Terrible acronyms #57

Americans love an acronym even more than us Brits, and will often go to the extreme in order to get a good one. This is especially true of legislation, and bills are expected to have a good, memorable acronym (presumably to help those voting to remember what they are about). A classic example is the crucial bill passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year, and being debated by the Senate, dealing with the medical liability insurance crisis. The bill, HR 5, is called “the Help, Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Health Care Act,” which rather handily becomes the HEALTH Act. Now surely the acronym didn’t come first and the full name made to fit later.