CHICAGO – Let's recap: We received a massive – and still largely undefined – body of health care legislation earlier this year to expand health insurance coverage while holding down costs.

So imagine my confusion as I look through the week's headlines while waiting for an all-too-early flight back home.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs off on a pair of bills to expand coverage to between 25,000 and 30,000 Californians whose pre-existing conditions have prevented them from getting private insurance. And it's only going to cost us around $760 million or so to fund the high-risk pool to pay for these individuals. And yes, I say us, because those are federal dollars, so we're all footing that bill (as if California could afford one more entitlement program). And, anyone want to start taking odds on how quickly that budget's going to run off the rails?