After a long, long, loooong debate yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a health care bill that now moves to the Senate.
In general, the bill:
Restricts insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition or charging higher premiums based on gender or medical history. It also provides federal subsidies to those who cannot afford it and guarantees coverage for 96 percent of Americans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The bill contains a controversial amendment presented by Reps. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Joe Pitts (R-Penn.) that was included to appease the anti-choice crowd. Here’s Planned Parenthood’s take on it. Much was made by the opposition, as well, about the indignity of requiring Americans to have health insurance — though I heard no such outcry about laws that require Americans to have car insurance.
Read the text of the Affordable Health Care for America Act here. Here is who everyone voted; what the Senate — former home of Sen. Edward Kennedy, long-time champion of health who died in August — will make of it is anyone’s guess. The bill is imperfect — what bill isn’t? — but what do you think?
Dating Jesus 
A few years ago Alabama finally mandated a car insurance law. There was howling, screaming, quoting the state’s motto “We dare defend our rights” and all that.
Last night’s debate included a lot of that (yeah, I watched it because if I had a life I’d only screw it up). It was amazing to me how words got twisted around to personal freedom.
You want the long version or the short summary?
We have the highest unemployment in 26 years [think that is the right no. of years]. If passed into law the bill as designed will drive unemployment higher and increase the cost of health care for those currently insured as well as decreasing the economic midclass and swelling the lower economical class and poverty groups.
The numbers going into the medical field will shrink–particularly the number of M.D.’s because they won’t want to deal with all the government regs and paperwork.
Basically health care will become a bigger nightmare than it is currently for some people.
This rework of health care is not what our nation needs or wants. I predict that if we could have an election [this month] for the house members who will come up for election in 2010 that the majority of those who voted for it would be thrown out of office. Not because they wanted to improve health care but because this plan is not how the American people want it done,
The way it’s trickled out of the House, I don’t love it. I want health care for all and I am willing to pay higher taxes to effect that for people who can’t afford it. But I am not a fan of this bill.
David, you do realize that your view is not shared by the “nation”. Actually, the rework of health care is exactly what many in our nation needs or wants.
How is it that healthcare reform would impact unemployment rates? Also, I can’t see how there will be any effect on the number of healthcare providers. Many more wish to go into the medical field than the schools can currently accomodate.
Jac,
Reread my comments and you will see that they talk about the reform that was passsed. I agree that reform is needed–but this is not the right reform.
Just to give one instance of increasing unemployment–companies will not hire additional employees because of the increased cost of providing health care.[I am talking about companies that currently provide health care and those that don’t in particular]. oh, a second example–all the insurance companies that will be forced out of business by the government health insurance plan. [Which won’t pay it way and will bankrupt America and place a horrendeous debt our children and grandchildren.]
Just today, our family doctor told my wife that if his payments for medicare are cut like is stated in the bill that he cannot survive. He would have to refuse Medicare patients and take only paying patients or ones on private insurance.
“Many more wish to go into the medical field than the schools can currently accomodate.” That is still true–but “the many more” has been declining in number in the last decades. Two things have contributed to that: High cost of tort insurance and the government required paperwork. Many MD’s are encouraging young people to select another profession because of this and particulary are saying so if this form of reform comes into law.
To answer before you suggest it–the AMA only supported the bill after being given a promise that their Medicare payments would not be cut. Yes, I know that the cuts are in the bill–but they will be yanked in conference committee and that cost will be added to our national debt.
It’s NOT what our nation wants? Maybe not this bill, but I’m sure with DJ when it comes to paying higher taxes to help other people. Letting thousands of people die every year because they don’t have “insurance” is a sin.