Schism in the Church of Universal Coverage

On the Diane Rehm Show last week, I predicted that all the lovey-dovey coalition-forming by the Church of Universal Coverage would fall apart as soon as people started talking about actual reforms instead of vague principles.

Today, The New York Times reports:

Two labor unions have pulled out of a broad coalition seeking agreement on major changes in the health care system.

The action, by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union, shows the seeds of discord behind the optimistic talk at a White House conference on health care this week.

It also illustrates the difficulty of reaching agreement on two of the knottiest issues in the health care debate: whether to offer a new government-sponsored insurance option, and whether to require employers to help pay for employee health benefits.

I made a similar prediction in this op-ed, where I urged that a new government-sponsored insurance option and mandates are two of three proposals that must be blocked at all costs. The third: price controls.