The current status of healthcare reform |

The current health care reform legislation was signed into law by President Obama just one year ago, and since that event, many things have taken place. While it is true that there are good principles within it, there are others which many agree need to be changed. Combined with the present court battles, some federal judges have made the decision that parts of it are unconstitutional, while others do not agree. The final decision will undoubtedly rest in the hands of the United States Supreme Court as to the fate of the current legislation. Given the current political environment, there is little chance of this legislation being repealed and repealing it is not what is needed.

Much legislation is initiated and signed into law by the President each year, and from time to time, changes need to be made to address situations which develop that were not intended. This legislation is no different. From various reports and news coverage, we know that much of the legislation had bi-party agreement and support while about 20% did not. This percentage is the focus of this article

Before going further, I wish to point out that I myself have not read the entire document and I doubt there are many individuals that can say they have accomplished this feat. Some of our elected representatives have even admitted to not having read the document before they made their voting decision. It is not my intent to criticize those individuals that fall into this category, but to address what needs to be done now to fix the problems many have indicated need correction.

Previously, I have noted that repealing the entire legislation is not going to happen in the current political environment. While there was a vote in the House of Representatives to repeal the legislation, it is more than likely not going to happen. Today there are individual efforts to address many of the issues which have surfaced and in some cases were identified prior to the legislation becoming law. The current situation with the ensuing court battles will undoubtedly need to be resolved one way or another by the United States Supreme Court.

It is my intention to make one point clear and that is healthcare reform is needed to address the rising costs and the causes. Congress must come together to fix the inadequacies in the current legislation where it is needed. When the Supreme Court hears the case on this legislation, and there is no doubt that this will take place, the decision will have significant impact on the healthcare industry. Healthcare is something that everyone needs for themselves and for their families. Problems associated with the current legislation have been identified from several fronts.

The impact of the current health reform legislation is occurring in pieces as several aspects will not go into effect until 2014. While this is the case, there have been reports that waivers have been granted to some of the requirements engrained within the legislation. The basis for these waivers may be sound, but Congress must look at the reason the waivers were granted and work to eliminate the need for them where possible. The fact that some businesses or organizations have been granted waivers while the rest of us must comply raises question.

In closing, the current healthcare reform legislation signed into law by President Obama needs to have changes made. President Obama has even identified the need to make some changes. The process now before Congress is for all political parties to come together and do the right thing for the country and make the necessary changes to address identified problems. One example which needs to be reviewed is the need for tort reform. This aspect of the healthcare industry is a big cost factor and was not addressed either intentionally or unintentionally within the current legislation. It must be addressed now along with other pressing issues for reducing the cost of healthcare.

There are many good changes in the legislation and they should remain, but they should be a part of legislation to fix the issues. This will help keep healthcare reform alive if it turns out that the United States Supreme Court declares the legislation in violation of the Constitution. Such legislation will make the decision easier to replace or modify it. Some may feel that such legislation may make the need for such review unnecessary, but the main sticking point is the mandate to buy insurance. This aspect of the legislation is not likely to be altered by any legislation in the foreseeable future as it is engrained within the legislation.