Healthcare Reform
Late Saturday night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping healthcare reform bill. The plan passed by a slim majority (220 to 215) is projected to cost $1.1 trillion over the next 10 years. This bill, with the inclusion of a government health insurance program or public option, is expected to extend coverage to 36 million individuals who are currently uninsured. The Senate is currently working to bring a bill to the floor. If a bill passes out of the Senate the two will then have to be combined.
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law recently put together an overview of the impact that the House bill will have on individuals with mental illness. This information can be found at http://www.bazelon.org/issues/healthreform/HouseSummary11-09.pdf. Over the past several months, we have all heard a great deal about the different healthcare reform bills that have been working their way through Congress and regardless of your political opinion, health care reform of some sort seems as if it will soon become a reality. We can’t yet be sure about the depth or the scope of the final reform, but we can all continue to track the progress and provide our opinions to our elected officials. We will continue to keep you updated about the progression of healthcare reform so stay tuned.
I hope you all have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
