Healthcare Reform Bill Breakdown

The New York Times published a really great article yesterday evening: Details on Health Care Bills in House, Senate. The article details the two House bills and single Senate bill that have been proposed to enact reform in the healthcare industry.

The first bill, The House Democratic bill (Affordable Health Care for America Act), is the most ambitious, and, to my eyes, the most forward-thinking. It proposes a public option, requirements for healthcare, hardship subsidies, and yes, new taxes. It also provides for a removal of antitrust exemptions that the healthcare industry currently enjoys. This is the bill I’d love to see passed, but it’s gonna be tough. Call your Representative’s office!

The second bill they mention, The House Republican bill (Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act), is a snake in the grass. It’s costs have yet to be determined, and the changes it makes are nominal only. Reading through the details about this bill it’s hard not to wonder just who these Representatives are, in fact, representing. Most interestingly, it does NOT seek to change the antitrust exemptions.

The third bill, The Senate Democratic bill, is still largely unpublished, so The Times reports what is known. It appears to tread a middle ground between the two House bills, and if it were beefed up slightly in regards to making the public option (either state- or federal-level) a sure thing, I’d be behind this bill as well. While unconfirmed, it’s suggested that a motion to strip those same antitrust exemptions will be made on the Senate floor at some point.

Have my fingers crossed that we see some real positive movement on this!

(via [ berkleebassist ])