Health Reform Celebration Seems Premature

[egoclothes]

I really dread the next 2 years.



A Year After Christmas Eve Senate Vote, Health Reform Celebration Seems Premature
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599203960900/print


By KATE PICKERT Kate Pickert – Sat Dec 25, 6:30 am ET



.............

Republicans' first targets, aside from the health reform law in its entirety, will be provisions that are particularly unpopular or misunderstood. Republican senators have already unveiled legislation, for instance, to repeal health reform's new Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a group charged with limiting the growth of Medicare spending, saying it wrongly hands Medicare decisions typically made by Congress to "politically appointed Washington bureaucrats." The name of their bill is "The Health Care Bureaucrats Elimination Act." (See the top 10 political gaffes.)


In addition, beginning in January, Republican-controlled committees in the House are expected to summon Administration officials to Capitol Hill frequently to testify about health reform. These hearings will give Republicans a fresh chance to suggest health reform will lead to "rationing" and drive up costs. Republicans are also promising to cut off funding needed to implement the law, even though such efforts would, like repeal, require approval from the Senate and President. A fight over appropriations could have the effect of simply bungling implementation, while not halting it altogether. Republicans may maneuver to successfully block some Affordable Care Act-specific funding if just a few Democrats sign on, which would mean Democrats would have to implement the law using general Department of Health and Human Services funding - doable, but not ideal. In addition, some Republican governors have pledged to slow implementation, which could have an effect on rollout as the Affordable Care Act gives states significant power over certain important aspects of the law like new insurance exchanges. "There's a lot of tricks up our sleeve in terms of how we can dent this, kick it, slow it down, to make sure it never happens," incoming Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said. "Trust me, I want to make sure this health care bill never, ever, ever is implemented."
And Republicans have already put themselves in a stronger position to make mischief. The week before Christmas this year, Reid tried to pass a massive spending bill that would have included, among other things, funds for federal agencies charged with implementing the Affordable Care Act. The effort failed, which means House Republicans will be in charge of the purse strings next time a big spending bill comes up for a vote - in March. A showdown over health reform spending is likely. (See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2010.)

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is furiously trying to defend the Administration's signature legislative achievement in court. Although two federal judges previously ruled that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, a third said earlier this month that a central tenet of the law is not. At the heart of the legal debate is the individual mandate, a requirement that all Americans carry health insurance beginning in 2014. A final decision on the matter will likely be made by the Supreme Court years from now, casting a shadow of doubt over the law until then. (Comment on this story.) ..............

[RandomThoughts]

1. Last 10 years have sucked, so personally not worried about it.

Figure there will be some good time somewhere, and if I can avoid hating those that do not correct what they should have corrected, then I figure I will be doing fine.