Editorial

Triumph or disaster? Only time will tell

Monday, December 21, 2009

It's like going home and being bitten by the family dog.

That's how it feels to Sen. Ben Nelson, who points to the need to control costs as one of the main reasons he decided to support Senate health care reform despite much opposition.

Along the way, Nelson won anti-abortion language that is weaker than current language, elimination of a public option and the inclusion of full federal funding for expanded Medicaid coverage in Nebraska.

Republican Gov. Dave Heineman distanced himself from the special Medicaid funding, saying he didn't have anything to do with the Senate compromise, and noted that he had criticized Sen. Harry Reid for special deal Nevada got, and only wanted a fair deal for Nebraska.

Nelson responded that he would be happy to have the special Nebraska Medicaid eliminated if that's what Heineman wanted.

It should be interesting to see how that plays out.

Next comes reconciliation with the House bill and creation of the countless regulations that will put health care form into action.

Will our lives be better or worse when it is finally done?

Only time will tell.

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  • The government cannot make the VA health care system work efficiently how do they think they can manage a nationwide effort??? This from a person with firsthand knowledge of the VA system for the last 25 years!!

    -- Posted by kenaicouple on Mon, Dec 21, 2009, at 1:21 PM
  • Senator Nelson, I fear, still feels that the overall program is workable, and he fixed the major parts that were wrong. W R O N G !

    Even if the projected figures are actuarially correct, our country may well go under, financially. Should the numbers escalate, as everyone seems to expect, by Gross numbers, it may well not matter how good the program is if no one can afford to own or use the program, because no one has a job. Barter, anyone?

    Cross the Fingers, and hope. Go to the knees, and Pray. Evict the representatives who will not listen to the constituency.

    -- Posted by Navyblue on Mon, Dec 21, 2009, at 8:26 PM
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