Reply #83: Well, I've read most of the pertinent portions of the Bill [View All]

[BluinTX]

and I think it's pretty darn good from what I can see so far. The cost sharing of up to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family troubled me at first, but it apperas that it will only be applied through co-pays and not deductibles. Thus, if there is an 80/20 co-pay, a hospital visit that would cost $10,000 if you were uninsured may be negotiated down to about $3,000, of which you would be responsible for $600. Not perfect, but not terrible.

The public option is available to anyone without current basic coverage, or anyone who loses coverage. Again, not perfect, but not bad. And this way the mandate cannot force anyone to buy a policy from a for-profit insurer, since you will always have the public option instead.

Moreover, there is no longer an antitrust exemption for the insurers, no pre-existing coverage exclusions, no recission, some level of price controls on premiums, maternity care, mental health parity, free well care and baby care, dependents covered up to age 27, no blanket prohibition on abortion services being covered.

The one part I'm not yet clear on is how affordable the premiums will be -- which of course is paramount.