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[KaelGotDwarves]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=MOJOP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Socialized medicine for breakfast? Don't mind if I do! The Near-Universal Health Care bill was passed in the House yesterday (219 for-dems and 1 republican- 212 against -all other republicans and some dems)and is being sent to President Obama.

Certainly not much can be worse than the current system of insurance price gouging and the poor simply dying due to debt and inability to pay for healthcare.

Thoughts?

EDIT: what does the bill do? Independent Reuters explains http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319

[Eagleon]

It's going to be ugly no matter what. People want a quick fix - that just isn't possible with the state that we're in. I have no background in economics or health care so I can't comment on the bill itself, but doing nothing and arguing endlessly is just making things much, much worse.

This, on the other hand, bothers me more than a little

A last-minute deal with a critical group of anti-abortion lawmakers Sunday afternoon sealed Democrats' victory. The leader of the anti-abortion bloc, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., didn't get to add stricter anti-abortion language to the underlying bill, but was satisfied by an executive order signed by Obama affirming current law and provisions in the legislation that ban federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother.

No, not the abortion thing. What does this have to do with health care reform guys? If the bill is good by your estimation, vote yes, otherwise vote no. Don't pursue your morality fights in unrelated areas when the financial security of my country and the well-being of millions is on the line thx.

[Duke 2.0]

 Say a bill is passed that offers funding towards nuclear development. Should a person be forced to pay taxes to fund this if they are strictly anti-nuclear? This is a very iffy issue there, paying for something you are opposed to.

 But I do notice something funny: For months the people for the bill have been going "We are going to pass this whether you like it or not", yet continued to dance around with approval and debate. And only now they went through with it.

[dreiche2]

One step closer to joining the rest of the first world, America.

Say a bill is passed that offers funding towards nuclear development. Should a person be forced to pay taxes to fund this if they are strictly anti-nuclear? This is a very iffy issue there, paying for something you are opposed to.

And how does this not apply to every other single government expense?

[Siquo]

Congrats, USians!

From the blog I frequent:
"That’s one small step Europeans already took half a century ago, a giant leap for the United States of America of today." 

[Phmcw]

Yes I understand your righteous fight to die careless    .
Honestly, I try to make sense out of it, but I really cannot.
Well, welcome in he developed country. Or at least slightly developed as education is still out of price in your country.
Really, I cannot understand how one rich country can deny basic human right to his inhabitant.

[Aqizzar]

Say a bill is passed that offers funding towards nuclear development. Should a person be forced to pay taxes to fund this if they are strictly anti-nuclear? This is a very iffy issue there, paying for something you are opposed to.

There is nothing iffy about that at all.  That is exactly what every government does all the time.  You don't get to specify what you want to pay for on you tax return, you just hope stuff you don't like doesn't last.  It does anyway?  Tough titty.

But yeah, health care bill.  What a Brave New World we live in, where Americans can buy health insurance from private for-profit companies with no cost controls or public safety net.  Astounding that we've come so far.

[Cthulhu]

I'm going with the safe pessimism approach here.  If it works, pleasant surprise.  If it doesn't, I told you guys it wouldn't.

[Jude]

It'll probably be an improvement. It ain't perfect though, and I was sure hoping for a public option. But, in a fairly rare occurrence, it directly affects me, since now I can get back on my parents' health insurance while I'm overseas which will save a fuck of a lot of money.

Man, I wish I knew some teabaggers in person so I could rub this in their faces. I was honestly just sick of the debate and didn't even really care about the bill anymore, but man those guys are annoying.

[Leafsnail]

That map is good.  Although obviously America is a lot poorer than

Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, France, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Chile,  Portugal, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Cuba, Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan,  Cyprus, Israel, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Czech Rebpulic, Greece....

and thus wouldn't be able to enact a similar system.

[alway]

Edit: Nvm, was reading out of date webpage...

[Andir]

You guys know this has little in it to reduce the costs, but only makes it illegal to not have insurance and companies can't turn you down.

Really all it's done is make it illegal to not have insurance and there's no price restrictions, so if the insurance companies still wanted to they could jack your rates to cover whatever expenses you incur.  But ooh... the patient can rate the big bad company... so now it's going to boil down to who can still make money while not pissing off as many patients as possible.

There's really nothing in this bill making it anything like the health care services in the world.  There's even loopholes that allow you to simply pay the fine instead of paying premiums.  Just skip a year of coverage, pay a smaller fine than it would cost to maintain coverage, then pickup care the next year when the fine goes higher than the premium... It adds a game to pay the least and people will use it.

[Blacken]

Welp, there are some happy people out there today. Specifically, anyone with an ownership interest in health insurance companies.

Everybody else should be pissed, but most can't see beyond the end of their nose.

[KaelGotDwarves]

Modified the OP with a link to Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319

There are other direct benefits listed in the language there, obviously I have no time to go through the 2300+ page bill (last I checked).

Economists and pundits are going to make all sorts of claims, but I'm pessimistically pragmatic.

WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR

*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.

*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.

*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.

*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.

*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.

*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.

*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.

The first point is really the only one we needed. "Oh hey, you paid for insurance coverage ALL of this time but now that you need it we're going to drop you!" Then what's the goddamn point to being insured other than a scam to leech money off productive members of society.

Insurance companies.

[LegoLord]

Welp, there are some happy people out there today. Specifically, anyone with an ownership interest in health insurance companies.

Everybody else should be pissed, but most can't see beyond the end of their nose.

I don't have any ownership interest in health insurance companies, nor do my parents, and I'm happy as hell.  Do you even know what the bill does, or did you just read Fox News?