There are lots of things in the Health Insurance Reform bill that Republicans and Democrats disagree on. Many Americans are dismayed just by the size of the bill itself. The enormity of the bill almost ensures that many have no idea what is really in it. Because the Democrats began this journey into fixing a broken Health Insurance system, they have a responsibility to let the American public know what is in the bill. One of the ironies of this bill is that while lots of people are against the bill as a whole, if they are asked questions about individual aspects of the bill, they are for them. That's an issue of education - of not knowing what is in the bill itself.
Most think that excluding a person from health insurance coverage due to a pre-existing condition is wrong. The current bill would correct that and prevent health insurance companies from discriminating because of pre-existing conditions. Health insurance portability is another hot button. Why can't I buy health insurance from a company in Nevada if what they offer fits my need better than the insurance offered in my own state? That's another issue that would be corrected. These are just two examples of items that on their own merit, most Americans can agree on, but when lumped into a huge all-encompassing bill, there is less agreement.
I do have to say, though, that as a liberal I am troubled by the general lack of support for a public option. I know that conservatives generally oppose any expansion of government, but if the insurance premiums deducted from paychecks start going to a government run public health care system instead of to a corporate, profit-driven insurance company, why should the average American care? The change would make it possible for every person in the country to have access to medical care. I find this possibility exciting. It's important to me that people be able to see a doctor when they need to and have access to preventative medical care which would help lower medical costs for the poor. This is much more important to me that the continuation of our current system that serves mostly to grow the coffers of public health insurance companies.
From my viewpoint, changing our current health insurance system would have no effect on the health care system. It would change who has access to health care, but not on the quality of health care itself. Our leaders need to find a way to get this message out so that the average person can understand. If an informed electorate is still opposed to the changes, then so be it. But I can't accept uninformed dissent.
