Universal Coverage's Mavericks

The result -- as Wyden cheerfully acknowledges -- would be to blow up the existing health insurance system.

To that explosive end, Wyden has visited 70 of his colleagues to sell the Healthy Americans Act. He is aiming for all 99. He checks in almost weekly with such players as Andy Stern of the Service Employees International Union, Safeway chief executive Steve Burd and Todd Stottlemyer of the National Federation of Independent Business, the influential small-business lobby.

"He's the Energizer Bunny," says Stottlemyer, whose group hasn't endorsed the measure. "What he's showing is that you can actually, even in a presidential election year like this one, coalesce both Democrats and Republicans around a proposal."

Some of them, anyway. An analysis by the Lewin Group, a consulting firm, found that, even as coverage expanded, the plan would slightly reduce national health spending by lowering administrative costs and increasing competition (read: lower profits for insurance companies and providers). Employers would save money overall, but families earning more than $40,000 a year would end up paying more on average.

Harry and Louise might have something to say about that. Then again, last time around, Harry and Louise didn't have to reckon with Ron and Bob.

marcusr@washpost.com