HealthCare Reform Bill Passes thru Congress

After more than a year of debates and discussions, last night, in a historic vote, Congress passed the HealthCare reform bill. I must admit that after the victory of Scott Brown in MA, I had written off the prospects of passage of the bill. While I don't like many provisions of the bill (I have written about them in my previous posts), I am glad that the bill passed. As a practical matter, we can not make perfect the enemy of good.

I think the passage of the bill is also a lesson in leadership. It is easy to lead when you have a consensus and strong support for whatever you are trying to do. However the real test of leadership comes when you are trying to do something that is not popular but you believe is the right thing to do. It requires unwavering conviction and tremendous perseverance both of which were at display on how President led this effort. Critics will call it arrogance. They will point to the flawed process used to pass the bill. While it should not always be the case, I think in this case, end justifies the means. Arms were twisted, deals were done but nothing that has not happened before (remember Tom Delay anyone...).

While it was hard to get to this point, really hard work will begin with the implementations of the provisions of the bill. CBO estimates of deficit reduction of $150 billion this decade and almost $1 trillion in the next decade will happen only when Congress can muster the courage to implement the tough provisions like cuts in subsidy to health insurance companies for medicare advantage. With the passage of the bill, Congress has shown its willingness to step up to the plate. Let us hope this continues.