I’ve been on a diet–from the news. Giving my brain and emotions a rest from the constant onslaught of hype, sensationalism, and talking heads spinning round and round.

As a result, I have no idea what has happened thus far with healthcare reform, except for the barest of tidbits that people insist on telling me about. I know that the Senate voted to begin the debate, and current polls say that the public isn’t too excited about the state of affairs. And why should they be? There are 1900 pages of verbosity and who knows what it is hidden in them? What does this bill actually say?

Well, no one seems to know. Most people would like some sort of health reform, but do not like the form that this debate has taken. There are too many secrets, too much verbage, and no clarity. How much will it cost? Will any of us get our money’s worth? Why should we be forced to purchase health insurance, and what kind of insurance is going to be available?

And so on. As I said once before, I could have written this up in 5 pages, clear and concise. Regulate health insurance like a public utility. Give the industry a 5 year period to become all non-profit. Change the design so that the primary concern is for patients and not stockholders.

Anyway, I intend on staying on my news diet until the end of the year.