Sounds good, let's get everything down to the prices in other countries. Housing, salaries, health care - makes it easier for everyone.

Don't get it when people moan about being forced to buy health insurance. A fair system like Medicare depends upon the enrollment of all the elderly, sick and healthy, and demands everyone pay Medicare premiums. Fact is, the healthy young do support their aging parents and grandparents and when they get old, the young will support them, too. This "freedom" everyone yammers about, the freedom to do what you damn well please. has a vicious side, too: not giving a rip about the community and the welfare of ALL the people. I don't have much patience with it.

What Democrats refuse to grasp is that there is a huge difference between health insurance and health care. We will be forced to buy high priced health insurance with large deductibles, so people still won't be able to afford to go to a doctor and won't go. Unregulated corporate nursing homes will continue charge thousands for 3rd rate care so patients don't get better. Yes, people will have health insurance but many won't be able to get any care. People will go broke quicker that's all.

The McCarran-Ferguson Act will be repealed before Labor Day. Then you will see some real cost control. By my math, no more than 80 cent of a premium dollar goes to pay for health services. When these behemoths are regulated like your electric company, the benefit portion of your dollar will be no less than 90 cents. Now if we had a Public Option, it would be 97 cents right off the bat. We'll see how the rules are set up for what kind of return the inusrers are allowed. Retail net-net is 5% and Macy's stock isn't hurting.

They can charge you up to 3x as much for pre-existing conditons and it doesnt even go in effect until 2014..I repeat, oh which planet do you spend most of your time? Neo liberalville?

Oh it's real easy for you to make your snarky comments hiding behind anonymity. If you have something to say then find some balls, identify yourself, and say it.

Otherwise why don't you just shut up.

RonP:

Yep, I sure enjoy my Medicare, brought to me by that corrupt entity, the Federal Government. I bet those getting veterans benefits just hate the Federal government for their healthcare, too. And Social Security? What a joke! If only we all had put our money into the stock market--we'd all be rich! You really haven't figured things out, have you?

As far as I am concerned, the Democrat and Obama supporters are mis-characterizing the Single Payer Health Care movement in America as some kind of tea-party-supporting cadre of Republicans. This is simply not the case. The extension of Medicare to include all ages, rather than this bill (which will allow insurance companies to maintain control), would be the answer to health care in this country. Additionally, we should keep defense spending to a minimum and spend more on public services (like health care). Health care justice for the impoverished does not have to be expensive (see Cuba, Sweden, and all of the developed world sans the US), but it is once the insurance companies and politicians lay siege to it in America. With all the Republicans spouting fear-mongering slogans decrying the evils of socialism, the bill that is about to be passed is an insult to socialism and one that capitulates to insurance companies. The hypocrisy of the Democrats, coupled with the hatred and fear-mongering of the Republicans, is not representative of the needs of impoverished people.

The article touts the benefits of medical tourism and supporting "free trade" However Mr.Baker let me remind you that when the Medicare prescription drug benefit was enacted a provision was put in specifically prohibiting Medicare from being able to negotiate prices for prescriptions. That ability alone would have significantly reduced the price of medical care in this country. Not to mention the fact that for quite some time it has been illegal for individuals to import prescription drugs from outside the U.S., as in Canada, where the same prescription drugs manufactured in the same medical factories sells for from 50 to as much as 90% cheaper. The drug companies have effectively been able to create a captive market where they can charge whatever they want. Where are the strangely silent free traders? The ones who are always crying "protectionism" when it involves any other industry other than health care Mr. Baker? How long do you think it will be before the special interests get curbs put on medical tourism? My guess is just as long as it takes it to start eating into their profits in any significant amount. No Mr. Baker the answer isn't in trying to go around the special interests but to take them on head on and get their influence eliminated from government. A good start would be to outlaw lobbying and eliminate campaign contributions from anyone other than the individuals that each member of Congress represents. Until we get back to a government of, by, and for the people we will solve nothing.

@Jonas Rand-That seems to be the new corporatecrat trick. I spent all of yesterday arguing with people about this supposedly wonderful HC bill exposing all of it's many weaknesses. No matter how many times I tried to explain that I am a life-long dem, I am a progressive, I want change to the HC system in this country but I do not want to give it all away to these big insurance hacks, it didn't matter. Each and every one simply tried to paint me as a neanderthal teabagger. As if someone with a mind and someone who cares about the people could not possibly be against this plan. Please.

All I can say, Jonas, is third party, third party, third party. I'm off to the courthouse this morning to change my registration to independent after thirty years voting for democrats. There are no democrats any longer, only corporatecrats.

Sadly, eliminating preexisting condition exclusions without controls on premium will mean that access to coverage will be increased mainly on paper. It is likely that in response, insurers will increase rates for everyone.

This article is a good summation of many of the good and bad parts of the bill. One point that I think everyone missed so far is that the bill uses regulations as a substitute for real, lasting change. That is the main cop-out by the Democrats. The insurance companies will find ways to get around the regulations, and if not, they will simply get them repealed in a few years. That is what pretty much always happens with regulations. They are better than nothing, but at best they are a temporary bandage over a massive, bleeding wound.

The exchange does not provide real competition and thus will have little or no pressure to hold down costs or strengthen coverage. A strong public option would have held down costs and put enormous pressure on the insurance companies to provide better coverage. But more importantly, it would make the regulations work. Even if insurance companies found new ways to screw us, even if they repealed some of the regulations, we would have another option, and they'd lose business.

Obama and the Congressional Democrat leaders decided they'd rather keep their promise to big corporations than keep their promise to the people. Big mistake. The reforms will be helpful, to some extent, for a period of time, but soon the situation will turn back into as much of a crisis as it is now. If Obama had just not blocked a strong public option, the bill would have been much better and the benefits would have lasted much longer.

Of course the best of all solutions would have been to expand Medicare to everyone. We should all fight for single payer, on the state and national levels.