Health Care Reform: Mission Accomplished!

Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by JohnCByrdIII in Politics

“Today, after almost a century of trying.  Today, after over a year of debate.  Today, after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America!” ~Barack Obama

Early Sunday afternoon, the sweeping health care overhaul was passed by a margin of seven votes (219-212).  Not one Republican congressman supported the bill.  By Tuesday, Obama had signed the bill into law.

This monumental task undertaken by the Obama administration was no easy feat.   Support for this bill had declined in the midst of a year-long attack from the health insurance industry, which had spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising aimed at killing the legislation.  Obama’s victory demonstrates his effective leadership amid such strong opposition and demagogic propaganda.

According to Judd Gregg, the ranking Republican  on the Senate Budget Committee, senators would try to eliminate key provisions, such as mandating that uninsured Americans get coverage, as well as its funding mechanism: new taxes on the wealthiest Americans’ so-called Cadillac health plans.  They argue that Congress has no authority to force people to buy insurance.

As usual, the Republican Party rushes to the aid of the wealthiest Americans.  Their long history of being discriminated against is too much for the GOP to bear.

Despite the immediate Fox News slander campaign in the wake of this victory, A joint USA Today-Gallup survey found that 49 percent considered the revamp of the nation’s health care system “a good thing” and 40 percent viewed it as a “bad thing,” a shift in support that appears to give momentum to a quietly building trend of support gravitating back to the pro-reform camp.  In fact, the “independent” opinion on health care reform is evenly divided.  This is a far cry from the “overwhelming” disapproval of the bill that conservative politicians and right-wing media broadcast.

The fact that such an obviously one-sided argument led to an evenly split poll is a testament to the power of Fox News and their lopsided coverage of the discussion.  According to Mark Blumenthal of Pollster.com, less than two weeks ago, only 15% of Americans knew that the CBO reported that Obama’s bill would decrease the federal deficit by $138 million.

Here is the TRUTH.  SPREAD THE WORD!

1. Once reform is fully implemented, 94% of Americans will have health insurance coverage, including 32 million who are currently uninsured.

2. Health insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny people coverage because of preexisting conditions—or to drop coverage when people become sick.

3. Just like members of Congress, individuals and small businesses who can’t afford to purchase insurance on their own will be able to pool together and choose from a variety of competing plans with lower premiums.

4. Reform will cut the federal budget deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years, and a whopping $1.2 trillion in the following ten years.

5. Health care will be more affordable for families and small businesses thanks to new tax credits, subsidies, and other assistance—paid for largely by taxing insurance companies, drug companies, and the very wealthiest Americans.

6. Seniors on Medicare will pay less for their prescription drugs because the legislation closes the “donut hole” gap in existing coverage.

7. By reducing health care costs for employers, reform will create or save more than 2.5 million jobs over the next decade.

8. Medicaid will be expanded to offer health insurance coverage to an additional 16 million low-income people.

9. Instead of losing coverage after they leave home or graduate from college, young adults will be able to remain on their families’ insurance plans until age 26.

10. Community health centers would receive an additional $11 billion, doubling the number of patients who can be treated regardless of their insurance or ability to pay.

Tags: Barack, Biden, Democrats, Health Care Reform, Judd Gregg, Mark Blumenthal, Obama, Republicans