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Via Democratic Strategist:

“So at 10:43 EDT, the 216th vote was cast for the Senate’s health care bill, which means, no matter what happens on the reconciliation bill later tonight in the House or later in the year in the Senate, the largest health reform legislation since the enactment of Medicare in 1965. The final vote was 219-212, or three votes more than the minimum necessary.”

That bill will immediately go to President Obama’s desk for his signature. A few minutes after the original bill passed, the House passed the bill containing “fixes” that will then go to the Senate via reconciliation. The Senate says they have the 51 votes necessary to pass that bill and send it to President Obama.

Two words: FUCK YEAH!

I’m not a huge fan of the healthcare reform that is about to pass Congress. Without a public option, it’s just a huge handout to medical corporate interests (via the individual mandate) with a sprinkling of good stuff for the little guys (citizens). It seems now that we progressives begrudgingly support it only to hold on to a slight majority in both houses of Congress so that we might live to fight another day on other important topics (fat chance!).

That being said, one of the things that has irked me the most about the proposed healthcare bill is the delayed effect of the most important provisions by two, four, and six years. So, I was glad to see this today from Rep. John Larson, listing the Top 10 Immediate Benefits of Health Care Reform:

* Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;
* Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool;

* Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;

* Lower seniors prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole;

* Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;

* Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;

* Require plans to cover an enrollee’s dependent children until age 26;

* Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;

* Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions;

* Require premium rebates to enrolees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.

As the Democratic Strategist notes:

The immediate benefits Larson cites are so good, so light-years ahead of where we are now. that memorizing just five of them and sharing the information with uncommitted voters should impress many of them enough to win their support. Emphasizing them to uncommitted House members can’t hurt either.

Start watching at about the 8:30 mark. WaPo columnist E. J. Dionne totally pwns Senator Hatch about reconciliation. Sweet.

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She reminds the summit that the public option would save 120 billion, that it is already law to not publicly fun abortion, and points out many other important key factual inaccuracies. Give ‘em hell, Nancy!!

In advance of the Health Care Summit tomorrow held at The Blair House, the NRCC launched this ad. I give them points for creativity. But, with “teabaggers” and now this quote, “They’re going to ram it down our throats,” I just can’t help but feel that a bunch of horny Republicans need to get laid and relax a little.

Man, this guy makes a lot of sense. The Dems are idiots for losing the public option.

Via Boing Boing:

Four graphs created by the International Federation of Health Plans that compare how much US residents and people in other countries pay for health care. As Jay Livingston of the Montclair SocioBlog says, “Our Lipitor must be four to ten times a good as the Lipitor that Canadians take.”

“I think most people believe that if the government goes into the insurance business that the private insurers will fold because nobody can compete with the government. Politicians will write these policies very generous. They’ll never raise premiums, and eventually people in the private sector will give way to the government plan. Which is their goal, by the way.” -Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on FOX.

Um, so the government can do something better than the private sector and therefore they shouldn’t do it? That is freaking hilarious. What Senator Graham is suggesting is that Americans should settle for less; settle for a mediocre health care system because that’s the best that the private sector can provide. And, if we as a people can create a more effective and efficient system, we shouldn’t do it because what we create would be too good. Wow. Graham’s line of reasoning is just absurd. But maybe he’s right: Americans should settle for corporate mediocrity because that’s free market capitalism at its best. Hm. Fascinating.

A very succinct explanation of the types of healthcare systems and just how conservative the public option is. Thanks Rachel!

Here is the one thing you should do this week to help the public option pass: Call Diane Feinstein’s office.

If you live here in SF, tell Feinstein’s aide who answers the phone: “I am a constituent in the city where Senator Feinstein got her start, San Francisco. My city has health coverage for all residents. I want for all Americans what we San Franciscans have: a public option that helps to ensure the health of all citizens. Senator Feinstein has a long history of supporting health care bills. Please tell her to support the public option on my behalf. Thank you.”

Phone: (415) 393-0707 or email the Senator here.

Feinstein and health care:
Feinstein skeptical on cost of public option

Feinstein’s solid record on health care

Feinstein’s stated position on health care issues

I make this pledge today: If Reid does not stand up for the public option in the Senate, I will not financially support him in his reelection next year. If he takes a bold stand and gets a public option into the Senate bill, I will donate money to Mr. Reid’s reelection campaign. Simple enough.