HEALTH CARE REFORM 2010

Summary of the bill

The original version of the Bill is known as The Affordable Health Choices for America Act or H.R. (3962). Following successful debates, it was amended into parts known as Education Reconciliation Act and Patient Protection and Affordable Coverage Act (PPACA). Both make the health reforms in United states 2010. The Bill has three main sections; A, B and C. Section A aims at reducing total number of uninsured individual. It also proposes to restructure the insurance market, sets minimum standards in health benefits and provides for assistance financially for some people. The second section B proposes improvement for Medicaid and Medicare programs. Finally, section C proposes expansion of workforce for public health. The public policy aims at reducing the health care cost, expand citizens’ coverage, and replace outdated practices. Some of the practices the bill will replace include the provision of Medicare by private insurer at the market price. However, to enact the changes that this bill proposes, America must pay. An estimate of $938 billion is required to finance the bill for the first 10 years (Grier, 2010). To pursue this, the bill proposes to provide more than 30 million Americans with insurance coverage. In addition, it will consider some of the people previously excluded from insurance coverage. Therefore, among the new entrants in the coverage are children previously excluded because of their preexisting condition. The bill further proposes that all Americans by 2014 should have insurance protection, with just a few exemptions. In the PPACA, the bill targets to protect programs in Medicaid and Medicare from abuse. It will do this by excluding some people from federal programs or through fines. Finally, in order to fund the bill, it proposes new taxes to some insurance plans and certain activities. For instance, it will enact an exercise tax of 40 percent, by 2018 on Cadillac medical plans (Auerbach, 2010, 4).

Bill sponsors and its purpose

A group of Representatives introduced the original bill before its amendment in the House of Representatives. The Primary sponsor was John Dingell of Michigan. Others include Rangel, George Miller Representative California, Waxman, Stark, Andrews and Pallone (“H. R. 3962”, 2009).

The main goal of the bill is to make health care affordable and expand insurance coverage. This is something that leaders in America have always attempted to since 20^th century. It is good to note that the bill is part of what the president team promised to deliver in their party manifesto. Therefore, it was a strategy for Obama to take advantage of President Bush’s failure to pay attention to health reforms, which his predecessors failed to deliver, such as Clinton. The president based his argument for health reforms on U.S. census data in 2007 that indicated 45.7 million Americans were not insured against health care issues. This number included those living under the poverty line as well as people in various socio-economic backgrounds (Auerbach, 2). In addition, the country only committed a small portion of economic output to Medicare and Medicaid. This continued to jeopardize the lives of this group living them under the hands of private health care.

After the bill was originally introduced to what committee, was it referred?

The original bill for the health reforms was Affordable Health Care for America Act. After its introduction on October 29, 2009, this bill passed through several committees of the house for revision, discussion, and investigation before its release for debate. These include Energy and Commerce Committee, Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Government Reform, Natural Resources, the Budget, Rules, and the judiciary committee (“H. R. 3962”, 2009).

Did the committee take action on the bill? Did it pass in the House or Senate or both?

Each committee considered the bill effects with regard to its provision. For instance, the Rules committee looked into the bill and made House resolution 903 as well as a report, number 111-330. Its report provided the amendments that were made and adopted in case the bill was to go through the house in both parts A and B. In addition, the committee provided amendments by Representative Stupak of Michigan, which it considered as adopted in the event that the bill passed through the house for both parts A and B. In the event these amendments were not to be adopted, the committee offered Boehner, Ohio Representatives amendment. This committee resolution also provided the procedure to be followed in debating the bill, and set ground rules to be observed.

After discussion and voting on amendments from various committees in House of Representatives, the bill finally passed, on November seventh 2009. The votes cast for were two hundred and twenty, while against were two hundred and fifteen. Majority of the votes supporting this bill came from the democrats. The bill as passed in the House of Representatives was forwarded to the Senate.

The senate passed its version of the bill called the PPACA with a 60-39 vote. All the democrats voted for the bill and two candidates from independent party. Republicans opposed the bill. In the senate, various changes to the bill took place, in an effort to gather the sixty votes required. Some of them include rejection of a proposal to permit importation of prescription drugs, and exclusion of a government managed plan to cover those American not insured by employers (Ioma, 2010).

Who are some of the people who testified for or against the bill?

