Since OBama got into office, he's been pushing for healthcare reform. He has tweeted non-stop about it, encouraging people to call the health care reform call centerand write letters to their congressmen to help push the bill through. (As an aside: Oh! how my liberal, free-speech-loving heart wishes I could do that in Zimbabwe without being slightly concerned about abduction and/or torture and/or execution [speaking out against Mugabe is considered treason, we still have the death penalty for treason]!)
Well, last night, the bill went through! What this means, in a nutshell, that TV characters will stop whining about having no insurance (except for on Weeds; since they're all living off-the-grid, they can't really afford to have insurance). No, seriously though, this is actually an awesome thing. Let me clarify that: it'll be an awesome thing for the people; it'll be a terrible thing for the insurance companies. This article explains it quite simply (as in, summed up in ten points, rather than rambling on, lawyer style, about the multitude of implications that will need to be clarified in case law. I mean that in a nice way), if you're up to a bit of extra reading. Basically, people will be encouraged to provide more of the country access to insurance.
Speaking as the daughter of an insurance broker and an accountant (yes, I'm also quite sure I'm adopted), this is quite revolutionary. Insurance companies tend to exclude people from coverage if they're going to cost the company a lot of money. I suppose that's understandable, given that they need to pay their staff too (and earn enough for executive country-club memberships). So, if you have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, a history of cancer, you can't buy a normal insurance policy. If you can afford it, you can buy MHD (medical history disregarded) policies for double the price of an ordinary one. The new bill stops exclusions like that, and gives more options to the early retirement demographic (if you're over 72, I'm sorry, most companies will not let you have health insurance).
I think this is quite a novel approach to providing universal healthcare. Instead of doing as the UK did - increasing tax and then providing a no-frills medical service - they've taken the Robin Hood path - taking money from The Man and using it to provide health care to the Little Guy. While many (including every Republican senator, none of whom backed the bill) balk at the prospect of rearranging it that way, this is the most utilitarian way of going about it. It means that many international insurance providers will, most likely, pull out of America, because it will become a less profitable market. However, it sets an interesting example.
Imagine if we could do that in other places - Zimbabwe, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which, for the record, is not very democratic, practising succession of the presidency and things) - how much simpler life would be. Unfortunately, the people we'd be taking it from wouldn't be the corrupt government officials, we'd be taking it from people also trying to keep their heads above the water. Oh well, it would've been awesome if it had been a viable plan. Still *hi5* to the US Senate for passing such a controversial bill! (Even if it will lead to a dip in the American economy.)
Well, last night, the bill went through! What this means, in a nutshell, that TV characters will stop whining about having no insurance (except for on Weeds; since they're all living off-the-grid, they can't really afford to have insurance). No, seriously though, this is actually an awesome thing. Let me clarify that: it'll be an awesome thing for the people; it'll be a terrible thing for the insurance companies. This article explains it quite simply (as in, summed up in ten points, rather than rambling on, lawyer style, about the multitude of implications that will need to be clarified in case law. I mean that in a nice way), if you're up to a bit of extra reading. Basically, people will be encouraged to provide more of the country access to insurance.
Speaking as the daughter of an insurance broker and an accountant (yes, I'm also quite sure I'm adopted), this is quite revolutionary. Insurance companies tend to exclude people from coverage if they're going to cost the company a lot of money. I suppose that's understandable, given that they need to pay their staff too (and earn enough for executive country-club memberships). So, if you have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, a history of cancer, you can't buy a normal insurance policy. If you can afford it, you can buy MHD (medical history disregarded) policies for double the price of an ordinary one. The new bill stops exclusions like that, and gives more options to the early retirement demographic (if you're over 72, I'm sorry, most companies will not let you have health insurance).
I think this is quite a novel approach to providing universal healthcare. Instead of doing as the UK did - increasing tax and then providing a no-frills medical service - they've taken the Robin Hood path - taking money from The Man and using it to provide health care to the Little Guy. While many (including every Republican senator, none of whom backed the bill) balk at the prospect of rearranging it that way, this is the most utilitarian way of going about it. It means that many international insurance providers will, most likely, pull out of America, because it will become a less profitable market. However, it sets an interesting example.
Imagine if we could do that in other places - Zimbabwe, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which, for the record, is not very democratic, practising succession of the presidency and things) - how much simpler life would be. Unfortunately, the people we'd be taking it from wouldn't be the corrupt government officials, we'd be taking it from people also trying to keep their heads above the water. Oh well, it would've been awesome if it had been a viable plan. Still *hi5* to the US Senate for passing such a controversial bill! (Even if it will lead to a dip in the American economy.)
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