Digesting the healthcare reform vote

I am watching various media outlets today and probably, like many of you, I am trying to make sense of the healthcare vote that occurred last night. I wish I knew what it all meant.

The fact is, there still are many unknowns in terms of what may come and how this will all play out. Several attorneys general will challenge the constitutionality of the bill. So I do not believe we have heard the final word on all of this just yet.

I am disappointed that the legislation had to pass in this fashion. It was a partisan vote and I am suspect of any bill that largely takes effect three and four years from now. I am concerned about the financial underpinnings tied to this reform.

If you are running a hospital or are a doctor, you have to expect to lose monetarily from this deal. There will be cuts in Medicare funding and although more individuals will be added into the insurance pool, I find it hard to believe that those numbers will be enough to compensate for Medicare cuts. But we shall see.

Mike Daly blogs regularly at Action for Better Healthcare.