Historic health reform passes; reactions mixed

To the delight and consternation of opposing sides of the national health-care debate, President Barack Obama signed the $938 billion Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law Tuesday morning in a televised ceremony at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C.

Reactions to the bill signing ranged from elated to incensed, with opposers declaring “the fight is not over.â€

For supporters of the legislation, Monday’s signing ceremony was a celebration, in which Democrats, who passed the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate without a single Republican vote, cheered the victory.

“After a century of striving, after a year of debate, after a historic vote, health-care reform is no longer an unmet promise,†Obama said. “It is the law of the land.â€

The president thanked legislators, volunteers, staffers and supportive citizens for contributing to health-care reform in the face of difficult challenges, and called the final result “a victory for the United States of America.â€

Obama acknowledged that some aspects of the new legislation will be phased in over the course of the next several years, but noted that a number of changes to the health-care system in America “will change right away,†including offering tax credits to some 4 million small businesses to help cover employees and limiting insurance companies’ ability to deny coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions. Insurance companies will not be allowed to drop clients if they become sick and new insurance plans will be required to provide free preventative care.

In Connecticut, politicians from all sides chimed in to react to the legislation, which promises to offer health-insurance coverage to 32 million Americans who currently have no coverage.

“This is, of course, a historic moment for our country,†said Sen. Chris Dodd in a statement. “But for tens of millions of ordinary Americans, the passage of health-care reform means more than just a page in a history book. It means real security for seniors who rely on Medicare and still need help paying for prescriptions.â€

Dodd said the new legislation will provide relief to small businesses and families across the country. “Today, we have proven that while progress is not easy, neither is it impossible. Today, our union becomes a little more perfect.â€

Negative reactions to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act came primarily from the right wing, with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona vowing not to work with Democrats on any legislation from here forward. He called for the immediate repeal of the health-care legislation, claiming Americans do not favor the legislation by a two-to-one margin.

Legal challenges were also swift. Less than seven minutes after Obama signed the bill, the first of 13 different states began filing lawsuits contending that a health-insurance mandate in the bill is unconstitutional. Some vowed not to follow the law, while Republicans predicted Democrats will pay dearly at the polls this November for forcing through the legislation.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Winsted native Ralph Nader said in a statement that the passed legislation is a gift to insurance companies, written by lobbyists.

“The main saving grace of the Democratic bill is that it is so inadequate, and so delayed in implementation, that the position supported by the majority of people, physicians and nurses — single-payer full Medicare for all — will have abundant opportunities to build around the country.â€

Connecticut’s Republican Gov. Jodi Rell issued a statement saying she has organized a “rapid review†board to analyze the new legislation.

“We’re the ones left to figure out the bill, left to see if it can work and determine how much it will cost,†Rell said. “This much I can tell you already: Connecticut, like nearly every other state, cannot afford millions and billions in costs that Washington passes along. It’s that simple.â€

Rell’s “rapid review†board includes representatives from the departments of insurance, policy and management, social services and public health, along with insurance, health-care and businesss representatives. Rell asked the Department of Social Services and Office of Policy and Management to identify all costs Connecticut will incur as a result of the new legislation.

“The effects this bill will have on our state budget are likely to be far-reaching,†Rell said. “At the same time, this legislative session is rapidly coming to a close. We need to know what the impact will be — and what our next steps will be — as rapidly as possible.â€

Despite rhetoric to the contrary, President Obama said he believes Americans will be happy with the new health-care law.

“For those who have been suspicious of reform — and there are a lot of wonderful folks out there who, with all the noise, got concerned because of the misinformation that has marred this debate — I just repeat, don’t take my word for it. Go to our Web site, whitehouse.gov, go to the Web sites of major news outlets out there. Find out how reform will affect you. I’m confident that you will like what you see.â€