The House Budget Committee put Reconciliation in motion today, a move to press the combined Health Care Reform bill through with a democratic majority, rather than a 60% concurrence. It remains unclear what, precisely, is in the bill, let alone what the real effects of the bill may be. What President Obama is telling us is that it will NOT affect Medicare/Medicaid and that opponents to the bill are not telling the truth. Of course, the Democrats aren’t telling the full truth either, because some of the aspects of the bill aren’t scheduled to commence for some 9 years. It’s true that the longest journey begins with the first steps, but people should know that they’ll be paying for it via taxes long before they receive any of its benefits.
The fact that the minority Republican representatives cast dispersions on the bill is not surprising. That’s about all that they can do, given their lack of political clout. But calling it “a legislative Trojan Horse,” as Representative Paul Ryan (R, WI) claims, is also political hyperbole. Other Republican’s have stated that the Democrats are cramming this bill down the throats of the American people, whether they like it or not. Yet more hyperbole; most of the American people want some sort of Healthcare Reform. But unfortunately, neither side is being entirely forthright about what this bill will and will not do nor when any of it may actually happen.
Meanwhile, Tort Reform and public options are apparently off the table; at best, they are a long ways off. For now and the foreseeable future, it remains up to us, health care providers and patients alike, to see to our needs. One step in the right direction is preventative care. Patients are well-served to try to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid diseases in the first place. Doctors. too, should look ahead and consider the peace-of-mind benefits that Medical Justice membership can provide you and your practice.
