Health Care Reform-Still In The Making

Health Care Reform-Still in the Making

Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) summed up Tuesday's Health Bill proceddings by saying “There is going to be a herculean effort to get this done, even if every member doesn’t get everything he or she wants." Tuesday represented the latest highlight in the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans to come up with a cost-effective and beneficial solution to the current state of health care.

While the redone Bill showed that the Democrats are willing to compromise, it opened the door for further negotiation rather than gaining approval from the GOP. The Health Care Bill was originally scrutinized by Republicans because the massive reform bill was placed under a deadline, which left the Dems in undeniable control and nullified any supposed bipartisanship.

The Good

The Bill did address legitimate concerns voiced by both parties. It called for more regulation of insurance providers, expanded consumer protection, and raised government subsidies for helping people buy insurance. Baucus also reduced the amount of premiums paid by low to middle income households from 3% (low income) and 13% (middle income) to 2% and 12% respectively. He also cut the maximum penalty for families without insurance in half, from 3,800 to 1,900. The bill also maintained the delicate balance of keeping Obama's core reform policies intact, while adding money to the health care system.

The Bad

While it did show a Democratic willingness to compromise, it still failed to win over anyone from the other party. The most important obstacle to overcome is still the cost. $856 billion (maybe) is better on the eyes and ears than the previous 1 trillion plus bill, but its still a hard pill for Congress to swallow. Also, the plan calls for cutting $500 billion in Medicare funds over the next 10 years. This type of cut will almost undoubtedly have an effect on the care provided to seniors. Baucus bumped up a 6 billion dollar a year fee on insurance companies to 6.7 billion dollars a year, and also called for a tax on high-cost insurance plans to lessen the impact of the taxes on Americans over the next decade. The problem with these kinds of fees and taxes is that the insurance companies usually hand the costs back down to the consumer. This could actually accelerate the problem they are trying to stop, rising health care costs. And lastly, even Baucus seemingly acknowledged a lack of protection for doctors. At this time, there

There are several more benefits and problems that could be brought up now. But there are over 500 more amendments to this bill to deal with. This ongoing process could be ongoing for a while. And it would seem that in the interest of America as a whole, it should. But Nancy Pelosi upheld the time constraints saying monday "We will have legislation that will be passed in a matter of weeks, it will be signed in a matter of months by Barack Obama and it will have a very positive impact on America's families."

The Ugly

The plan, in its present forms, is not clearly endorsed by the president. It still remains unclear exactly how he feels about reform. The guidelines he previously set forth aren't totally represented by this plan, so it leaves many wondering what his final take on this bill is. Also, the public option issue is up in the air. While Nancy Pelosi insists there will be no bill passed without a public option, other Democrats are suggesting the provision could possibly be left out. There is even speculation that Obama is no longer backing the public option plan.

And the ugliest part of this whole mess is the question of motive. Sure, we know what the poor and middle class want. They want affordable health insurance. They want great coverage. They want better regulation of the insurance companies, and they want choices. They don't, however, want these improvements funded by huge Medicare cuts that jeopardize senior health care. And we know the rich don't want to pay the higher taxes, or feel like they should be penalized for accumulating wealth. But what do we know about the motives at the white house? Are we debating intelligently to come up with the best solution, or fighting childishly to gain political ground? Even the notion that the Democrats seem willing to make concessions could be used against the Republicans in the next election. I'm not here to promote any conspiracy theories, but my personal opinion is we as Americans have to think objectively as possible, without regard to party, popularity, personal preference, and demographics, to do what's best for the country.

This article was written by Julian Floyd, to get health insurance quotes for you or your small business visit http://www.esmallbusinesshealthinsurance.com