Health Care Reform Passes

**Lowell** · March-21-10, 10:09 PM

Yes we can.

At last.

**gibran** · March-21-10, 10:22 PM

it's a start...

**gazhekwe** · March-21-10, 10:28 PM

!!!!!!!!! I am so happy!

**oladub** · March-21-10, 10:43 PM

Although Mugabecare doesn't hold a candle to Bush's Wall Street bailout, at least using the make believe numbers budget reduction numbers, it is still a great moment in the evolution of US economic fascism!!! Now we will have time to find out what Democrats agreed to.

**Big Dog** · March-21-10, 11:01 PM

I smell sour grapes.

**Sstashmoo** · March-21-10, 11:54 PM

This isn't socialized medicine, this is mandatory health insurance.

This is also a blow to small business. The very sector that will spearhead economic recovery if and when it happens. Employers will just drop wages to adjust for the costs. Nothing is free.

lilpup · March-22-10, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

This isn't socialized medicine, this is mandatory health insurance.

This is also a blow to small business. The very sector that will spearhead economic recovery if and when it happens. Employers will just drop wages to adjust for the costs. Nothing is free.

What in the bill requires small business to cover people? If individual coverage will now be easier to get most small businesses will be dropping their employee coverage. One of the points of reform is to try to uncouple health insurance from the employer based system.

Every business in the country should have backed reform and jump for joy that the weight and administrative costs for medical insurance could be removed from their shoulders.

**English** · March-22-10, 12:52 AM

Yes we DID! So very excited...

**barnesfoto** · March-22-10, 05:34 AM

This is also a blow to small business.

That's funny, I was just talking with my neighbors who own a small clothing business.
They told me that they had dropped their health insurance because it was too expensive.
*They are a healthy couple in their 30s*
*They couldn't afford it before the dramatic jump in health care insurance costs that hit many self employed/small business people in CA this year*.
*They couldn't afford it even after they moved their residence into the back of their industrial space to save money*

I think that this bill will eventually be like the civil rights bills of the 1960's and the ADA of the late seventies.
The shrieks of millions of hysterical obstructionists will be long forgotten in a few years, and generations of future Americans will be puzzled that access to health care for all was ever questioned.

**Zacha341** · March-22-10, 05:47 AM

And weeee, now we shall "see" what's in the bill. Now for those who think a new hybrid Medicair/ Medicaid card is in the mail... hold on. This fruit will not be that pickable, so fast... hold on......

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

This isn't socialized medicine, this is mandatory health insurance.

This is also a blow to small business. The very sector that will spearhead economic recovery if and when it happens. Employers will just drop wages to adjust for the costs. Nothing is free.

**ejames01** · March-22-10, 05:48 AM

What do you mean by' Mugabecare'?

Originally Posted by oladub

Although Mugabecare doesn't hold a candle to Bush's Wall Street bailout, at least using the make believe numbers budget reduction numbers, it is still a great moment in the evolution of US economic fascism!!! Now we will have time to find out what Democrats agreed to.

**313WX** · March-22-10, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by ejames01

What do you mean by' Mugabecare'?

It's the new racist term our uber-right teabeagger loons coined up.

**313WX** · March-22-10, 06:48 AM

I would love to see Faux News and their reaction today.

**East Detroit** · March-22-10, 06:56 AM

No more caps, no more rejection for pre-existing conditions, no more dropping for arbitraray reasons, no more lack of coverage for kids right out of college, no more prescription gap for seniors....

Yeah, sounds evil.

**East Detroit** · March-22-10, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by oladub

Although Mugabecare ...

What does this have to do with the President of Zimbabwe?

**Searay215** · March-22-10, 07:38 AM

While parts of this health care bill are good there is far more bad in it than you realize.....Anyone on Medicare will get cuts in their payment to Doctors and therefore doctors will no longer treat those patients because of the lower payments. Small businesses that now offer health care will now will rather pay the 8% penalty than provide health insurance because it will be cheaper for them to do that than pay for health care. Blue Cross & Blue Shield got an exemption in the deal that allows them to raise rates no matter what. And finally in 2014 YOU will be forced to buy insurance or pay a penalty......What are they thinking. Obama is a ONE term president and the Democrats are on their way out this fall......I am not a Republican....I am an independent and voted for him.......Just sayin.

**gazhekwe** · March-22-10, 07:55 AM

Medicare is not all inclusive at its best. It helps to have extra insurance. Premiums are more affordable because it is just picking up the slack.

