So to help you guys understand some of the finer points of the immense tome now on the table, here’s a list of concrete changes you can expect from this new bill.

WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT

• Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
• Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
  
• Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the “doughnut hole” coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
• A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
• A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
• A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011

• Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
• Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.
• A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
• Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
• Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees’ W-2 tax forms.
• An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012

• Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form “accountable care organizations” to improve quality and efficiency of care.
• An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013

• A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
• The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
• The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
• A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014

• State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
• Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don’t. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
• Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
• Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren’t counted for the fine.
• Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015

• Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2018

• An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.

Instead they made it a point to call out that the actual estimated figure was that the bill would save “only” $ 132 billion dollars from 2010 to 2019. The one trillion dollar estimate was actually for the next decade after that.

Oh, darn.

Fox News

The Nobel Peace Prize that President Obama recently was awarded.

He’s gotten a lot of flack over this, especially in the conservative media – he even himself stated that he doesn’t really think he deserves it. And he might be absolutely right, and it sure is a strange nomination and award.

But credit must be given to the Nobel comittee, because they’re not dumb. I believe their major reason for awarding Obama with the peace prize was for his quick actions in reaching out to the muslim world and initiating diplomatic negotiations – something the Bush administration actively refused, much to the detriment of the entire worlds stability. His speech in Kairo alone is applaudable.

Over at Salon.com there’s been a very interesting article written about Obamas work towards stability in the world so far. Much of what is written has never been mentioned in the general media, and one can argue that the democrats are pretty much worthless in reporting their own progress.

Some major important points both from that report and generally:

• The withdrawal of troops from Iraq are ahead of schedule. So far he has brought home 22,000 troops out of Iraq.
• He has cut war spending by $30 billion.
• Pakistan has as we speak today launched a major offensive towards the Taliban strongholds within their borders – as much as a response to the new US leadership as anything.
• He has managed to convince Iran to allow in UN inspections, as a result of direct negotiation.
• His effort towards dragging the US, kicking and screaming, toward a modern healthcare system (last country in the western hemisphere) could result in a much more stable and equal society.
• By dismantling the Bush plan of an aging missile defense system in eastern europe, he has opened up unforeseen diplomatic possibilities with Russia – apart from saving billions of dollars while at the same time planning a much more efficient defense plan in the area.
• His promises to close Guantanamo Bay and the administrations refusal to continue previous torture policies is a big move towards human rights in the world.

So give the guy some credit – and don’t listen to the major news outlets all the time. Obama is a force in the world most of us probably won’t acknowledge until years have passed and history can make its judgement. And so far, I honestly believe history will treat him as possibly one of the most important leaders of our time.

If we give him the chance.

‘There was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high (sic, it was actually the number 1 question) and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation, and I don’t know what this says about the online audience,’ Mr. Obama said, drawing a laugh. He said he wanted to make sure the question got answered. ‘The answer is no, I don’t think that was a good strategy.’

The mistake followed by comments by a Hardvard professor and Ron Paul:

Transcript of the meeting

With little notice by the mainstream media, President Barack Obama has removed vital protections on doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who refuse to perform abortions and other procedures they consider immoral. It is nothing less than an assault on civil liberties and medical conscience, says Newt Gingrich.

It seems Obamas decision to consider medical care something to not be intervened by individual practitioners religious beliefs aren’t all that popular in the conservative camp.

In a long article on Newsmax, there is a long tirade regarding the awful decisions made against pro-life supporters and faith-based organizations. Quite worth a read.

Story, well rant, on Newsmax

“I think there’s the possibility, at least, of a relationship of mutual respect and progress,” Obama said at the first press conference of his young presidency, but “it’s time now for Iran to send some signals that it wants to act differently.”

Story on Google News
Story on UPI
Story on FoxNews
Story on IHT

Russian approval

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday he welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama’s offer to talk directly with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Ivanov also said the new leaders who had come into office in the United States and Russia were capable of taking a new look at their bilateral problems.

“It is obvious that the new U.S. adminstration has a very strong desire to change and that inspires optimism,” he said.

Story on Kyivpost

Afghanistan timetable

In his first prime-time news conference, President Obama said he has no timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.

Story on CQPolitics

Potentially breaking first campaign pledge

Obama appears poised to break his campaign pledge to give the public five days to review a bill before he signs it.

The quick turnaround breaches Obama’s promise to offer “sunlight before signing,” a concept he detailed on the campaign trail and on his website.

Story on Politico

Story on NYTimes

A Senate panel approved major portions of the Democrats’ “stimulus” bill on Tuesday over objections from Republicans that debate had been squelched and not even one hearing had been held on the topic.

The appropriations bill also allocates approximately $49 billion in spending on energy provisions, including $40 billion going through the Department of Energy.

Other measures in the legislation include:

• $5 billion for health information technology.
• $1.5 billion for NASA, including $500 million to acquire data about the Earth’s resources and climate.
• $1.4 billion for the National Science Foundation to use for research, infrastructure, and grants.
• $14 million to support cybersecurity efforts within the Department of Homeland Security.
• $575 million for the National Institute of Standards of Technology.
• $200 million to develop a nationwide integrated wireless network for federal law enforcement.

Story on CNET

Story on USA Today

We need to be dealing with people at the bottom of the income scale,” said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash. He also noted that the legislation would provide a $25-per-week increase in unemployment benefits.

Report on MSNBC