HCR: Waterloo for Democrats or Republicans?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85yMOPKR94M[/youtube]

Orange Punch blogger Brian Calle called out Loretta Sanchez’s vote for healthcare reform as a vote against her district’s best interest.  I completely disagree.  Loretta represents blue collar and working class communities in Santa Ana and Anaheim, the very people healthcare reform will benefit most.

“Loretta’s vote in favor of Obamacare is out of touch with the community she represents.”

Here are ten benefits which come online within six months — all of which will benefit the people Sanchez represents in Blue collar Santa Ana and working class Anaheim:
1. Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday
2. Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
3. No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
4. Free preventative care for all
5. Adults with pre-existing conditions can buy into a national high-risk pool. This isn’t cheap, but currently many are totally excluded. Jumping into the pool gets them the benefit of a wider pool of insureds.
6. Small businesses- like those in SA and Anaheim – get a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as half of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
7. Medicare patients get prescription medications that will be more affordable for seniors by closing the donut hole.
8. All insurers are required to post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose their administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
9. And a big benefit to Anaheim and Santa Ana; early funding of community health centers to provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community. The costs are based on a sliding scale for payment according to a person’s ability to pay. These community health centers will provide health and preventive services to people with no access right now.
10. Best of all – no rescissions. This is effective immediately. You can’t lose your insurance because you get sick.

Drop by the emergency room of any hospital in Loretta’s district at 1AM and see who’s there. Many uninsured with no way to pay for what amounts to very expensive care.

Conservative writer David Frum described the passage of Obamacare as the Republicans’ Waterloo.  Conservative Senator Jim DeMint is on the record for making HCR the Democrats’ Waterloo and since passage, Americans who support healthcare reform have been posting videos of ABBA’s 1970s hit “Waterloo.” 

Last time I checked, Sweden had an excellent national healthcare system.