As a Canadian looking in, I've got mixed feelings.
It's great that they've made some progress. And hopefully, something greater can come from this in the long run. But, in reality, this is health insurance reform, not health care before.
Originally, I think, the bill included a public option among other things. And they should have left it in. The Republicans *****ed and moaned and Obama wanting to be bipartisan cut it and many other things out. And in the end the bill that was passed was very republican. A mixture of Romeny and Dole's plans. All to cater to people who just don't care.
Obama, the Republicans just aren't that into you. You watered down the bill immensely because they kept threatening they wouldn't vote for it. You catered them. And in the end the bill was passed without one single Republican vote. You could have left everything in. You should have left everything in. They wouldn't have voted either way. So, in the end, who won? The Republicans got the bill they wanted (despite what the three amigos Rush, Beck, and Palin say) and America is left without a public option.
The bill makes private health insurance a must, or pay fine. Just like house and car insurance. That's good, but if you had a public option that'd be even better. Because, as long as your health care system is for profit you will have problems. The penalty an insurance company must pay if they refuse to cover you (despite the reforms, children are covered longer, no more pre-existing conditions, etc.) is $100 a day. Oooooo. I'm sure the the insurance companies are shaking in their boots. So long as it's private, regardless of reform, the aim of the insurance companies will not be to save lives but to save money. And if the option is paying $100,000 that you are entitled to or pay a $100 penalty until you drop dead - they're going to go with the later.
Almost everyone is forced to buy-in to the insurance companies now. It's also now cheaper to do so. Employers must also offer it (which...during a job crises and trying to make industry more competitive on a global scale wasn't the brightest of decisions and all could have been avoided, once again, with the public option). This is all good. But not everyone is covered. The poorest of the poor, those who do not have employers to offer insurance are still out of luck.
You made a great giant baby step. Now get universal healthcare and join the rest of the civilized world.
The Democrats showed on the weekend that they have the balls to get things accomplished. No more bipartisan crap. You won. You have a majority. Use it before you lose it. Bush did all kinds of crap that was unpopular because he was able to. Now, please do the same. Get a move on.