… taking proper care of one’s body in order to avoid needing to see a physician in the first place. This is something that the individual (and family) must practice, but the government can promote. Our current system rewards getting ill while providing little direct incentive to practice wellness.

At the risk of sounding like Oliver Twist, though, we really should have more of a say in such matters. Both the medical community and the nation would be better served if appointments to such practical positions were selected by those who are actually in the know.

A fatigued Harry Reid (D-NV) called for the session to come to a close at 2:45 am, shortly after the discovery of those technicalities. They will return to continue work on the bill at 9:45 today, just 7 hours later. It was not clear who noticed the errors.

Even what is being provided is not clear. What criteria is it that determines which 16 million get Medicare? When do they get it? Must they apply, or is it automatic? When do most (but not all) Americans have to purchase health insurance by? What if they can’t afford it? What are the exemptions; who doesn’t have to get health insurance? How much is the high-risk pool going to cost for those with pre-existing conditions? When does that kick in, exactly, and how do people go about getting it?

After the bill passed, President Obama spoke briefly to the people of the United States from the White House. Amongst his comments were that, for most Americans, this has not been about Democrats or Republicans, but about health care. He declared that it was not a victory of political parties, but for the American people. He acknowledged that the bill was not perfect, that it didn’t address all of the concerns or needs, saying that it “will not fix everything that’s wrong, but will move us in the right direction.” In a poignant moment, he said “This is what change looks like.”

The House Health Care Reform bill of 2010 is almost a reality. Some have suggested that the entire bill be tossed out. Others are saying that it should be held off until our representatives have had sufficient time to read and analyze them. Yet another faction thinks that it’s not what anyone really wants, but [...]