Well, that was quick. One minute we're all resigned to the inevitable enactment of ObamaCare and the end of life as we know it; the next minute we're saved by what, at the time, looked an awful lot like divine intervention. Thank you, Massachusetts.

The demise of ObamaCare was as swift as it was welcome. And as an extra reward, for several weeks afterward we were treated to the amusing spectacle you sometimes see in business and politics, where everybody gets it except the guys in charge. And so, despite the fact that everyone else knew that their reform effort had expired, we watched in amazement as the president and the Speaker of the House schlepped around Washington for several weeks afterward, bearing their dearly departed legislation and insisting - absolutely - that the poor thing was, in fact, very much alive and well. A classic "Weekend at Bernie's" moment, and a fitting end to a show that went on way too long.

Before we bring down the curtain and move on, though, here's my own favorite head-scratcher moment from that period, one that you may have missed. In remarks at a Jan. 28 press conference, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sought to express her resolve to "finish the job" of enacting health care reform thusly: "We will go through the gate. If the gate is closed, we will go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we will pole vault in. If that doesn't work, we will parachute in."

Thankfully, she left it at that, perhaps unsure about what we will do after the parachute rips in half.

So now what? In this month's issue, we begin looking for answers. There are some good ideas out there - real, practical reforms that should and can be done. For starters, here are five:

1) Tort reform to slash the $300 million in medical malpractice costs each year (see Craig Davidson's column on page 65).

2) Combat Medicare and other forms of health fraud, which now suck about $700 billion out of the system each year.

3) Reduce the demand for health services by better integrating preventive care into workplace benefits (see Eric Kasen's article on page 20).

4) Open state borders to insurance carriers to foster more competition (Davidson again).

5) Encourage large-scale wellness initiatives for long-term results (see Mercer's George Lane, page 76).

And lastly, the award for Best Five-Word Description of ObamaCare goes to our own Craig Davidson, who describes it in his Sales Call column (page 65) as an "un-American, unworkable, budget-busting, taxaholic megamonster." Craig, you da man.