One of the things that is true about the discussion about this reform effort is that too few people really understand what is currently in the bills drafted. Part of that is because we get distracted by the misinformation about death panels, government taking over medical care and the other litany of lies that fired up the teabaggers over the last month.
But the Washington Post has a great article that is a FAQ for the reform effort — 8 Questions About Health-Care Reform. And it is good. Go read the entire thing to see where the effort is right now (this was written before the Baucus bill was released). But here is a great summary of what is common to all of the bills:
- Require every American to carry insurance, with discounts for people who cannot afford it and penalties for people who refuse to buy coverage.
- Require most employers to contribute to the cost of employee coverage or pay into a health fund, while small firms would be exempt or receive tax credits to reduce the price.
- Expand the Medicaid health program for the poor.
- Provide insurance discounts for people earning less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $73,000 for a family of three.
- Impose new restrictions on insurance practices, such as prohibiting the denial of coverage because of preexisting conditions.
- Create a new marketplace, dubbed an “exchange” or “gateway,” for individuals and small businesses to comparison-shop for insurance.
What we are still hashing out is how to pay for it and the Public Option, basically. And it is important to keep in mind how far Congress has come so far. Congress is also working on methods to pay for this — unlike the Medicare Part D (or any of the other BushCo initiatives) which was allowed to become part of the structural deficit. All of these are important changes. I am of the opinion that a Public Option is crucial to the long-term functioning of this reform, but there is no doubt that these are good steps forward.