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U.S. Senate Vote On Health Care Reform: New Health Bill Passed
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by Yuliya Talmazan | December 24, 2009 at 08:55 am
11796 views | 33 Recommendations | 46 comments
U.S. Senate vote on the health care reform was successful today. The new health care bill was passed on the Christmas Eve with a 60-39 vote. The new health care bill took three weeks of debate and a lot of political wrangling, but today's Senate vote took less than fifteen minutes. The new health care bill becomes a landmark piece of legislature that will cost $871 billion over a decade and is expected to completely overhaul the health care system as Americans know it. Democrats called today's vote a "gift for all Americans," while no Republicans voted, saying the new health care bill will end up being "one of the most widely hated legislation of the decade" that the Republican party will make sure does not become law.
The new health care bill:
- extends health care coverage to include 94% of Americans
- increases Medicare payroll tax on individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples earning more than $250,000
- offers federal tax subsidies to low-income families that can't afford coverage
- requires individuals to buy insurance from their employers or government with financial penalty for people who do not buy insurance (as much as $750 per person)
- penalizes employers who do not offer affordable insurance plans
- cuts costs from Medicare and reduces budget deficit
- funds abortions (with an option for states to opt out)
- restricts the ability of private insurers to deny coverage to ill individuals or people with pre-existing conditions
- bans lifetime limits on insurance coverage
- does not offer a "public option" (premiums offered by the government - a public rather than private health insurance plan)
- does not cover illegal immigrants
The next step for the new heath care bill passed by the Senate today is to be reconciled with the health care bill previously passed by the House.
A lot of controversy was generated over the so-called "Nebraska exception," as part of which Senator of Nebraska Bel Nelson yielded in on the Health Bill that he previously opposed to get a special treatment for his state. Nelson was the last Democratic holdout, but changed his mind eventually. In exchange, the federal government agreed to cover 100% of Nebraska's health care bill for an indefinite amount of time.
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Recommendations (33)
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (46)
at 09:24 on December 24th, 2009
There is a long road ahead yet.
at 11:01 on December 24th, 2009
Yes it is great to see our government now passes bills in spite of the majority of Americans opposing it. It makes me feel so proud are servants became our master. We are secure now.
at 13:27 on December 25th, 2009
The majority of Americans support Health Care reform. Perhaps your Mother is not needlessly anxious and fearful at the onset of a runny nose, a scratchy throat, or a horrid cough signifying another onset of bronchitis. A Mother who has worked her entire life to support her herself, her mother, and her son, but now trembles in fear of a cold that could lead to a doctor's visit that she cannot afford. Why? Because she is a hairdresser - an independent business woman with no access to affordable insurance. A monthly health insurance premium costs more than her monthly income. Perhaps your father-in-law does not have Parkinson's - a devastating disease that has slowly sucked away the life savings that he spent 45 years building. The system is broken. The costs are insane. There is a better way.
at 12:26 on December 30th, 2009
You got my symphathy, and I agree that "...majority of Americans support Health Care reform." But do all Americans support this Health Care reform recently passed by the US Congress and Senate? This could be a big debate, I suggest the US Congress and Senate pass a bill for a Natinal Census of Yay or Nay to their recently passed HC reform. But then again it's a waste of tax money. And why would they listen to the American people anyway, it's a waste of time.
at 14:23 on December 31st, 2009
yes!! right on. i'm sorry if that happened to you personally. i agree
at 22:26 on March 21st, 2010
Thank you for this comment, you have said everything I couldn't exactly express in words. I agree 100% with you on this. I am a self employed single mother without insurance and the thought of getting sick and not being able to get proper health care is a scary thing to live with day by day. I am happy someone else see's this as I do. Thank you for speaking up for us : )
at 14:13 on December 31st, 2009
You've polled all of America? there's a percentage that wants the healthcare to change.....we just don't know. And i'm sick of money being the issue all the time. That's the federal reserve's problem, not mine
at 19:07 on March 21st, 2010
I am so proud that someone in this country still doesn't know the difference between "are" and "our". Your statement is practically invalid because clearly, you aren't intelligent enough to either write coherently OR proofread. Most people don't understand that the health care bill that passed, and those that will pass in the future, won't affect most of middle-class Americans that already HAVE health care. It will help provide health care for individuals who need it the most, which includes the poor and the very ill.In other, more important news, this is a great step for making health care a right, not a privilege. Thank God.
at 13:01 on December 24th, 2009
This is ridiculous there is so much wrong with this health bill and now we have to go along conform even if we do not believe in this... who does this remind me of. Hitler. Socialist. Government. I do not want to pay for "peoples mistakes" as they look at it when other people wish they could have that "mistake" -abortions.
