Posted by Nicholas Beaudrot of Electoral Math
One of the side benefits of the state-by-state advancement of health care legislation is that it will further complicate the crazy-quilt of health care legislation, hopefully increasing the number of businesses who would prefer are more uniform national solution [Ezra pointed this out over at the The American Prospect, and at Healthy Policy Kate Steadman alluded to this possibility]. In addition, specific bills like Maryland's "get Wal-Mart" legislation will give large companies a reason to come out in favor of expanded access to public-sector insurance. Wal-mart knows that once a state-run medical agency is in place, it will never disappear; the only questions are eligibility and funding. Without truly universal coverage at least at the state level, Walmart is now at a competitive disadvantage compared to smaller business who don't pay into Medicaid yet still skimp on employee benefits, so it has some incentive to push for a solution that forces all taxpayers -- businesses or companies -- to pay for health care in a more equitable fashion.
