A stupid idea we will probably emulate

The latest big-government idea out of Cincinnati, a plan to offer "free" health insurance to the working poor will probably be successful.

That would be "successful" in the sense that it will gain positive media coverage for politicians, spend ever-increasing budgets, and cause more dependency as it gets bigger.

It's called CincyCare:

"CincyCare will provide primary care, a prescription drug benefit, and care coordination for 2,000 workers in Cincinnati who need affordable healthcare, but currently are not eligible. Best of all, this program will come free of charge to participating employers. Employees will only pay a standard $10 co-payment for doctor visits, otherwise there are no enrollment or ongoing costs to them."

The city has already committed $1.2 million to the plan for the next two years. There are plans to expand covered services -- which currently don't include hospital stays. Anyone who works in a Cincinnati business, meets income guidelines, and doesn't already qualify for government coverage is eligible for this program. That is the part that will come back to bite them later on.