Thoughts about the pending health care reform legislation

A number of my colleagues are incensed that the current health care reform bill pending in the Senate doesn't contain a strong public option. Me? I'm more of a half-a-loaf-is-better-than-none type of guy. Let's get a reform bill out of Congress and signed by the President. Once that door is opened, future lawmakers can work on perfecting it.

Look, there's 46 million Americans walking around today without health insurance. Millions more have such poor insurance that any kind of sickness will take them into bankruptcy. Too many small businesses that once provided health insurance to their employees can no longer afford it. Those that have insurance have probably had to deal with higher premiums, increased co-payments and less coverage. The research group Commonwealth Fund estimates in 10 years the average health insurance policy for an employed worker will cost $23,800 by the year 2020. Sure, some of that will be paid by employers, but ... And what about those who have to buy their health insurance directly?

And, yes, there are problems with the current legislation, in addition to the absence of a meaningful public option. Another is the reduced payments for Medicare recipients. I would also like to see provisions in there that allow the importation of cheaper drugs. But one thing it won't do -- and too many Republicans are telling outright lies about this fact: It won't increase the deficit. The legislation contains provisions that will not only pay the full cost of the reform, but actually reduce our deficit, although, admittedly, not by a whole lot. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the reduction to be between $130 billion and $650 billion during the next 10 years.

I find it disingenuous, however, that the same Republican lawmakers who wanted to extend former President Bush's tax breaks to the wealthy, tax breaks that added $4 trillion to the deficit, are now claiming we cannot afford health care reform.

So even though it could do more, the time has long passed to do something for those 46 uninsured Americans.