With the U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 3962 Saturday in Washington, the country now looks to the U.S. Senate to see if a new health care bill will make it through.

The bill, also known as the Affordable Health Care for America Act, passed out of the House of Representatives with a 220-215 vote.

House Democrats needed 218 votes to pass the bill into the Senate and at the end of the evening the final tally was 219 Democrats for the bill, 39 Democrats against it.

Only one Republican, Rep. Anh Joseph Cao, R-Louisiana, voted in favor of the bill, and in a statement said he was putting aside partisan feelings to do what he felt was best for his constituents.

Other Republicans, including Indiana Congressman Steve Buyer, IN-04, were angered by the passage of the bill.

“We need health care reform that works for all Hoosiers and provides real help regarding access and cost,: Buyer said in a press release. “People on both sides of the aisle agree that we need to improve access and costs. However, our current government programs, Social Security and Medicare, are in financial despair. Instead of working to fix these programs and ensure that they can continue to provide for future generations of seniors, the Democrat leadership is committed to creating another entitlement program and placing trillions of dollars in debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren.”

Only two amendments were accepted by the Committee on Rules for consideration on the House floor. The Pitts/Stupak amendment to prohibit taxpayer-funded abortion and the Republican health care reform proposal.

The 1,990 page, $1.2 trillion bill is one of the most sweeping health care reform bills to see such success in Congress. Most Republicans, and many citizens of various political leanings, are concerned with the idea of the government competing with private insurers.

The Associated Press reported that there are two versions of the bill, a House bill and a Senate bill, and both would extend medical coverage to almost all Americans by using government subsidies to pay premiums.

In both bills, all Americans would be required to carry health insurance. The government subsidies and consumer protections wouldn’t take effect until 2013. In the meantime, both bills would provide $5 billion in federal money to get coverage for citizens with medical problems or those who have been turned down. Both bills would also expand Medicaid health programs for low-income people.

The AP also reports that the majority of people with employer-provided health insurance may not see changes to their coverage. The main beneficiaries would be the people who have no coverage at work or who have to buy it on their own.

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker said in a press release that the bill is an important step in ensuring that all Americans have access to quality health care coverage.

“Last November, Americans voted for change, and today, that’s what they got,” Parker said. “Nearly 100 years ago President Teddy Roosevelt called for health care reform and today, we have come closer than ever to make it a reality. The Affordable Health Care for America Act will provide long overdue reforms to the insurance industry and important protections for Hoosiers. It will also provide more quality, affordable choices while bringing down the sky-high costs for families and businesses, and lowering the national deficit. Because of this act, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions or cancel coverage because of illnesses.”

Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark blamed the Indiana Democratic representatives for voting for the bill.

“Today is a frustrating day for Hoosiers and all Americans,” Clark said. “In the midst of economic turmoil and in spite of the very vocal concerns of their constituents, the Democrat-led Congress showed how out of touch they have become by passing legislation that we can’t afford, will kill jobs, and will bankrupt states. Reps. Baron Hill, Brad Ellsworth, and Joe Donnelly voted to thrust upon us a bill that generations of young Hoosiers will struggle to pay for. Americans are clamoring for water to be thrown on the economic fire. Democrats like Reps. Hill, Ellsworth, and Donnelly continue to give them gasoline.”

There is currently no date set by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to begin debate on the bill in the Senate.





SIDEBAR:

The Associated Press has assembled a list of the major differences in the two Senate and House of Representatives health care bills.

n The House bill would require employers to provide coverage; the Senate bill does not.

n The House bill would pay for the coverage expansion by raising taxes on upper-income earners; the Senate uses a variety of taxes and fees, including a levy on high-cost insurance plans.

n The House plan costs about $1.2 trillion over 10 years; the Senate version is under $900 billion.



Word on the street

“This country is in desperate need of health care reform, however, the reckless actions taken so far by the House and bill are inappropriate. It should include tort reform, which it does not, and they are glaring over the issue of transparency. No one understands what’s in the bill and I think they are being dishonest with the public.”

— Jason Gibson, Brownsburg



“It is stupid. I don’t approve of any of this. They are screwing it up.”

— Michael Davis, Pittsboro



“I think people around here should have to work to get health insurance. But for the ones who are not fortunate enough to work, they should have some help. I think it goes both ways.”

— Simone Tayler, Brownsburg



charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com