Great day for health care reform!!!!

This is a great day because one of the biggest parts of the plan in my opinion went through without much objection. People can no longer be denied due to pre-existing conditions. Morally, in my opinion, that was the biggest victory of the bill. All of the other parts to me like it will be a wait and see situation on whether it will work. Talking to some of my friends in med school, they were not happy at all with the passing of the bill and (not to really put them on blast) it reflected sort of their unfamiliarity with the bill and perhaps greediness in my opinion. Many of them complained about making less money and having to now specialize in order to make up for the salary difference. Reading the comments from republicans and opposition to the bill, I feel that most of these people are misinformed and perhaps it sheds a little bit of light upon the lack of knowledge, the general lack of knowledge about the bill and the health care system in general. One of my friends (in med school) stated that all the uninsured people should "just go get jobs". This to me reflects an attitude of "me first" that is very much the theme of the U.S. and its capitalist system. We talked about this in class 1 or 2 weeks ago. I just feel that there is a major lack of unity amongst our population in terms of caring for each other's well being outside of a major disaster happening. Not one of my friends mentioned that 32 million people can potentiallly benefit from this bill, which really shows the mentality of all of us (myself included).

I watched CNN all day on Sunday and I was really excited about the passing of health care bill. After the House voted and passed the Senate's version of the bill, I was watching Larry King Live and they brought two Congressmen, a male Republican and a female Democrat. The first thing that the Republican Congressman was saying was that this was not bipartisan at all and that President Obama and the Democrats to blame for it. The Democrat Congresswoman immediately made an angry facial expression to show her anger at his talk. When she spoke next, she told him that it was ridiculous of him to say that and that the Republicans just want any excuse to not work with the Democrats.

Instead of being happy with the new legislation, it was very apparent that all the Republicans were washing their hands of the new law for their personal gain. It was very upsetting that it boiled down to this at the end because the Republicans want to keep themselves clear of the law in case of any backlash that might come from it. Also, the comment that was yelled during the session accusing a Conservative Democrat of being a 'baby killer' was just uncalled for.
After that, all of the media coverage was talking about that statement instead of talking about the historic new health care legislation that was passed! The media completely disregarded how HUGE this monumental moment was and started sidetracking to the 'baby killer' comment.

I think that Americans in general will approve of the law once they see that it is actually saving Americans money. Unfortunately, no one will be able to see these results for years so the only people who are fully happy with this law for now are those who needed health coverage. , Republicans, and Democrats will watch and wait to see where they stand on this law when it actually starts making change.

We have all witnessed a historic moment in our nations history that so many support, but it seems just as many oppose. I, personally, am thrilled with the passage of this bill. This creates opportunities for those who previously couldn't get health care to receive some. Although, so many people do not like this. On my way home from the airport Saturday evening, I shared a shuttle with an undergraduate USC student. As soon as he found out I was in public health, he voiced his opinions and concerns about health care reform. Like so many other people that I have heard, it seems that a big concern is the cost and it's financial impact on our nation. He also was concerned about the impact on those who pay taxes and thus cover some of the services for others. I didn't know until I was watching Fox News after the bill passed, that the new bill will cover insurance plans that include abortions, having us taxpayers cover that cost. This has been a major source of debate for so many people. The government is requiring taxpayers to pay for something they don't necessarily believe in.

Overall, the bill is going to help so many Americans achieve their dreams through simply having the health care they need to live their lives. Though I did find it interesting that my two cousins (sisters) who are insurance brokers for an insurance company in Northern California are on opposite sides of the spectrum for support of this bill.

This is definitely the start of an historic era, but I think the passage of health care reform has left Americans even more confused. I hear people saying "so, what does this mean for me?" Even after watching these videos I still need clarification. All the formalities make the basic concepts difficult to understand. As for abortion, I think I understood that some people are against federal funding for cases that don't include rape, incest, or danger to the mother. If this is the case and we don't fund the abortions, we are still willing to pay more (with federal dollars) to practically raise the kid, right?

Remember when I commented how Obama's hand gestures signaled confidence. I think this was the day he wore a purple tie. Well I found this link for further explanation:


Purple tie explanation

The Steeple: Believed to be a sure sign of confidence this is most commonly used by a seated person and imparts a clear message of authority and serene control. In many cases this is a superior to subordinate hand gesture. It can also imply that the user is listening patiently and wisely while at the same time thinking deep and important thoughts. As such, it's similar to meditation postures. Still, if used too blatantly, it can be misinterpreted as supercilious or "master mind at work." It has been used often in B-grade "Hong Kong" movies usually performed by the master villain.


