollment periods for health care plans, and that anyone who doesn't enroll during an enrollment period would be responsible for all health costs incurred outside the enrollment period. He acknowledged that mandates were a more effective way of preventing free riders, but his point was that it would be possible to make the bill work even in the unlikely scenario that Hudson's ruling is upheld.


read transcript: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/12/14/928990/-Dean:-Hudson-ruling-doesnt-threaten-health-reform