Healthcare

Depending on which Sunday talk show you watched, the health care bill may still be alive.  As expected the bill started to stall after Senator Scott Brown won the Senate seat in Massachusetts just two weeks ago. However, since the President’s State of the Union Address, Congress somehow has gotten renewed energy and is hopeful of passing a bill in 2010.

Just a few days ago, it looked like the biggest obstacle to clear the health care reform bill would be getting the House and Senate to come to an agreement on the terms within the bill.  Oh how a single Senate seat can change that around. On Tuesday, in a surprise victory, Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley to gain the open seat in the Senate, in the mostly Democratic state of Massachusetts. The open seat, once belonging to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, was crucial in determining the balance of power in the Senate. The irony in all this is that Edward Kennedy dedicated over 4 decades of his Senate career in fighting for health care changes in our country. And in the seat that he once held, all that came crashing down this past week. 

Both the Senate and House versions of the proposed health care bill include provisions that would require a majority of Americans to have health insurance or face a financial penalty. It would be the IRS’ job to enforce this legislation. They would require Americans to provide proof of their coverage on their federal tax returns. Those who don’t would face a monetary penalty. It would be the IRS’ job to go after those who decline health care coverage.

Like many of you, I watch the news each night and go online daily for the latest news on reform.  Just last week we heard about a major “breakthrough”, albeit not a popular one for many people who follow this blog, as worked on by five liberal and five moderate Democratic Senators (the so-called Gang of 10) was going to ensure passage of the bill.  There was going to be an early “buy-in” for 55 to 64 olds to purchase Medicare, a requirement for insurance companies to maintain a 90% medical loss ratio and asking the Office of Personnel Management to administer a program offering coverage through non-profit, private health plans.  Well, two out of three already seemed destined for elimination.
 
These “compromises” had won the support of both liberal and moderate Democrats as well as being applauded by President Obama.