Healthcare Bill Limps Along

The top priority of the Obama Administration when it took office last year was to pass healthcare reform, but that effort has been stymied by opposition from both Republicans and some Democrats. Now the Administration appears to be modifying its message and talking about Health Insurance Reform as the goal. House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi has talked about breaking the bill down into smaller pieces and trying to pass some reforms if not the entire bill. This is a tremendous disappointment to many Americans, including League members, who have fought to have this important reform passed. Health insurance is a right for all Americans and healthcare costs must be kept down so the country can afford to pay the bill for providing it. Both the Senate and House Bills that were passed before the Christmas break contain important elements of reform. If you care about healthcare, contact your representatives and tell them they need to pass a meaningful reform bill this Spring.

Healthcare reform legislation in ~ five minutes (and compared to war funding).

Today's Times editorial page summarizes the healthcare legislation in its present form, including its impact on virtually everyone (even people who have coverage they don't want to give up). Reading the editorial takes about five minutes.

Putting things in perspective, approximately $668 billion has been allocated in the federal budget for the war in Iraq; $222 billion has been allocated for the war in Afghanistan. Disclosure about the numbers shown here. To state the obvious, our war costs expended in fewer than seven years nearly cover the worst case financial scenario for healthcare reform over ten years. One dares say the healthcare returns will be greater. LLII.