All I Want For Christmas

... is a healthcare bill. While this is not the bill I hoped to see (I reeeeally wanted that public option), I still smile at the prospect of these changes coming to the U.S. Although his name isn’t brought up in polite conversation, John Edwards deserves much credit for this: during the 2008 primary, he was the first candidate to test the waters of universal healthcare months prior to Clinton and Obama dipping their toes in. This was during a time when Bush vetoed the health insurance plan for poor children, and not many people got all that upset about it.

I admit, I experienced 11th-hour doubt thanks to my political crush, Howard Dean. His WaPo editorial raised compelling points, and he (like myself) wondered if this bill was worthwhile without that public option. Should we wait for a more perfect bill? After more reading and thought, I decided this bill should be passed. Does it do the most good possible? No. But it does a hell of lot more than our current system does. (Here’s back-up from Paul Krugman) Reasons why this bill gets the coveted FemChick seal of approval:

30 million people: The number of currently uninsured Americans who will gain coverage under this act! That will mean 94% of legal citizens under Medicare age will have healthcare coverage in 2014, up from 83% currently. That’s a lot of people about to live healthier lives, about to be less scared about a medical mishap slipping them into bankruptcy.

Higher taxes on wealthy: The difference between this program and Bush-era spending programs? This administration plans to pay for it. Some will come from cost-cutting measures, and some will come from higher taxes on those making over $200k a year. My heart does not break: because of recent tax laws, the gap between the wealthy and poor is wider than it has been in generations. The expansion on the vacation home just might have to wait until the poor can go to a doctor for an annual physical.

Mandatory coverage: Without this, we’d continue the broken system of the insureds paying an invisible tax to cover the uninsureds' unpaid ER bills -- and those uninsured Americans have preventable ER visits due to lack of basic and preventative care. Voluntary coverage doesn't work fairly -- we all must be required to have coverage.To those who bemoan this get-covered-or-get-fined approach, I’d like to ask them whether they comply with mandatory car insurance laws and are happy that other drivers must as well.

And the rest of us can keep our coverage: No more discrimination on pre-existing conditions, no more terminations of coverage upon illness. Although progressives such as Dean are not happy with the amount that coverage costs can increase with age, this bill does cap those increases more than current runaway costs. It seems only fair (and right and good) that the elderly and sick can keep their health insurance.

Each party can point to abuses on either side, even by those seemingly opposing their own party's mission: Democratic Senator Schmucky from Nebaska holding out for special favors, Republicans stalling a Pentagon spending bill in order to delay the healthcare bill. It’s been a messy process and as always, politicians begin to resemble bratty second graders at recess. But I hope 60 senators come together to do the right thing: to pass a bill that will enable millions of Amercians to have affordable health insurance for the first time. During a time of so many Scrooge specials, let’s stick up for the “surplus population.”

And God bless us, everyone.