Post by Emily Silverstein

Historic as this bill may be, it is a bit discouraging when considering all of the bitter arguing and even hostile opposition that we needed to get through to eventually get to this point. I've never paid so much attention to any other legislation as much as I have for this Health Care Reform bill in these last few weeks, and I'm sure many would agree that at times, it was a complete circus.

Despite all of that, I guess it is a victory for many Americans who will now be able to get insurance coverage regardless of any pre-existing conditions. But, considering that there is still much debate about the real costs of this bill, and even discussion of it going bankrupt (before any of it has even been implemented), how effective this bill will be towards addressing the ever increasing costs of health care remains to be seen.

Also, because of the complexity of this bill many people still seem to be wary of whether or not it is, or will be, a positive step towards significant health care reform. It is for this reason that I am relieved about the passing of the bill, but I can't say that I am 100% happy or satisfied with it because I really don't know how much of an impact it will have by the time all of the features of it will take effect.

on a sidenote, I was sickened by how those protesters treated that man with Parkinson's. Apparently he has a PhD from Cornell and worked as a nuclear engineer. Those protesters are monsters.

another sidenote, I didn't know until hearing Nancy Pelosi talk about it, that being a woman was at some point a pre-existing condition?? wow. good one insurance companies.

Can't we ALL just get along?

Nobody said that healthcare reform was an easy task, however, after an arduous process, we now have a healthcare bill that extends and covers an estimated 32 million uninsured. How extraordinary is that? Not to mention, the millions that will now be able to buy health insurance without the fear of being denied coverage. Indeed, it is a historic moment!

What troubles me is the oppositions violent resistant. Democratic’s are saying that the GOP is in sighting violent behavior. Just today, CNN reports that at least 10 Democratic Senators received death threats while several others have received via fax - hate mail. There’s footage of Sen. King (R-Florida) who had a poster of House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, where he gives her the thumbs down and made a slapping motion across her face. Not to mention, on Sarah Palin’s twitter, she wrote “Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!”

I realize that this bill for many is scary because we don’t know if this reform will bankrupt our system. But at least for now, let us be grateful for the opportunity this bill offers to millions of Americans who will now be covered under this healthcare reform. And in the words of the famous Rodney King, “Can’t we ALL, just get along?”

It Passed!!!!

I am really happy to see such a big change in my lifetime! I truly do hope this measure ends the bad practices of insurance companies, and reduces our nation's overall health care costs. In theory this should reduce cost over time because if people are able to access health care early on (as they should be able to do as temporary coverage will be provided to those with pre-existing conditions) this is more cost effective than the same person eventually being admitted to the ER because they could not afford earlier care.

How the country will react to reform largely has to do with how reform will be enforced and implemented. If people actually are able to access the health care they need, they will react well to reform and elect a democratic majority in the midterm elections. If things seem to become more expensive I would expect to see republicans pick up some seats. As well as affecting how the country reacts, this will also affect the future of politicians.

I think it is particularly interesting at how polarized the topic of health care reform has become. It's to the point where congressmen are yelling "Baby Killer" at each other? See link below:

Have you drunk the kool-aid?

First off, let me say that I support the bill and feel it's a step in the right direction. However, this bill is far from ideal and leaves many questions to be answered about our future (especially how we're going to pay for all of this). This is not the end of health reform. It's going to have to be an ongoing process to be successful.

So, with that said, I'm going to provide a slightly more oppositional view to this bill since everyone else here does a good job listing and elucidating the benefits.

Some things I don't like (or just wonder about):

1. No public option or medicare buy-in. I feel this is a primary way to promote competition and I have reservations about the government mandating that people buy a product from private insurers without being provided with a public non-profit option.

2. The plan is not nearly as economically feasible as the CBO makes it seem. A lot of the avenues for creating revenue don't come into effect until several years down the road, and who knows what the political landscape will be like then. Thus, who knows if some of the taxes will be implemented (like the tax on "Cadillac" plans starting in 2018...not likely). The CBO does not really take into account realistic feasibility of some of the revenue streams. There's also a good deal of accounting finagling - "creative" ways to push some of the costs to later years to make immediate 5 and 10-year projections look more favorable. But these things will still end up contributing to the national debt (and thus making the interest paid on debt a higher and higher % of the GDP, possibly forcing a further devaluation of our currency...but I'm no expert in monetary policy). Also, the main cost-saving measure involves $500 billion saved from restructuring medicare and finding various efficiencies. Let's hope so. Either way, there's going to be a lot of new..