at 14:16 on December 24th, 2009
@above comment Please, give me a break. If you have never made a mistake in your life that someone else has helped you get out of, then we should send you to the Smithsonian because you truly are one of a kind. And if you truly are arguing that it giving up a child for adoption is a similar and always better alternative to abortion, then you are either uneducated about the process of pregnancy or delusional. As a child of adoption, I fully support it, but I must say--being pregnant for 9 months while trying to continue normally with your life is extremely difficult, nearly impossible, and abortion represents a viable form of help for women who become unexpectedly pregnant. Having an abortion is not an easy choice whatsoever, don't insult the women who have had them.
at 12:03 on December 25th, 2009
Seriously? Here is an easy solution to avoiding getting "unexpectedly" pregnant. DON'T HAVE SEX. That's a pretty easy one.
at 10:16 on December 29th, 2009
Get real.. You must be a virgin. Sex is a natural human urge and function. People WILL have sex no matter what, and that's real. Plain and simple, we know people will never stop having sex and therefore science has come up with methods to assist in situations caused by having sex. Can we please use logic and thought here people. Take all the spiritual hang ups out of the equation and realize that it's all biological and mistakes happen, like it or not.
at 12:24 on December 29th, 2009
You are right it is a natural urge to have sex, but there is such a thing as self control. If people exercised this more often they would get themselves in a lot less trouble. Also there is such a thing called birth control which is given out for free at planned parenthood clinics if people had self control and used birth control they would not have to kill there unborn children. If you choose not to use self control I don't care how inconvenient it is that child is your responsibility. Since when should abortion be used for convenience of the mother, there are so many side effects of abortion that can not be reversed both physically and emotionally.
at 11:54 on December 30th, 2009
Yes, lets use some basic logic 101. Ever wonder, what if your Mommy decided to abort your life, denying you to experience your first breath of air; denying your first glance of what is in this world of flesh (and lust). Basically biology did not exist for you. Would that be better for you? Maybe yes, or maybe no. How many of you would rather die than be born?
at 10:27 on December 29th, 2009
Get real.. You must be a virgin. Sex is a natural human urge and function. People WILL have sex no matter what, and that's real. Plain and simple, we know people will never stop having sex and therefore science has come up with methods to assist in situations caused by having sex. Can we please use logic and thought here people. Take all the spiritual hang ups out of the equation and realize that it's all biological and mistakes happen, like it or not.
at 22:17 on January 5th, 2010
I agree with you, people do make mistakes, but a child is not a mistake. People have sex and they don't think of the consequences. Women get raped and become pregnant. A child is conceived from both scenario one and two, yes a child! I believe it is wrong to take a child’s life through the act of an abortion, as do so many other people in this country. Some people say that abortion should be a choice that women should be given, for arguments sake, let's say they should be given that choice. However, why should I or my neighbor be forced to pay for the careless act of another? This act, of allotting money in the health care bill to pay for abortions, promotes careless behavior and does not discourage it. Also, you had made a comment about a person being uneducated or delusional. I am very familiar with the process of pregnancy, I myself have four children. There are so many couples out there wanting to adopt that are finding the adoption process too complicated. They can’t become parents when they want to, contrary to those that abort their child and not become parents. It seems to me a person would have to be uneducated about the adoption needs and processes to even suggest abortion. Also, the over whelming percentages of women who do abort report a deep regret for having killed their baby. Many of those women report that the alternative had never been given to them, the pressure was what led them to their choice. That to me is uneducated. Ignorance is promoted in our system. Let us give equal promotion, abstanance and adoption vs. contraception and abortion. Let the money be spread both ways as to allow girls, women, to make an educated decision. This health care bill is a big force that will drive us to socialism. It seems nice, people will have insurance, however, they will lose choice. Through time, the powers to be will make the decision for you, which doctor you see and what kind of care you get. How do I know this, because it happens today with the Medicare and Medicaid system. There are doctors out there that won’t get paid if they refer their patient to a specialist outside the system, even if they feel confident that the specialist will give the best care to their patient. This kind of socialistic medicine is happening today. Do you want to have a government official decide what level of care you get or do you want your doctor, as well as yourself, to make those decisions? The writing is on the wall, and for everyone not to see that… it is beyond me.
at 02:33 on January 6th, 2010
First off abortion is NOT health CARE it is health ELIMINATION. It is completely unconstitional to force us to pay for an abortion much less have abortion even legal in the first place. The constitution states that we have the right to life, liberty, and property. Without the right to life the rest of the constitution is an absolutely pointless piece of paper. All of us know that life starts at conception so abortion has taken that right away from every person who has been conceived since it was legalized. Explain how abortion is health CARE and not health ELIMINATION. Plus you need to educate yourself on the adverse effects of abortion before you start to claim that it's a viable form of help for women because it's not. I'm not condemning those who have had abortions because I know that most of them are hurting very deeply emotionally from it, let alone the adverse health problems they are now dealing with because of the abortion. My heart goes out to them and keep them in my prayers.
