Devils in ACA Details

Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.

W.S. Gilbert (1836-1911) The Mikado II

ACA’s devil is presence or absence of detail.

One detail was passage with this sad tale,

It was either Dem “head”or GOP “tail”.

That stuck in the Republican entrail.

Another detail was the money trail,

It would cost $2 trillion, succeed or fail.

Cost was proving to be a coffin nail.

For the public cost was beyond the pale,

When they received cancellations in the mail,

And premiums their new plans would entail.

Then there was another troublesome detail,

That might cause or make it go off the rail.

When ACA health exchanges went up for sale,

IRS ruled subsidies could go in federal pail,

But law said just states could get subsidy bail.

What to do? The ACA was the Holy Grail.

To make law work required a judicial sale,

But what if that sale would be to no avail,

Then it was likely Obamacare would derail.

And no one to the Chief would Hail.

And to the Chief no one would likely Hail