The irony of health care reform

During the protracted health care reform dabates, nothing made quite as much sense to me as simply expanding Medicare and making it Medicare-for-all. It works, it is efficient, most people like it.

The only problem is that it costs a whole lot of money. But that's not the issue that makes it ironic. Health care is going to cost a whole lot of money, regardless of who pays for it.

So, what's this irony?

It has been firmly established (although libertarians still oppose it) that Medicare is constitutional. That is, having a single payer, government sponsored health care program that is paid for by taxes.

Fine. We'll concede (not agreeing, just making a tactical move) that we can't force people to buy health insurance. And, in return, then you have to agree to a single-payer, taxpayer funded, Medicare for All type of system.

We liberals/progressives get what we wanted in the first place.

Ralph