**Papasito** · March-22-10, 07:56 AM

Auto insurance is mandatory, but I don't see any Auto Insurance companies offering full comprehensive coverage for pennies on the dollar. The notion that making Insurance mandatory will reduce rates just does not fly, all it does is give the companies a captive audience who has no alternative but to buy thier policy, no matter what the rates may be..

**Papasito** · March-22-10, 07:59 AM

And yet they ran it through the Senate before the House, is that even constitutional? The House and Senate must both pass this bill, and it must be the same bill, before the President can sign it into law. There's some very odd things going on in Washington lately...

**oldredfordette** · March-22-10, 08:16 AM

Not a great bill. Doesn't go far enough. But here's a few things that will happen quickly [[thanks to Crooks & Liars)

1. Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday
2. Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
3. No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
4. Free preventative care for all
5. Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.
6. Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
7. The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
8. Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
9. Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states [[Bernie Sanders’ amendment). Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay.
10. AND no more rescissions. Effective immediately, you can't lose your insurance because you get sick.

**Danny** · March-22-10, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by oldredfordette

Not a great bill. Doesn't go far enough. But here's a few things that will happen quickly [[thanks to Crooks & Liars)

1. Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday
2. Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
3. No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
4. Free preventative care for all
5. Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.
6. Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
7. The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
8. Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
9. Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states [[Bernie Sanders’ amendment). Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay.
10. AND no more rescissions. Effective immediately, you can't lose your insurance because you get sick.

That's the best solution for socialistic health care reform. I've been waiting for this moment for years. Too bad for republicans and tea-baggers, you all just have to deal with it forever. Just like we have to deal with folly HMO and PPO profits after the HMO act of 1971 was passed and President Nixon signed it into law. The Health Care Reform Bill is one of the result coming out of Hillary Clinton's and Sen. Ted Kennedy Universal Health Care proposal and Micheal Moore's Sicko. Thank-you Democrats and Thank-you President Barack Obama for making Universal Health Care a reality.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Now I can get my teeth fixed and other parts of by fixed and my health insurance companies will pay the doctor bill.

In memoriam: Neda Soltani

**Danny** · March-22-10, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Searay215

While parts of this health care bill are good there is far more bad in it than you realize.....Anyone on Medicare will get cuts in their payment to Doctors and therefore doctors will no longer treat those patients because of the lower payments. Small businesses that now offer health care will now will rather pay the 8% penalty than provide health insurance because it will be cheaper for them to do that than pay for health care. Blue Cross & Blue Shield got an exemption in the deal that allows them to raise rates no matter what. And finally in 2014 YOU will be forced to buy insurance or pay a penalty......What are they thinking. Obama is a ONE term president and the Democrats are on their way out this fall......I am not a Republican....I am an independent and voted for him.......Just sayin.

So what! everyone will get health insurance right away. It's like you have Social Security for life. The United States will be able to join other nations with free socialized health care system like United Kingdom, Cuba, Canada and France. Oh yeah! Obama will it be a one term president. Voting Obama out of the 2013 election will be like African Americans planning a nationwide riot in ever last American city in United States. It would like the 'Gangs of New York' riots of the Five Points district of 1865 waiting to happen. The Democrats will be taking over House and Senate. Having the Republicans taking over congress will be second American Civil War waiting to happen. There's nothing you can and those lying Republicans do to change the health care bill with several reconcilliations. It will be law after President Obama signs it. So deal with it and quit your whining.

**Danny** · March-22-10, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Papasito

And yet they ran it through the Senate before the House, is that even constitutional? The House and Senate must both pass this bill, and it must be the same bill, before the President can sign it into law. There's some very odd things going on in Washington lately...

It will pass 60% Democrat and 0% Republican as in 220 to 199. The other 40% will sit back and enjoy the show.

**Sstashmoo** · March-22-10, 09:21 AM

Any working individual should not be rejoicing about this. The bottom line: This federally ran for the insurance companies program is going to cost trillions, and if you have an income, you'll be paying for it. And that includes paying for those that don't have an income. This is only "free healthcare" for some. If you have an income, you'll probably be paying more than you are now. As Papasito aptly points out, mandatory purchases from a for profit private entity is not a qualifier for discounted rates. They'll have us all by the shorthairs..

Small businesses will pay a penalty for not providing it. This is a blow to small businesses and anyone with an income. We just bought insurance for the 48 million that don't have any.

This country is F'd..