Today's opinions and editorials

Take This Conservative Argument Seriously Kaiser Health News
When conservatives scream about socialized medicine and death panels, you should tune them out. But lately conservatives have been making an argument you should hear. It's about whether we can believe Congress when it promises to raise taxes or cut spending--and, as such, whether we can believe that health care reform can actually be fiscally responsible (Jonathan Cohn, 11/2).

Hearts, Minds And Health Care The Washington Post
The next health-care fight has already started. It's the battle to define the bill that President Obama will eventually sign as a victory for consumers, taxpayers and the common good (E.J. Dionne, Jr., 11/2).

The Worst Bill Ever The Wall Street Journal
The health bill [Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif,] unwrapped last Thursday, which President Obama hailed as a "critical milestone," may well be the worst piece of post-New Deal legislation ever introduced (11/1).

Insurance Companies Don't Have To Be 'Bad' … The Seattle Times
[T]here's no need to imply that private insurance companies are dishonest. Rather, they're simply not designed to provide the type of low-cost, universal access to basic health-care services that America desperately needs (Matthew McBrady, 11/1).

It's Time Liberals Drop Public Option The Washington Times
It's time for liberals like me, who favor the public option or its functional equivalent, to give up on the idea and move forward to enact historic, landmark national health insurance legislation (Lanny Davis, 11/2).

Hyperbole In The Health Debate The Boston Globe
Indeed, there is no shortage of voices characterizing health insurers as greedy villains. ... To such overheated agitprop, the only useful response is a cold shower of facts (Jeff Jacoby, 11/1).

Mandates and Affordability The New York Times
If Congress approves health care reform, virtually all Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. That raises a fundamental question: Will the policies be affordable? (10/31).

An Antitrust Exemption For Insurers? The Los Angeles Times
The real culprits are federal antitrust authorities, whose approach to health insurance mergers can best be described as supine. In other words, the truly effective antitrust immunity the industry has received has come not from lawmakers but from federal regulators (Michael Hiltzik, 11/2).