3. Bureaucracy. New agencies will be created to find efficiencies, evaluate programs, and other such measures. We'd be naïve to think that this wouldn't lead to any new corruption (and intense lobbying from insurers/providers to keep their profits high). But maybe I'm just being cynical. The funding for these new agencies will also likely come from new bills in the coming years, as this current bill doesn't provide much of it (so the $960 billion cost estimate may be optimistically [or deceptively] low). Also, there'll be 16,000 new IRS agents to make sure all the taxes are collected. If there's one thing Americans can agree on, it's that we need more IRS agents. Clearly. That said..

4. Regulation is only as good as the enforcement behind it. Let's hope this new government control actually provides the benefits we hope it will.

5. Premiums for the healthiest people will likely go up in the individual market (the way I see it, but I hope I'm wrong - I admit ignorance here). Don't smoke? Don't overeat? Use condoms? Good, you can now subsidize the obese smoker having unprotected sex next door (attractive mental image, for sure), as you both pay the same premium. I think there needs to be a way to punish poor health decisions (or rather, incentivize good health decisions) and I don't feel that providing more preventive medicine and education is the only answer. (Edit: Whoops, whether someone smokes is still a factor insurance companies can use to determine premiums, along with age (limited at 3:1 ratio), geography, and family size. But these effects don't go in until 2014.)

6. No inter-state health insurance. I think the Republicans had a good idea here and it should've been included. Also, tort reform. Like Obama said, the possible financial benefits from this is relatively low, but it's still worthy of consideration.

7. "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom." Almost the entire burden of this bill rests on taxing the rich. Maybe it's convenient and good for the general public, but is it completely justified?

8. This bill is an abomination of our constitutional rights! Well, at least according to libertarians. But then again, all taxes can be considered the same way. The government is stealing our money! Oh, I love listening to Ron Paul's commentary (here's a good one about how health care is not a right and this bill will bankrupt he country). The bigger problem now is that the government is forcing us to pay for a product sold by for-profit companies.

9. Some of the minimum benefits required for insurance plans are a bit ridiculous. If you don't have kids, your plan still has to cover pediatric services. You're a woman without children and no plan for children (or you're sterile)? Your plan still has to cover maternity services.

10. An extra 10% tax on ultraviolet tanning‽ You have got to be kidding me! I can barely afford to go twice a month as it is. Either way, I can see why Boehner is up in arms against this bill.

I kind of agree with a lot of what Howard Dean says. He's a supporter of reform, but doesn't think this bill goes far enough (especially without a public option/medicare buy-in). Here's his opinion, he has some interesting commentary:

We're fans, but is everyone?

As public health students, I think we hold similar views about the passage of health care reform. We're pleased that such historic legislation made it through the House - and while we're taking this class, too. We're curious as to what health care reform will actually do. We're surprised by the ugliness of the political process. Baby killer? Really?

The passage of health care reform holds exciting implications for future access to health care, as well as for public health initiatives (funding for community health centers!). But whether there are improvements in the delivery of care remains to be seen. Cost-efficiency remains to be seen. Nonetheless, this passage proves change is possible - even change of such magnitude.

I'm interested in public opinion. It seems that people outside of the public health and health policy fields are unaware of what Sunday's passage means, and are a mixture of pleased, confused, and concerned. President Obama's approval rating is apparently the lowest its ever been. I'm also interested in the future politics that will arise as a passage of this reform. Will campaigns get ugly as Republicans scorn Obama and the Democrats for pushing health care reform through the House with a miniscule margin?

I have to agree that Sunday night was a historic moment. I'm very excited that health care reform passed and that we're finally on the path to change. Health care reform has failed so many times in the past that I'm still shocked I got to experience that moment. I was checking out polls prior to Sunday and the country seemed to be divided over the issue, with almost half of the people polled not supportive of health care reform, but it seems that public support is increasing now that the bills were passed. I for one, would have liked to have seen more coming from the bill, like a public option, but I think it's a huge step toward achieving change in our health care system. I'm particularly pleased that health care coverage will be extended to 32 million Americans and that insurance companies will no longer be able to drop people if they become sick. I think the changes that are to come are something we should be proud of and I hope the country can become more supportive of the progress health care reform will bring.

health care reform

I think that is a good thing for most of the Americans who are uninsured, especially who are really in need and are refused by the insurance companies. However, this is an uncertain thing that the federal budge can afford the next 10 years and beyond the next decade. Furthermore, what the effect could be on the middle class, which is the largest group in society? Take the example from Taiwan medical system, although it does take care every individual in Taiwan including foreigners, immigrant labors, short term studying foreign students, those are eligible for applying for national health insurance, and under the coverage of medical care. However, this provision has implemented for about 10 years, and it has caused a huge budge deficit. Every financial year, it was proposed to raise the amount of premium, but it is failed every time. Recently, the Minister of Health Department almost stepped down for the new provision of raising premium. However, this provision is still not passed because there will be an election held in the end of year .That is so political.....

