This weekend, I drove past a busy demonstration full of signs denouncing our communist representatives and president.
Unfortunately, they seem not to have been successful in their pleas against the reform package, as the House ultimately succeeded in passing its reconciliation package on March 21. Now, the bill, which includes some changes from the Senate bill passed in December 2009, will head to President Obama's desk.
While many provisions won't take effect until 2014, many people are waiting and watching to see whether the legislation will lead to unintended consequences before the fact, such as insurance companies scrambling to deny coverage now, before they're banned from considering pre-existing conditions.
The National Association of Health Underwriters forwarded me their official response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, which can be summed up in two words: "Not enough."
"The high cost of health care is the primary problem with our current health care system and unfortunately the 'Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act' (HR 3590) passed last night does little to truly rein in these costs," the release quoted NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein as saying. "Health care costs are rising at an unsustainable rate, and if we don't get these costs under control, we will no longer be able to deliver the top-notch medical care that most Americans enjoy today."
