Americans Win!!!

This is a great and historic day for America! While the Senate health care reform bill has its flaws, it also has great "bones." By that, I mean it has a great structure that will serve America for many decades. It will:

• set minimal standards for health insurance
  • guarantee coverage
    
  • eliminate recision
• create health insurance marketplaces where consumers can easily compare and contrast plans from different insurers
  
• help those with low- and middle-incomes purchase health insurance
  • provide tax subsidies that to people with incomes less than 400% of FPL
    
  • limit out-of-pocket costs for people with incomes less than 400% of FPL
• help small businesses provide health insurance to their employees
  
• start controlling health care costs
  • eliminate overpayments for Medicare Advantage plans
    
  • establish a strong Independent Medicare Advisory Panel to recommend cost saving measures
    
  • test potential cost-saving changes such as bundled payments
    

I don't think that Jonathan Chaitt is too far off when her writes that, "[h]istorians will see this health care bill as a masterfully crafted piece of legislation."