The New Health Dialogue

We've told you until we're blue in the face about the cost of doing nothing. Now it's the Wall Street Journal's David Wessel's turn:

"Barring a political miracle, we're going to learn the cost of doing nothing -- nothing significant to restrain health-care cost increases, nothing to prod the health-care system to produce more benefit for each dollar it takes, nothing to expand health-insurance coverage.

'Failure to enact health reform will result in increasing numbers of people without health insurance because fewer employers will offer it and many employees will not be able to pay the cost of plans that are available,' predicts Stephen Zuckerman, a health economist at Washington's Urban Institute think tank. (Click here for Urban's scenarios on the cost of  inaction -- including 66 million uninsured a decade from now.)

'For people not offered employer coverage, many will not be able to get coverage due to pre-existing conditions that insurers won't cover or because premiums simply won't be affordable. Even people with coverage will find costs becoming a greater financial burden,' he said. And all of us -- employers, workers and taxpayers -- will spend ever more on health care.'"

Wessel's point is underscored by today's release of the CMS report on U.S. health care spending. As Wessel said, "The numbers are so large they're hard to grasp." But for a quick rundown, check out our post here.

There is of course an alternative to doing nothing -- don't give up on comprehensive reform.