Nerve Endings Firing Away

[image source] After decades of trying, healthcare reform finally made it through the halls of the U.S. Congress and is headed toward the President’s desk. In the events leading up to this historic legislative moment, several canards and lies dominated the discussion but when the dust settles after, the effects of this legislation for healthcare in America will be known. No one is coming for your grandma and socialism doesn’t reign supreme in America (if you had lived in India pre-1991, this lie will always make you laugh). Although like most, I too do not believe that this bill is perfect as it perpetuates the reliance on insurance as means of controlling healthcare costs. I would’ve preferred a Medicare for all (or for none) option but neither is politically feasible. This bill although imperfect still sets us in the right direction. So now that the bill is law, what happens immediately? Here is a list:

• Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until age 26
• Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
  No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
• Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.
• Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
• The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
• Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
• Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states (Bernie Sanders’ amendment)

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The above list makes the 2000+ page bill sound simple or probably too simple and may not cover all bases. Reuters breaks it down much better according to year of implementation and more specific changes. the New York Times also has an excellent interactive feature on how the healthcare overhaul affects you whether you are insured or uninsured. Given the number of positive and popular changes in the bill such as barring people based on pre-existing conditions, closing of the Medicare ‘doughnut’ hole, elimination of lifetime coverages, etc. it will be next to impossible to repeal this bill, as Republicans propose doing. Partisan bickering aside, this bill recognizes healthcare as a right and not a privilege, much like education.