What's in and what's out of the Health Care Reform Bill

Set aside your political beliefs for just a pinch. The Senate moved one step closer to instituting universal health care at 1 this a.m. You're gonna want to know what's in the bill and what's not.

What's covered:
- Loads of sweetheart deals to get this thing to pass
- An extra 10 billion for community health centers
- A requirement for most citizens to have health insurance
- A 10% tax on tanning salons
- A lot of cost control (which will in current theory save us a trillion dollars in the next 20 years)
- Abstinence-only education (from Senator Hatch)
- Expansion of Medicaid for the next 3 years
- 300 million dollars toward the "Louisiana purchase" (to get Mary Landers vote)
- A little extra money for each state, except VT and Mass
- Requirement for insurance companies to spend more on benefits and less on administration (the rules on how they will be required to do this are somewhat murky)

What's not:
- Government run health insurance (meaning no more public option or real competition for expensive insurance companies, lame)
- The Medicare buy-in (cuz of Joe Lieberman)
- abortions (Senator Hatch)
- A tax increase for cosmetic surgeries
- A tax increase on medical devices (but that's only delayed)
- No extra money for VT and Mass (cuz they already are ahead of the game and cover their peoples, thanks in part to former Republican Gov, Mitt Romney - yes, really)


So with all the cost-cutting measures and not much for coverage they better present at least an affordalbe plan that I'm possibly required by law to pay. The next vote is slated for Christmas Eve.

Comments

Erin Ann Thomas said…
So what insurance are we supposed to buy then if there's not a public option? Lovely.
Steve said…
Yeah, the original plans were much better. Stupid Congress!

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