I cannot even seem to keep up with all the latest on the health care reform debate. I understand, as an American, that quality health care is a vital issue, but is it not just as vital to every American despite their political party?

It is disheartening to read and hear how the need for health care is being passed among politicians as if it were just another political issue rather than a major concern to living people in need of real help.

President Obama, a few democrats, and the republican Olympia Snowe of Maine seem to be the most concerned about making health care available to everyone while also controlling health care costs and the country’s deficit. Every other part seems to only be interested in either looking out only for the interests of businesses and insurance agencies, not increasing taxes, or the country’s deficit, and, unfortunately, they do not seem too concerned about helping people in America who do not have insurance.

I say this because every plan proposed seems to me to have a major problem with it. The Senate Finance Committee Plan lead by Senator Max Baucus seems so far to be the favored plan; however, it would penalize people who do not get health insurance with an annual fine of $750.00 (with some exemptions) unless there has been a change that I am unaware of. Thankfully, I believe it does include a public health option. For a breakdown of each plans other guidelines, please visit http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/27/health.care.explainer/index.html.

The House Tri-Committee Plan (House Democrats) would have been my choice for best plan. It would require everyone to have “acceptable” health care coverage with the use of a 2% tax increase that is not to exceed the national average of health care premiums (it also allows for some exemptions). Health plans would be offered at four different levels for those not already covered by health care plans. It would offer a public health care option through the National Health Insurance Exchange where public plans would be similar to other types of insurance in that there would be premiums (this is the only point I think might not work for some lower-income people); however, it would expand Medicaid eligibility based on broader income criteria. Finally, it requires an employer to contribute at least 72% of the cost of insuring employees; otherwise, the employer must pay 8% into the National Health Insurance Exchange. I really did favor this plan. I wish that it would have been the one that was passed.

The major problem is that it seems no one can agree on which plan is best, and each party seems out to stop the other from winning.#The plans will cost $900 billion over the next 10 years, but will cut the deficit by $80billion. That sounds great to me, no matter what the outcome.

As of Friday, October the 16^th, the Iowa Democrat Senator Tom Harkin announced that a health care bill with a public option will be on Obama’s desk by Christmas. He stated that his committee has already passed a more liberal version of the health care bill than was proposed in these earlier versions, and that legislation that will have to be merged with the bill will be voted on later in the week by the Senate Finance Committee. Harkin stated that the Democrats only need sixty votes to pass the bill, and they have all that except for five votes. He believes that when the vote actually comes up, the five people holding the passing of the bill back will concede at that time.