Locally, our representatives split their vote as Jean Schmidt (R) voted against the bill while Steve Driehaus (D) voted for it. All told, only one Republican voted for the bill, while 39 Democrats voted against it.

Beyond the issue of mortality, a byproduct of the report demonstrates that the US health care system consistently delivers better underlying health care results than do the socialized health systems in other economically developed peer nations. This begs the question, why would the US now decide to move in the direction of these statistically less effective socialized health systems?

Here are six simple health insurance reforms that most insurers would be willing to agree with that would make a big difference in access to health care insurance. Further, these measures would place significant downward pressure on the number of uninsured U.S. citizens. And the best part, no socialized medicine, unfairly positioned co-ops or large deficits needed.

Here is a link to the full 1018 page text of the House of Representatives version of the Health Care Reform Bill.

“…if the government were to provide a $2000 annual subsidy for uninsured individuals under the age of 34, it would wipe out over twelve million more uninsured’s than the currently proposed Senate plan does and do so for a third of the cost!”

Perhaps the most staggering statistic in all of the numbers above is that the proposed plan still leaves 30 million people uninsured.

If anyone thinks the newly proposed health care reform means “free government insurance for everyone,” think again. While some folks are going to get an amazing subsidy, many others will end up paying more than ever.

House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Health, Education and Labor committees have come to some agreement on a $1.7 trillion bill to provide universal health care and require that all citizens obtain health care insurance.

Some of the proposed health care reforms under consideration are as follows:

Already we see more liberal congressional members calling for additional mandates to health care coverage such as mental health benefits and dental insurance. It’s hard to imagine this “add-on” trend not continuing, and the parameters ever widening in the future, into a more and more bloated and expensive plan.