Thoughts from Kansas

Via Tyler Longpine, a report finds that health insurance reform would significantly reduce the number of uninsured in Kansas:

About 228,000 uninsured people in Kansas would gain coverage by 2019 under the Senate health reform bill, according to a new report by Families USA, a national group advocating for health reform. Without comprehensive reform, an additional 59,000 people in Kansas will lose health care coverage by 2019, according to the report, increasing the number of uninsured Kansans from about 338,000 to 397,000. Nationally, the number of uninsured is projected to increase to 54 million in 10 years.

This is basically my retort to the progressives who want to scuttle insurance reform at the 11th hour. No, it isn't perfect, yes, it'll have to be improved, but it will make lives better for people. Atrios objects that the bill forces people to buy "shitty insurance that they can't afford," but a lot more people will be able to afford insurance, and however shitty it might be. It's better to get people insured and to run aggressive primary campaigns in 2010 and 2012 to insure that the next health insurance bill is better than the last. Then, when people in four years (when mandates kick in) complain that the insurance is shitty, we can improve the system. But if health care reform dies now, we may not get another crack at it for a decade or two, consigning thousands of Kansans and millions in Californians to the horror of living without insurance.

According to the report, 4.5 million Californians would gain coverage under the current legislation, while 1.2 million would lose coverage under the status quo.

And that is why we need to pass this bill. Because this is about helping people, not kicking Joe Lieberman's ass. That's for 2012.