The health reform bill passed by the Senate contains many flaws, but the American health care status quo is a disaster.
The Senate bill provides hundreds of billions of dollars to make health care more affordable for tens of millions of people. It also levels the insurance playing field by imposing vital new regulations on private insurers and creating a new marketplace for individuals and small businesses seeking coverage. Its passage would be a welcome step in moving health reform forward.
With luck, it will be further strengthened in conference committee when it is merged with the superior House reform bill, which contains more generous subsidies, a more progressive financing structure, and a public option to compete with private insurers in the new exchanges.