Thursday, August 27, 2009
Health Care Reform
I attended a town hall meeting on the health care reform bill last night.
I think the major problem is that they're trying to do too much into one bill. The bill should be separated into component parts, with each part debated on and passed or not passed separately, instead of one all or nothing thing.
For example, the congressman (Rush Holt) divided the bill into 3 parts: Standards for what health insurance covers, an insurance exchange (he called it an insurance store), and the public option. Why did that all have to be in the same bill? Why not (at least) 3 bills. I like the idea of the insurance exchange (ability to get group rates outside of an employer or union), but I'm worried that the "public option" will receive taxpayer subsidies and be able to undercut the private plans that way, and eventually become the only option, and, while I am generally in favor of standards for health insurance, I'm worried that, for example, sex changes will be covered, while necessary surgery for smokers will not be.
So why does this have to be an all or nothing thing?
I think the major problem is that they're trying to do too much into one bill. The bill should be separated into component parts, with each part debated on and passed or not passed separately, instead of one all or nothing thing.
For example, the congressman (Rush Holt) divided the bill into 3 parts: Standards for what health insurance covers, an insurance exchange (he called it an insurance store), and the public option. Why did that all have to be in the same bill? Why not (at least) 3 bills. I like the idea of the insurance exchange (ability to get group rates outside of an employer or union), but I'm worried that the "public option" will receive taxpayer subsidies and be able to undercut the private plans that way, and eventually become the only option, and, while I am generally in favor of standards for health insurance, I'm worried that, for example, sex changes will be covered, while necessary surgery for smokers will not be.
So why does this have to be an all or nothing thing?
