Legal Commentary

Senate Passes Health Care Bill, 60 to 39

By Jeralyn

It's done. Obmama can drink a glass of champagne on the flight to Hawaii and members of the Senate can fly home for Christmas with puffed- out chest bragging they did it, they outmaneuvered the Republicans and garnered 60 votes to pass historic health care legislation.

The fight, which will be mostly for show, will move to the House after Jan. 1, when a conference is held and the House capitulates on the reforms that might have really made the bill historic.

The bill will help some people but not enough. It will be too expensive for many, and many of its benefits will still be years away. [More...]

I hope Obama, on his return, turns his attention to some of the other campaign promises he made, particularly on criminal justice issues, because if he doesn't, and the Dems get booted out of their majority status in 2010 because of this turkey of a health care bill which has turned into something reminiscent of The Emporer With No Clothes, we're never going to get them.

For those progressives who think Obama sold them out on health care, he didn't. He gave you exactly what he promised: centrist, moderate action formed by compromise, designed to unite the red and blue stripes of America. ("There are no red states, there are no blue states, there is only the United States....") That's what he ran on and that's what he delivered. Any specific promises he made were always going to be subject to and at the mercy of this larger, over-all theme.

Happy holidays, and if you are one of the many Americans who are healthy, insured and happy with your current health plan, start stuffing your piggy bank.

You're going to need extra money in the years to come to cover increased premiums and out of pocket expenses as your health insurance company comes up with creative ways to pass the excise tax and other increased costs in this bill on to you or your employer, at the same time it reduces the benefits in your existing plan of choice. And guard your health, so you don't need novel or experimental procedures, or third or fourth opinions or tests, because they probably won't be covered any more.

It's a good thing that many sick and poor people currently without insurance will be able to get it and more children will be covered. But ultimately, it's the rest of us, not the Government or the insurance companies or doctors, who will be picking up the tab. It's change, just not quite the kind many hoped for.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 24, 2009 (boomark / email).