"Mission Accomplished"?
Here is one timeline for the many actions needed to implement the new health care reform law.
No one would contend that the new law provides a "turnkey" solution to changes in the health care system. There will be scores of new government commissions and panels that will be set up, major new regulations promulgated, and systems developed for coordination with state regulatory bodies and legislative action. It is likely that every step along this path will be a contested battle, as it seems clear that this law is a incubator for unintended consequences, and there is a strong public opposition to the centralized regulation of health care in Washington. It would be premature to start hanging any "Mission Accomplished" banners on health care reform.
Every time I hear a politician in Washington praise this law for "cutting" the deficit by $130 Billion over ten years and saving money on Medicare, I wonder if that politician will be voting against the "physician fix" that takes back over $250 Billion in the hoped for savings under the new law and thereby results in a net increase in the deficit over that ten year period.
Update: Another timeline here.
