The Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives recorded a Roll Call vote of that body last night; passing one of the most controversial and most publicized bills in the 111th Congress - Healthcare Reform.
There were 219 Ayes and 212 Noes (sic) entered into the record. Crossing the aisle were 34 Democrats to join with the 178 Republicans to cast a No vote.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with what happened last night the Healthcare Reform legislation becomes a milestone marking nearly 50 years of attempts to change our nation's way of addressing healthcare.
The United States now joins all the other industrialized nations to offer such care to its citizens. Will it work? If I employed a crystal ball I could answer that but all I can do is offer One Person's Views of what I hope will change.
In three years the United States has slipped from 33rd, in 2006, to 46th, in 2009, in the world in infant mortality rates. We are behind such nations as France, Malta, South Korea and Cuba. We are the most advanced and wealthiest country on the planet but the rate our infants are dying is appalling.
Many studies show the U.S. spending more on healthcare than other countries that are healthier and spend less. Perhaps, now more people will be better able to seek preventive care and not wait until the cost of treating their illness becomes a major expense. They might be able to afford to see a doctor in the early stages of an ailment instead of waiting then having to go to the emergency room where costs are greater and more often leads to hospitalization.
Access to preventive care is one part of the Bill that will help reduce cost. Another thing that must be done is to address and aggressively investigate and prosecute Medicare fraud. The figure for such fraud is reported to be some $60 billion a year.
There is good and bad contained in the legislation. It will allow about 32 million more Americans to be insured. The cap is to be removed from insurance coverage for illness and treatment. And, it will not permit exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions. Although, this provision only guarantees that immediately for children then adults will be included in four years.
For seniors facing massive drug costs the Bill gradually closes the "doughnut hole" coverage gap in the Medicare prescription drug benefit that seniors fall into once they have spent $2,830. Seniors who hit the gap this year will receive a $250 rebate. Beginning in 2011, seniors in the gap receive a discount on name brand drugs, initially 50 percent off. When the gap is completely eliminated in 2020, they will still be responsible for 25 percent off the cost of their medications until Medicare's catastrophic coverage kicks in.
Already there are states waiting in the wings with plans to sue the Federal government. The wrangling is not yet over as the Bill again must pass Senate hurdles.
It is my opinion we would have had a better Bill, perhaps a more comprehensive and more effective one if those who walk the halls of the Capitol, on both sides of the aisle, blocked out special interest groups with their spin and their deep pockets and actually walked among those they represent and talked with ... not to ... their constituents and really listened to their concerns not just heard the voices.
A wonderful analogy was given to me last Saturday as the arguements were playing out. "They remind me," this person said, "of bullies on a school playground."
No comments:
Post a Comment