Mitt Romney trotted out that old argument about the Affordable Care Act being too long when trying to explain the differences between Massachusetts health reform and Obama’s law on NBC’s Today Show:
ROMNEY: I understand there are a lot of people who would like me to get up and say it was a terrible, boneheaded idea, it was a terrible mistake and we are all entitled to mistakes. The only problem is it wouldn’t be honest. we solved a serious need that existed in our state.
Q: President Obama can’t wrap his arms around you tightly enough. He said RomneyCare inspired ObamaCare.
ROMNEY: If I become president, I will repeal ObamaCare. My bill was 70 pages. His is over 2,000. He’s doing a lot of stuff that’s devastating to the health care system in this country. He’s wrong.
Watch it:
Despite the disparity in length, the two laws are very similar in how they try to expand access to health care and some of those extra pages in the ACA are devoted to controlling health care spending — something Romney didn’t include in his 2006 law:
Major ProvisionsAffordable Care ActMass. Health LawIndividual MandateYesYesEmployer ResponsibilityYes — but not required to provide coverageYes — required to provide coverageAffordability CreditsYesYesStandard Benefit PackageYes — w/o abortion servicesYes — w/ abortion servicesEstablishes ExchangesYesYesProhibits Insurance Company From Canceling Coverage YesYesBans Denying Medical Coverage For Pre-existing ConditionsYesYesMedicaid ExpansionYesYesMedicare CutsYesNo Authority