A little known provision of the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) is that states would have the right to opt out entirely if they could find innovative ways to reach the same cost and coverage objectives. Most people, myself included, don't like individual mandates. (The idea of individual mandates came from the Heritage Foundation in the '90s as a conservative alternative to Hillarycare.) I want single payer or at least a public insurance option. The opt out clause opens up the opportunity for individual states to develop those types of systems.

The problem, individual mandates go into effect 2014. Opting out doesn't kick in until 2017. That was part of the sausage making process. Now, senators Ron Wyden (D-OR)and Scott Brown (R-MA)have introduced a bill that would move that opt out date forward to 2014.

The sheer beauty of this idea is that it appeals to everyone! Conservatives claim to want more power for the states and to let them decide how to handle healthcare, rather than a huge federal government. :-) The liberals love it because they want single payer or a public insurance option. Blue states and red states can do whatever they want, again, as long as they meet coverage and cost targets. The whole country can watch the different results.