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Health bill has no 'big losers' PDF Print E-mail
Written by Richard Wolf and Alison Young   

the one that wants health rationing

WASHINGTON — Unlike most of the laws Congress passes each year, the massive health care bill President Obama will sign today is destined to affect nearly all American families.

Poor adults will get Medicaid. Low-income families will get federal subsidies to buy insurance. Small businesses will get tax credits. Children will be able to stay on parents' policies until they turn 26. Seniors will gain additional prescription drug coverage. People with medical conditions will gain peace of mind because insurers have to cover them.

On the other hand, the wealthy will pay higher taxes to help finance the 10-year, roughly $940 billion cost. Businesses with 50 or more workers will have to insure them or pay a penalty. Individuals, too, will have to pay a fine if they don't buy insurance. Premiums could rise for some people. Seniors with Medicare Advantage policies could lose those plans or pay more to keep them.


When Congress said "health care for all," they didn't mean it literally. The Congressional Budget Office projects that millions will remain uninsured by refusing to comply with the new mandate, or because the new federal assistance just isn't enough. Yet nearly all of us will feel the impact of the 2,407-page bill Obama signs today and its 153-page package of corrections that's expected to gain final Senate approval this week.

"Because of the way in which this is set up, there's lots of tangible benefits delivered to people, but the pain is very well distributed," says Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health care research group. "While there are some losers, there aren't any big losers."

Katie Naranjo, 23, is a winner. She was dropped from her parents' health insurance policy last June after she graduated from the University of Texas. She says she now pays $411 a month for a private policy — more than her rent — and is excited about the possibility of getting back on her parents' policy.

"That monthly cost is a significant portion of my monthly salary," said Naranjo, who runs a small Internet marketing firm in Austin with friends, and campaigned for the health overhaul as president of the College Democrats of America. Richard Wolf and Alison Young

 

 




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