Americans see Light – Health care reform passes the Senate approval

Finally, Healthcare reform is a reality. Passed by the House with a 219-212 vote, the bill now goes to President Obama for signing. And to complete the package, a bill of negotiated changes to the newly passed legislation will go to the Senate for a vote. It took a lot to explain ( a 18-day stretch in which Obama traveled to four states and lobbied more than 60 wavering lawmakers in person or by phone to secure passage of the health reform bill) to all the American lawmakers that health is a right and not a derivative of how much one can pay the Health management organizations or Insurers.

The reform package will extend insurance coverage to some 32 million more Americans, adding millions more who can now access health care.

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Much of the money in the bill would be devoted to subsidies to help families at incomes of up to $88,000 a year pay their premiums. The bill will allow senior citizens get more help paying for drugs in Medicare. People with health problems that left them uninsurable could now qualify for coverage through a federal program.

Republican critics said the $940 billion legislation was a heavy-handed intrusion in the healthcare sector that will drive up costs, increase the budget deficit and reduce patients’ choices.
 

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• The House Makes History With Health Care (kristof.blogs.nytimes.com)