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The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed an overhaul of the American health care system Saturday night by a vote of 220 to 215. People would be able to buy their insurance on an exchange, which would include a public option for those who do not have access to insurance through their jobs. Low- and middle-income families would receive government subsidies to purchase insurance, which would be be paid for through tax increases on individuals making more than $500,000 per year, as well as fees on medical providers. Finally, the bill would prohibit insurance companies from dropping or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions or cost of care.
For LGBT people there would be good news: plans that cover domestic partners would no longer be subject to federal taxes. This is an inequity corrected since married couples don't have to pay such taxes. There is a bit of a question of whether lesbians and gays who are married in states that recognize their marriages will have to pay federal taxes on the benefits. At the present time the Federal government doesn't recognize their marriages, and they are not technically domestic partners. It seems like splitting hairs, but this may be a loop hole best covered.
Measures in this bill for women took a both a step forward and a step or two backwards. Women would no longer pay higher premiums than men just because of the biological capacity of pregnancy. However: I suppose in order to get this bill passed a measure was put in that says insurance companies that cover abortions would be excluded from the government exchange program.
Of coarse, putting everything else aside for a moment the immediate question is: Will this bill pass in the Senate?
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-healthcare-house8-2009nov08,0,2548053.story
http://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/last_word/2009/11/domestic-developments-unmarrie.html