at 14:19 on December 31st, 2009
i know. Just like the people who don't like the current system and have no say so in how its ran because they don't have the money..... healthcare should not be a profit sector....i wouldn't resent aetna and humana and all those for- profit greedy bastards if they actually helped people who need the coverage but when 45,000 americans die each year because of no coverage or crappy insurance, then there's a problem. Our country spends more whether we have insurance of not...this is a moral issue. and these conservatives talk about being God-fearing... those people are the last to actually talk about the nature of God. and i'm not even religious
at 15:05 on December 24th, 2009
beginning of a new world order
at 17:17 on December 24th, 2009
Right, let's penalize people who choose to not get health insurance. GOOD idea.I'm confused. That list says "requires individuals to buy insurance from their employers or government ." What about buying personally from private insurance?
at 20:57 on December 24th, 2009
And what I don't understand is, if the Government doesn't have a public option, what is this "or from the Government" all about???
at 22:42 on January 5th, 2010
From what I can see, the government, which I thought was the people, is trying to run the private insurance companies out of business. What is happening right now is that members of the house and Senate are proposing tax increases for the private insurance companies. This will lead to the need for insurance rates to increase to cover the increase cost of the taxes. Simply, the tax increase will be passed onto the consumer. The increase in rates will make it even harder for the hard working person to afford an alternative form of insurance. They will be given no choice but to accept the government run insurance, where the choices will not be their own. This penalty that will be forced on us, will force many Americans to choose the only thing they can afford, government insurance. Isn’t poli(tics) fascinating?
at 18:35 on December 24th, 2009
i think there is something called personal responsibility...everyone is responsible for themselves..to protect themselves..to think and react...if you choose not to have health insurance and choose to cause others to pay for you..then you choose to pay for that choice.....freedom of choice...responsibility..that's what its all about...
at 20:39 on December 24th, 2009
This is ludicrous! I AM one of those poor people who they claim they are supposedly helping. No way can I afford to be obligated to purchase health insurance. I haven’t been to the doctor in literally 20 years (since I was a child). It’s been 18 years since I’ve been the dentist. Why? BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD IT!!!! Now they will financially PUNISH me for being poor? How ridiculously stupid! Are they going to pay my rent, buy my food, and maintain my car so I can buy their damn insurance? I exist on a tiny $50/month after I pay my normal bills. It’s my only shred of income I use to actually try to enjoy my life and they wish to steal all that and more so they can pat each other on the back and claim they are doing “good”? The worst kind of evil dons the mask of benevolence.
at 12:35 on March 21st, 2010
There will be plenty for everyone at any of the FEMA camps already in place to deal with that very thing. Don't worry, your government loves you......
at 21:56 on December 24th, 2009
What happened to "America land of the FREE and home of the brave"????? We are no longer free to make our own choices!!! They have officaly taken away everything we have ever stood for!!!
at 12:05 on December 25th, 2009
To the poor dude. You're really not going to have to pay hardly anything. The federal tax subsidies will pay for the vast majority of your care. Instead of risking serious illness by not catching something in time you can go get preventative care that the rest of us will pay for for you. Are you really complaining?
at 10:19 on December 26th, 2009
unemployment is well over 18% When you run out of benifits money from the state, you are no longewr classified as unemployed. If we could keep these unemployed people away from medical help, then this program will work great as they die off from a common cold etc. I am mentally disabled and stay sick most of the time. I have not been able to get any help because I fall into the cracks of no help from any program. I look foward to death and this plan should get me and many others there soon. And my son in a few years can start paying for this mistake called Obama and the democrats. They can now spend more money on NASA, building statues, save the polor bears, more money for our enemys and war in the new plan, Oh and now make it harder for airlines to fly. Obama will destroy the american dream for so many.
at 06:43 on December 27th, 2009
The list above states that it "restricts the ability of private insurers to deny coverage to ill individuals or people with pre-existing conditions" This sounds a little confusing. From what it says, it seems as if they are saying private insurers cannot "deny" coverage completely, because of a pre existing condition. But does this eliminate the insurance companies from being able to deny specific conditions, due to pre existing reasons?? That is the problem that me, and MANY people I know are having RIGHT NOW!! Most insurance companies WILL usually "cover" you. (and gladly take your premium every month!") But in the instance of an illness, they will look back, and deny you coverage for that condition, for pre-existing reasons! This needs to stop!! People are dying!! I just hope that this is ironed out and we all, as americans, ill or healthy, get the medical coverage we need desperately!
at 09:45 on December 27th, 2009
To think that a country as rich and powerful as The USA cannot afford universal insurance is as stupid as it gets. Look at EU - they have it for about 40 years and it's OK.
Who brainwashed Americans into thinking that education and healthcare is a money pit?
Don't you see WHAT really is a money pit and WHERE most of your tax dollars VANISH?