Health Care Bill Passed

The Health Care Bill(s) HR3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (now six versions) and corresponding amendments in HR 4872 Reconciliation Act of 2010 appear to be on their way to becoming law.

But other than what has been told them by politicians, reporters, and talk show hosts; what do Americans really know about what's in reform?

The stated purposes in the bill are as follows...

o Provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans (includes businesses, families, and government)

o Reduce the growth in health care spending.

o Build on what works in today's health care system

o Repair what's broken in today's health care system

o Enacts strong insurance market reforms

o Create a new Health Insurance Exchange, with a public health insurance option alongside private plans

o Initiate shared responsibility among workers, employers, and the government

o Ensure all Americans have coverage of essential health benefits.

Surely no rational American is opposed to those goals. The debates center on whether or not the current bill will come close to meeting its objectives without bringing down the house, sort of speak. Many Americans, according to news shows and polls, were/are concerned about losing their current health plans. While that is a genuine concern and possibility, the bill states in Subsection G...

SEC. 1555. FREEDOM NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS.

No individual, company, business, nonprofit entity, or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall be required to participate in any Federal health insurance program created under this Act (or any amendments made by this Act), or in any Federal health insurance program expanded by this Act (or any such amendments), and there shall be no penalty or fine imposed upon any such issuer for choosing not to participate in such program

What's Next?

Assuming the Senate passes the next go-round and the President signs it, what will happen next? Well, that will be left to politicians, aides, administrators, and armies of attorneys to decide but nothing will change very quickly.

In the short time insurance companies will not be allowed to impose pre-existing conditions exclusions on any "qualified health benefits plan." (What does that mean?)All Americans will be required to obtain health insurance or face penalties (penalties might be cheaper than insurance?).

Will individual Americans be better off in the long run? Will insurance companies make more money because of more insured? Will health care providers make more money because of more patients? Will the entire health care industry find ways to be more efficient and thus eliminate jobs? Will incumbent politicians be tossed out of office come next election?

TWT (TIME WILL TELL)