Why it Matters:
Health insurance reform is quite possibly this president's greatest legislative achievement to date and although it did not, in the end, take the precise form that the president initially wished, it represents a gargantuan stepping stone in the fight to shore up our nation's healthcare system. I would like to take a few moments to explain some of the short-term effects of this legislation to address concerns that the common consumer may have, and also to discuss the political ramifications of the legislation.
Much of the legislation that was passed will not go into effect until much later, with the Exchanges beginning as late as 2014, but there are a great deal of effects that will be felt immediately, especially to those who have previously been denied coverage or whose income hovers somewhere around the poverty line. The website Crooks and Liars has a list of 10 instant effects of reform, which can be found here http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/what-you-get-when-hcr-passes. To summarize, there will be more care available to more people, and it will be delivered in a more transparent and accountable way. I highly suggest that everyone read this list because it will affect you, sooner or later.
In terms of domestic politics, the passage of H.R. 3590 and its reconciliation sidecar changes the dynamic of this year's midterm elections. While Republicans were initially hoping to use a successful defeat of healthcare reform as one of their principal talking points in the upcoming election cycle, they have now been forced to focus on efforts to repeal the bill, which, in the end, will likely prove unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Democrats, who at one time looked as if they would be unable to deliver on one of the most important points of their agenda, now have a huge legislative victory. Historically, major healthcare reform is unpopular during the legislative process, but becomes overwhelmingly popular once the reforms are implemented, and I can't see any reason why this legislation would be different. Because of the timeline of the bill, the most controversial parts of the legislation will not even be implemented until much later, while the more popular elements will be introduced immediately. It is smart legislation in terms of policy as well as politics.
One one hand, it brings the United States into a large group of developed and developing countries who view access to healthcare as right, rather than a privilege. On the other hand, it expands the role of government in our daily lives, simply because, as we have learned in our current system, our insurance providers are incapable of policing themselves and taking the moral high ground. This is why it matters. I understand the argument for keeping the influence of government to a minimum in our daily lives, and I fully support it. However, when an entire industry refuses to operate fairly and continually abuses customers who are dependent on it for survival, I'll take government intervention over inaction every time. Let me offer an analogy to illustrate my point. Imagine a child that is suffering physical abuse at the hand of a parent. As the child, would you rather continue to suffer the abuse, as you are dependent on the parent for survival, or would you allow law enforcement or child protective services to help mend the relationship and make the parent accountable for their actions? If you were a law enforcement official, wouldn't you feel the responsibility to protect the child in this situation? I believe that the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens, even if it means making difficult decisions to do so.
Thank you President Obama, Spkr. Pelosi, and Sen. Reid and everyone else in Washington and elsewhere for making these difficult decisions. The American people thank you.
One final thought. Please note that when I speak of industries abusing their customers, I was not reserving my language solely for the health insurance industry. This sort of industry-wide consumer abuse and neglect happens in many other industries as well, the most influential of which being the financial sector. I look forward to discussing why that matters in separate post.
/theGHenius
