Health Care Reform: “Failure is not an option”

That’s what Charles Schumer said yesterday during the health reform debate. He also said “We're not going to not pass a bill.”

Also NOT an option: The endless dithering, posturing and masturbating that threatens to derail any and all health care reform.

Our underworked overpaid “representatives” need to get off their asses and get a bill passed and ready for Obama’s signature before the end of the year. I’m as strongly in favor of the public option as anyone — better yet, a single payer system. This is clearly indicated in lots of earlier posts and comments at other blogs.

But the public option — and now abortion (it figures!) — can NOT be allowed to derail the entire package. Too many legislators are willing to scuttle the entire bill if it isn’t perfect. And this is exactly what the Health Insurance Harem (formerly known as the GOP) wants. This is not the time for “I won’t vote for a bill that contains/doesn’t contain ______________.”

This article lists fourteen changes that will take effect in January 2010, if — and only IF — Obama signs a health care reform bill before the end of this year.

Among these changes: ending the disgraceful and immoral practice of rescission. This is where an insurance company nullifies a patient’s policy — in order to sleaze out of paying the patient’s medical bills — by “discovering” something the patient “omitted” on the insurance application form. “So, you bought a pack of Rolaids five years ago. You didn’t mention anything about your pre-existing stomach condition. Your policy is hereby canceled.”

This practice is a huge moneymaker for the health insurance industry, and it needs to be stopped ASAP.

Health insurers will also be prohibited from placing a lifetime cap on a patient’s coverage.

The article ends with: “Later on, as with Social Security and Medicare, there will plenty of opportunity to amend the law in Congress. For now, let's help Democrats get HCR passed.”