So how about that "courageous" health care bill decision in the House, where a vote of 220-215 might actually hand Democrats and the White House something to look back upon fondly one day and be able to say, "Wow, we didn't fuck that up!" But with the Democrats wholeheartedly turning their backs on homos, might this health care bill actually include some things for the Gs?
Indeed.
Led by Washington's Rep. Jim McDermott, the bill would equalize treatment of health care benefits for same-sex domestic partners. Currently, heterosexual partners and their families who receive health care benefits from their employers get those benefits tax-free, while gay couples were walloped with a tax bill for those same benefits; their employers, meanwhile, sometimes also had to pay taxes on those benefits. But new language would dictate those benefits be provided tax-free to domestic partners.
The move would close an average $1,100/year gap in health care costs between straight and gay couples.
The bill would also allow Medicaid programs to fund the early treatment for those afflicted with HIV, rather than providing funds only after patients developed full-blown AIDS. Further, it creates a class distinction for LGBT Americans, identifying them as a health care minority and thus makes funds eligible for the specific study of health care problems within the community.
But don't get too excited just yet: The Senate must still vote on the "$1.1 trillion over 10 years" bill, where the main discrepancy will likely be over funding for abortions; House Democrats gave in on that point in order to get the bill passed (with a single Republican vote, from Louisiana's Rep. Anh Cao).
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It will not get through the senate in this format. The DP tax benefits and abortion funding (which is cool with me!) will both be cut, I bet my lunch money on it.
Hold the streamers and party balloons until the Senate decimates it! This means nothing, yet….
Fitz,
I watched C-SPAN last night and they passed an amendment to the bill that pretty much stripped the abortion funding from it. That's how they got some of the blue dogs to go along with it.
R, that's good news (re: non medical abortion)! I still sincerely doubt that DP tax bennies will make it through the senate, though. This is a nice way for the DNC to assure the loyal obamapologists "well, we tried".
Oh, and the battle will be over much more than just the abortion funding (or lack thereof). Who knows what this will look like when all is said and done.
Even if the DP benefits get past the Senate, the bill is not scheduled to take effect until 2013. And it should be mentioned that if you don't have insurance this bill says that you much buy it and there is a penalty if you do not. My advise is to buy stock in the health insurance companies – that's what all of Congress has done.
The single-payer system(REAL health care reform)? Shitcanned.
A robust public option that would cover anyone and everyone who wanted it? Shitcanned.
Choice in the matter? Shitcanned.
Funding for abortions? Shitcanned.
Legal mandates forcing everyone to buy health insurance from the for-profit companies or pay a multi-thousand dollar fine, guaranteeing billions of dollars in new profits for said insurance companies? Shitca—Oh no, wait, that's exactly what this does…
Barring some MASSIVE changes, I hope this thing is put down like Old Yeller once it reaches the senate. This is not a health care reform bill. This is a profit protection bill for the insurance companies.