Nationalized healthcare - what's your take on this?

[Dave]

This is a letter sent to Sen Reed and Rep Pelosi from coalitions concerned for the welfare of those with disabilities.  This letter is in PDF form.
Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare

The Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare is grateful for your leadership in securing
passage of health reform legislation in both the House and Senate. Although neither the House
nor Senate bill ends the two-year wait for Medicare for people with disabilities—the ultimate
goal of our coalition—both bills provide new coverage options for the uninsured, including
people with disabilities waiting for their Medicare coverage to begin. Insurers will no longer be
able to deny coverage based on the existence of a pre-existing condition or disability and the
expansion of Medicaid and new tax credits will help make coverage more affordable. It is out of
concern over the affordability of these new coverage options that we write to you today.

http://www.medicarerights.org/pdf/two-year-wait-and-affordability-letter.pdf

[Dave]

Good opinion article on reform.

Many Still Hope For Insurance Reform

With a major health overhaul in deep trouble, some lawmakers want a scaled-back approach that targets the indisputably unpopular insurance industry.

Include the popular ideas, they say, such as requiring insurers to accept people with medical problems and barring them from canceling policies or charging more for customers with health problems.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/January/22/many-still-hope-for-insurance-reform.aspx

[Dave]

Obama’s Plan for Health Bill Largely Follows Senate Version

Mr. Obama’s plan, which the White House said would cost $950 billion over a decade, sticks largely to the version passed by the Senate in December but addresses some of the main concerns of House leaders who are demanding more help for the middle class.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/health/policy/23health.html?hp

[Dave]

Democratic leaders working to win over abortion opponents for health-care reform

The effort depends on convincing as many as a dozen antiabortion Democrats in the House that abortion language in the Senate bill is more stringent than initially portrayed. But Democratic leaders must be careful that they don't drive away abortion rights supporters who are increasingly concerned that the measure would prove severely restrictive.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030405040.html

[Dave]

Can Nancy Pelosi Get the Votes?

Are there enough votes in the House to pass the Senate's health-care bill? As of today, it's clear there aren't. House Democratic leaders have brushed aside White House calls to bring the bill forward by March 18, when President Barack Obama heads to Asia. Nevertheless, analysts close to the Democratic leadership tell me they're confident the leadership will find some way to squeeze out the 216 votes needed for a majority.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703701004575113292688090292.html

[Dave]

A needed reform descends into farce

According to this argument, pieces of the reform – rules to force insurers to ignore pre-existing conditions, subsidies to help the less well-off, and so on – are popular. But the past year’s wrangling has sown confusion. Voters are bored and bewildered. Once a bill is passed, they will come around to liking it.

And the bill is a big advance, defenders insist. Broadening healthcare coverage and making it more secure are ethical imperatives. The measure takes tentative but useful steps towards better control of costs: not enough, but better than nothing. If the effort stalls, the likely result is no reform at all. Just as in the 1990s, a grand attempt at healthcare reform will have been crushed. It might be 20 years before anybody tries again.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd528a1e-2f87-11df-9153-00144feabdc0.html

[Dave]

House Democrats Continue Push For Weekend House Vote On Health Reform Measure

Obama Delays Trip as Report Aids Final Push on Health Care

As House Democrats geared up for a possible vote on Sunday to pass health care legislation, the Congressional Budget Office issued an analysis allowing them to point to significant cost savings in the decades ahead, and President Obama postponed a planned trip to the Pacific to keep pressing for approval.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/health/policy/18health.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

[Dave]

As sparks fly, Democrats close in on 216 votes

As a historic overhaul of the nation’s health care system picked up steam Friday, House leaders were still negotiating with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) to free up the votes of a small band of anti-abortion lawmakers who could put the tally over the top – and with the congresswomen who were poised to balk at a deal.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34731.html#ixzz0ilNrkwDn

[Dave]

Well, this thread has ran it's course it seems.  I hope the reform turns out to be a God send for those in need.  Somehow I doubt it though.  32 million more folks required to take part in the system whether they want to or need to, may put a huge strain on the system.  A public option in my opinion is right around the corner.  Just remember that if too many folks are burdening the system, the only way to relieve the strain is an increase in taxes or limiting benefits or both.  

House sends health care overhaul bill to Obama

On the cusp of succeeding where numerous past congresses and administrations have failed, jubilant House Democrats voted 219-212 late Sunday to send legislation to Obama that would extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, reduce deficits and ban insurance company practices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul

[Dave]

Excuse me for a minute

This article speaks of healthcare which will be available for those that have pre-existing conditions.  Now mind you, this is a GREAT idea.  Most of the time you'd have to wait a year before you could receive healthcare from a new employer if you were hired with a pre-existing medical condition.  Seems this law will change all of that BUT it notes that a premium of up to $675 a month maybe required.  That sure sounds like a wonderful idea  ......excuse me 

Squeezing the ill again?

Health Caring: Government unveils health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions

One of the first tangible offerings of the expansive health-care reform law is here: Last Thursday, the government unveiled a health insurance plan for people with pre-existing conditions.

Coverage begins Aug. 1.

Federal officials concede that the $5 billion set aside for the program probably won't be enough. If 200,000 apply, as is expected, the money will run out in 2013, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

Also, that coverage will be expensive. The rates won't be released until July 15, but the premium for a 50-year-old Floridian is expected to be between $552 and $675 a month. That's a rent check for many folks.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400638/jeremy-cox/2010-07-06/health-caring-government-unveils-health-insurance-people