What the Blogosphere is Saying About the House's Health Care Proposal

On Tuesday, the House released their 1,018 page health care proposal, so I decided to sum up what the blogosphere has been saying about it. There is a lot more interest among conservative blogs, but this is to be expected since blogs are often used as attack vehicles when it comes to things like this.

Conservative blogs are saying that under this plan an individual who currently has insurance coverage will not be able to change their plan at all, insurance companies will not be able to raise premiums on individuals to adjust for risks, and insurance companies will not be allowed to write new policies after the public option becomes law. They compared this public option to medicare, saying it will similarly destroy private health insurance altogether just like medicare took out health care for seniors. Finally, they attacked the policy on taxes and spending. They say requiring small businesses to provide insurance or face a 8% payroll tax will destroy them, those earning under $350,000 would have to pay a tax as high as 3%, and the total cost of the plan was not mentioned in the entire document. There are also a lot of references to this Investors Business Daily Editorial.

It was not so easy to find everyday liberal blogs talking about this proposal. However, the comment section of this blog argued that nothing is worse than the current system and insurance companies should not be protected because of their past sins. Paul Krugman argued that the estimated $1 trillion cost over the next decade to give people health insurance is a bargain compared to the $1.35 trillion Bush tax cut. Finally, Robert Reich argued that the House got it right, by planning to tax the rich to pay for health care.