Please explain the major points of the proposed United States health care legislation of 2009 in a way that is easy to understand?

I found an article with a few points to answer your followup question on why the bill has become controversial. "The bill raises revenue by taxing indoor tanning salons, which are associated with health risks. It also increases the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9 points for individuals making more than $200,000 per year and married couples earning above $250,000." "A mandate that all Americans without coverage purchase health insurance remained in the bill and the fine for those who don't do so was increased.

There is an exemption for folks who can prove they can't afford to buy insurance. As a candidate, Obama attacked his rival llary Clinton for proposing such a mandate" "In place of a public option, people will have access to two national private plans, one of them nonprofit, overseen by the Office of Personnel Management, which is in charge of federal employee plans. The bill includes strong insurance reforms that prevent companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions or from dropping people simply because they get sick - a practice known as rescission.

But serious questions remain as to how enforceable those provisions will be" "Insurers refer to spending on health care as a "medical loss. " The medical loss ratio currently averages 70 percent across the nation. Minnesota law sets it at 91 percent.

" "Senator Al Franken was encouraged that he and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) were able to insert into the final bill a provision that would require insurers, for individual and small group plans, to spend 80 percent of the money they take in on health care. Large plans would be required to spend 85 percent.

" "The Congressional Budget Office, however, determined that the 90 percent requirement that Franken and Rockefeller had pushed for initially amounted to nationalization of the industry." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/19/franken-dems-unified-behi_n_398183.html It is important to note that the major controversy surrounds what was left out of the bill. The public option, which would have allowed a government run plan to DIRECTLY compete with private insurers and thus bring down costs, was taken out of the bill.

A Medicare Buy-in plan which would have allowed some seniors 55 and over to buy into Medicare before turning 65 was also taken out of the plan. The mandate is extremely controversial because everyone will be required to buy insurance and since there is no public option, that requirement means that the government is forcing Americans to buy a product from a private for profit corporation. Additionally, the private insurers will be allowed to charge more for people who have pre-existing conditions.

While they can no longer deny coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, people with certain conditions will be forced to pay higher premiums.It is also very important to note that while the bill says that insurers cannot deny payment of claims except in the case of "fraud", it does not define fraud and offers no explanation of how a fraud claim initiated by an insurer would be adjudicated. There is no language concerning consumer protections in the case that an insurer claims fraud and refuses to pay a claim based on said fraud. The 90% MLR was key to keeping the insurance companies honest in the absence of a public option.

That has dropped to 80-85% and the Health and Human Services secretary can independently negotiate that number downwards. If that number ends up closer to what is the status quo (70%) then the insurance industry is getting a windfall. 31 million new customers who are required by law to buy insurance and they have no requirement to minimize their profits and maximize what is spent on care.

This is the best summary of key points that I could find. Hopefully this is along the lines of what you are looking for. --quote-- * No Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.

* No Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses. * No Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics. * No Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.

* No Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender. * No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive. * Extended Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.

* Guaranteed Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick. --quote.

Everyone will be mandated to purchase health insurance. The government will provide a "public option" to those who cannot afford the health insurance (since now it will be mandatory). This "public option" will surprisingly cost a lot less than what health insurance companies are charging for their packages.At some point, people will begin to realize "Why am I paying more to be with Blue Cross Blue Shield, when the government public option is so much less?

People will switch over. From that point, health insurance companies will be competing against a government plan which can't be beat. Insurance companies will probably then begin to fold.

That is why people are calling it a "Government take-over". I personally do not care with the government taking over the healthcare system.My only problem is that the 'premiums' which we'll be paying for the public option (which will be mandatory) will also help support other programs which many people are against.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.