What Kind of Health Care Revisions Will We See?

Now that both the House and Senate have rushed through their versions of health care reform, we wonder what the final result will be if the two legislative bodies reach an agreement. There continue to be more negatives associated with the legislation than positives. It appears that more people will be able to get coverage, but neither bill provides coverage for all who may need the protection. The House bill calls for a public option, but the Senate version does not. We will have to wait and see if this becomes a contentious issue as they negotiate. Both versions require employers to provide health insurance or pay a penalty if they refuse. Furthermore, individuals not covered under employee plans will be required to purchase health insurance or face a penalty. The details of these mandates will have to be worked out.

Another contentious issue will be the question of government funded abortions. The House version does not allow for taxpayer funding of abortions but the Senate plan allows this to happen.

Further concerns include the fact that Tort Reform was left out of both bills. We also remain very skeptical in regards to Federal control over state based health insurance companies.

It is extremely disappointing that we watched ethical standards erode as negotiations took place, especially in the Senate. In order to reach the required 60 votes needed to pass the legislation, certain states were promised benefits that no other states will receive. An example was the state of Nebraska being offered an exemption from this state's share of Medicaid expansion, which is equivalent to $100 million. While some Senators were okay with this, others referred to it as corruption. The lesson to be learned from all of this is that Senators have a chance of getting something extra for their state if they will hold out on their vote!