Euphonic Brew

(Updated) Pros and Cons of the Healthcare Reform Bill

My previous list of pros and cons of healthcare reform has gotten a bit dated. I’ve updated it. Once again, I’ve attempted to keep it as simple and non-partisan as I can manage. Let me know if you think I have misrepresented anything or left out anything crucial.

Pros:

• A lot of people who don’t have health insurance will now have health insurance.
  • 95% coverage of legal U.S. residents under 65 will be covered. Compare this with 83% and dropping now. This is an increase of 32,000,000 people. (Those over 65 are already covered by Medicare either way.)
  • Insurers will not be able to stop paying for people who are sick, even if they lose their jobs.
  • People who cannot afford health insurance won’t have to pay as much money for it. If you are particularly poor, insurance will be very cheap or even free.
  • People who are already sick will be eligible for healthcare.
  • Medicaid availability will expand significantly
  • Children will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until they are 26.
• Insurers must spend at least 80% of premiums on actual medical care.
• There will be a federally regulated insurance marketplace that should make health insurance more portable.
• The bill will reduce the deficit.
• Medicare fraud will be cracked down on.
• The prescription drug “donut hole” will be closed. (If you don’t know what that is, you will now never have to worry about it.)

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(via squashed)