December 16, 2009… Nate Silver, the numbers man, tells us why it is so important to pass the health reform bill – even without the more desirable public options. What he sees: poorer people getting subsidized care and the subsidy coming from higher incomes sources.

“I understand that most of the liberal skepticism over the Senate bill is well intentioned. But it has become way, way off the mark. Where do you think the $800 billon goes? It goes to low-income families … Where do you think it comes from? We won’t know for sure until the Senate and House produce their conference bill, but it comes substantially from corporations and high-income earners, plus some efficiency gains,” writes Silver. He operates a website, FiveThirtyEight, and does unique political polling.

He has a chart that shows the breakdown of what families pay presently and would under the reform bill. It reveals the subsidies that would benefit lower income families.

His full statement can be found here:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/12/why-progressives-are-batshit-crazy-to.html

For another example of the importance of even a watered-down health care bill one can read an insightful take from a surgeon in the New Yorker. The article was mentioned by President Barack Obama yesterday in his talk after meeting with Senate Democrats.

The article says essentially that while the bill is seems “hopelessly inadequate” maybe it really isn’t. Then tells us why.

“Where we crave sweeping transformation, however, all the current bill offers is those pilot programs, a battery of small-scale experiments. The strategy seems hopelessly inadequate to solve a problem of this magnitude. And yet – here’s the interesting thing – history suggest otherwise,” says the article.

The author treats us to an interesting examination of our agricultural experience as regards to how health care could be advanced and expanded following the present inadequate legislation.

You can find it here:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/12/14/091214fa_fact_gawande

The crucial thing now is to get something passed that can be expanded and modified in the future.

The Republican Party and the insurance industry need to be rebuffed for their obstructionist push to kill any health care reform.