Many republican did not vote for the bill. However, Ann Cao is the only Republican among them who voted for the bill. On the other hand, thirty four Democrats Representatives did not vote for the bill. Some of them are John Adler, Michael Arcuri, Jason Altmire, John Barrow, Dan Boren, Marrion Berry, Rick Boucher, Dan Lipinski, Bobby Bright, Collin Peterson, Mike Rose and Zack Space (Kanalley, 2010). All the other democrats voted for the bill.

Who might be seen as a beneficiary of the bill? Why? Who might be adversely affected? Why?

Some people may see insurance companies as one of the beneficiaries of this bill. This is because the bill proposes to expand insurance coverage to Americans. This is through its simpler rules in Medicaid eligibility and creation of an exercise tax to create insurance fund. This will mean that because of the bill, people previously not covered like those with low incomes and those barred from coverage by preexisting conditions or having certain diseases, will be covered. Translating this to some figures, American insurances are likely to get new enrollee to the tune of 32 million. This could mean increased revenue for the insurance (Bell, 2011, 17).

People adversely affected by the bill include those with Cadillac Medicare plans and those earning huge amount of salary. In order to fund the provisions of this act, the law has introduced a number of taxes on some insurance plans and certain activities. These will take effect by 2018. The proposed tax on Cadillac medical plans is forty percent. These so-called Cadillac medical plans are health insurance which are beyond $10,200 per annum for every person and $27, 500 for family plans. As for those who are earning more than $200, 000 per year and couples pocketing more than $250, 000 in the same period, the law is not friendly. This is because it proposes a Medicare payroll tax on these individuals. Other sectors that the law will stretch government arm to reach out for the funds include pharmaceutical companies and tanning industries (Auerbach, 2010, 4).

Well the debate would not be conclusive without mentioning some of the political winners and losers as the mainstream media has espoused. Democrats are seen to be the greatest winners with the enactment of this bill in the first place. Particularly President Obama, whose one of his campaign promises, was that he would bring health sector reforms, which will give Americans Affordable and insured health care. Although this is something that also benefits Americans, it of course goes to the political credits of the president. The other thing that Democrats would be celebrating about is the ability of those who do not support abortion to force the executive to adopt a clause that banned the state from using federal funds to pay for abortion (Jackson & Nolen, 2010).

What changed from the original bill to the final bill, if anything?

Senators made several changes to the bill. However, one of the outstanding changes was the Democrats elimination of a public plan that would have allowed government to establish an insurance exchange under the secretary of Health and Human Services. In its place they endorse a plan that merely gives some powers to Office of Personnel Management, to establish a low-cost national health plan. However, the running of this national plan was mandated entities that do not run for profit. The private sector will have the powers to create these entities and the public will access the plan in form of exchanges (H-COP, 2010).

The other change that took place on the bill has to do with Medicaid and Medicare. The house version of insurance program, proposed an expansion of the program to cover individual below the age of 65 years with income below federal poverty level of 150%. The expansion of Medicare cover was dropped in the senate for the age factor. The percentage of poverty level was revised to 133%.

Check to see how your legislator voted on the bill? Do you agree?

My legislator voted for the bill and I agree with him.

What is/ would have been your position on this bill?

My position is that Americans have waited long enough to have a health care act that would provide affordable care for all. This Bill offers that to the best of my understanding. Some of its clauses may not be agreeable but I believe that most of its provisions are meant for the best.

References

Auerbach, M. P. (2010). The Health Care Reform Act of 2010. Great Neck Journal: 1-2.

Bell, A. (2011). “Thanks for Nothing” Summit Business Media Journal: 16-18.

Grief, P. (2010). “Health care reform bill 101: Who will pay for reform?” The Christian Science Monitor 21 Mar. 2010: 1. Web. Retrieved on 9 Nov. 2011.

H.R.3962.retrieved on 9 Nov. 2011 from: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Health-Care Overhaul Proposals.” The Wall Street Journal 22 Mar. 2010.

ioma. (2010). “Managing Benefit Plans.” Institute of Management & Administration, 10.2: 1-5.

Jackson, J., and Nolen, J. (2010). “Health Care Reform Bill Summary: A look at what’s in the Bill.” CBSNEWS 21 Mar.2010:1.

Kaiser, H. J. (2010). “Obama’s Health Care Proposal.” Kaiser Health News 22 Feb. 2010: 1. Web. Retrieved on 9 Nov. 2011.

Kanalley, C. (2010). “Democrats Who Voted Against Health Care Bill (List).” Huff Post 9 Nov. 2011. Retrieved on 9 Nov. 2011.