Health Care Reform

[asterroc]

What do I need to know about the version passed last night? And what happens next to make it law?

Comments

[blahblahboy.livejournal.com]

It's got some weird stuff in it. In order to get the cost down, they added some provision on student loans which would save money by moving the money from Sallie Mae to Pell grants (I'm not sure how that works). I've read some claims that it backloads costs until after the first ten years, so it looks like it saves money. "Cadillac" health plans won't be taxed until 2018 (as opposed to 2012 in the senate bill).

It taxes "high" income people ($200,000+ for singles, $250,000+ for married), big pharma, medical device makers. (The taxes are higher than those in the senate bill.) It gets rid of flex spending plans. It disallows co-pays. It gets rid of doughnut hole policy in Medicare (after the first $2800 or so you have to pay 100% for drugs until you get to $5000 or something).

Everybody must purchase healthcare. You're not allowed to give credits to healthier people (ie., same cost plan must be offered to the smoker vs. the non-smoker).

The senate must pass the reconciliation bills by simple majority. Thirteen state AGs are suing that it is unconstitutional because it mandates everybody to buy health insurance and penalizes you if you don't.