Two Cents on Health Care Reform

This morning I woke up and it was Christmas. All I do these days is read the news, but I always feel silly BLOGGING about politics and issues and such. Even so, I have read enough criticism today to want to say a few things.

One reason I am excited: No more pre-existing conditions. Come on, those things are criminal, and my government finally stood up and said so. They also said that it is wrong to drop people's coverage when they become sick, or to put caps on lifetime coverage. Those things mean financial ruin and death for the chronically ill, the segment of the population most in need of and deserving of compassion and care from the general population, and my government finally said so. Is it a far cry from what they could've said and done? I guess so, but it is also a great victory for consumer rights and every day people.

Of course, they had to infringe on some rights to do it, they had to mandate that all people buy a product from a private company, which has never happened before, and is probably unconstitutional, and that's a shame. That really is a shame, I don't know what else to tell ya. Except that they never could have eliminated pre-existing conditions without mandating universal coverage. Otherwise, anyone could wait to get insurance until they get sick, and the whole system would crumble. If everyone gets care when they need it, then everybody needs to be chipping in all the time, and the only other way this happens is if we have publicly owned and operated health care. Let's be frank: that won't be happening any time soon. There is already enough fear-mongering and name-calling as it is. The tea-partiers would go full on militia if our congress passed a single-payer plan.  The constitution is a living document, we have to be responsive to the ever-changing needs of the people, and refusing to make these changes literally costs lives.

The thing I really love about this bill: as much as Republicans want us to believe it was achieved by the majority lording their power over the minority, back-room deals and strong arm tactics, it really is such a careful compromise between progressive ideals and conservative economics. It depends on competition in a regulated market, it offers no new public option, it's not creating socialized anything. Obama knew that if this thing was going to pass, it would have to be motivated by private business, so he (and all the others) found a way to benefit business while ensuring better coverage for everyone. It's so smart, and the only reason I can imagine Republicans unanimously opposed it is that they can't stand to see Obama actually succeed. They are petulant children, they are embarrassing, they have shown no real interest in addressing the needs and concerns of the American people, and I hope everyone remembers that come November. On the other hand, while I am not one to ever think the best of my politicians, I have to say that the Dems have done everything they could to incorporate Republican ideas and principles into this bill, while still ensuring real improvements for average people. It may lose them some enthusiasm from the far Left, but it was the responsible thing to do, and it comes as close to Obama's promise of a "post-partisan Washington" as possible without the actual support of those pesky childish Republicans.

And to top it off, they pass student loan reform the same day. See? Christmas. Of course it's not perfect, it never is, they will be tweaking for decades, of course we are still spreading war all across the globe, but the tides are shifting, and for the first time in recent memory, our elected officials appear to be considering the best interests of their constituents before their own re-election. That's something I wasn't sure would ever happen again. And my little idealist heart is fluttering.

I will almost definitely look back on this post with embarrassment, but that is fine. It's a historic day, and I could not be happier.

If you want to know more about what the bill means, check out this article on what the bill actually says, and this interactive article where you can type in your income and marital status and find out how the bill will affect you specifically.