I'm so happy I'm in this class right now! This is so exciting. I'm happy that the reform passed because I do think our healthcare system is definitely in need of a reform. However I'm not so sure I'm on board with how everything will be reformed but most of it won't be in effect until 2014. I'm interested to see what else comes from the reform, especially because in reading a lot of the post op comments they were talking about how the pharmaceutical companies are coming out ahead. Also I don't know if the insurance issues we currently have are going to be fully addressed in the reform. But overall I think it will be a good thing I'm just not so sure that the process will be a good thing. As for Obama I saw a poll that his popularity was at 22% so I don't know if passing the reform will bring it up or not. As for how the bill passed and how the debate over it went down, I was appalled by both sides, I just feel like neither party was particularly well mannered but I guess that's politics.

yea...what they said...

I'm with most of my classmates on this one - I feel that healthcare in America really deserved the attention that it finally got on Sunday night. I also feel that a lot of laypeople just assume that the reform will indeed "reform" overnight, but precedent shows that this is not the case. This bill was the most revolutionary improvement to healthcare since Medicare, and that was nearly 40 years ago. But it will probably take quite a bit of time for individuals to actually realize the fruits of this reform.

Many of my friends who aren't public health gurus also seem to think that now that Obama signed the bill into law, we're all smooth sailing. But just two days after health reform passed, attorney generals from 13 states sued the federal government claiming that the bill is unconstitutional. Some states appear to be teaming up with each other, while others are filing their own lawsuits. But...legal professionals say that there's a greater chance of seeing pigs fly than having these states win their lawsuits because federal law is above state law, according to the constitution. I'd just like to see how all of this plays out in the coming months...

The opposition's ugly side

Watching the coverage of the health care "debate" between the two sides, it became all too obvious that the fear-mongering of the opponents to reform (and its effect on their protesters) had sunk to lows not seen since the 60's Civil Rights Act debate. Vikram mentioned the Congressman calling his colleague a "baby killer" before backtracking and saying he called the bill a baby killer (because that's apparently more reasonable), but the most abhorrent actions were those of the so-called "Tea Party" protesters, including:

• Shouting racial slurs at Freedom Rider and 60's Civil Rights hero Rep. John Lewis, which is sadly unsurprising with GOP congressman like Rep. Paul Broun choosing racially-charged language like "If Obamacare passes, that free insurance card that’s in people’s pockets is gonna be as worthless as a Confederate dollar after the War Between the States—the Great War of Yankee Aggression." Great War of Yankee Aggression? Excuse me, I thought it was the year 2010 and people were happy slavery was over. Oh, and by the way, the bit about insurance cards becoming worthless - untrue.

• Spitting on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.....gross.

• Shouting homophobic slurs at Rep. Barney Frank

As disgraceful as those actions were, perhaps the most appalling was the way protesters treated a man afflicted with Parkinson's. I'll let the video speak for itself....

I believe this piece of legislation is indeed groundbreaking. I support the bill because the health of individuals should not have a price-tag attached to it. In a country as great as america, it is absurd that 10 percent of our citizens have no access to healthcare. I feel that the bill is not understood by the majority of the population, which leads to the disagreement and dislike of the bill. Republicans seem to just shout out whatever claims they want without proper evidence or knowledge, (i.e. "baby killer"). As of now, it may hurt obama and the democrats because the population does not see the long-term positive effects of the bill, but at the same time I believe this debate hurt the republicans too because of the immaturity they displayed. Hopefully the public will see the benefits of the bill and gain proper perspective of what the bill does for the nation.

Key videos from the reform

I hope everyone had an excellent break. I personally am excited about the health care reform and view this is a proud day for the country. Hopefully now, the fear mongering put forth as talking points by the Republicans will subside. Ultimately, I believe health care delivery should dramatically improve over the next decade.

Please view the videos covering the vote provided by Dr. Stevens.
The debate:

House Debate

-Note the drama filled final remarks by Boehner (minority leader) and Pelosi (majority leader) at 13:21.

The actual votes:

Actual Votes

-Watch a heated debate on abortion (including Stupak's statement) during a move to basically send the bill that was just passed back to committee: 25:00-32:00.

-Watching the vote tally is interesting (216 was needed to pass the senate bill) and then the chants and cheers for those votes starting around 10:00.

The president's speech:

President's Speech

See you Thursday!