Some Immediate Effects of HCR

Here are some reasonably positive effects that will kick in within a year thanks to the president's health care overhaul. Note: these are effects The Fold Blog feels to be genuine reform that will help people within a short amount of time.

1. You may remain on your parent's insurance policy until your 27th birthday. Gotta admit that would have been nice when I finished my bachelors and had to move back home and couldn't even afford to go to the dentist.
2. No more rescission or denial of coverage. This is huge. If you get sick, or have been sick in the past you can't lose your coverage.
3. Free preventive care for everyone.
4. Small business tax credits to firms that choose to offer coverage, up to 35% of premiums paid.
5. Immediate increase in funding for Community Health Centers. My hometown has one. It also has 18% unemployment. There may not be a better mechanism for true health care reform than this one.
6. Insurance companies will be more regulated. They will have to post online their balance sheets, their executive salaries and their benefits packages. People will become better informed while shopping for insurance coverage. And insurance companies will have to compete like never before to attract customers.

There are more measures that take effect soon enough but these are some of the most productive. This is by no means a perfect scenario for health care reform. The inclusion of a public option, or the opening up of Medicare to everyone would have been better. But there is enough in the legislation to call it reform. If it's this or nothing. I'll gladly take this.