Who Really Benefits in the Health Overhaul

Some questions and answers on the House-passed bill and the version the Senate will begin debating in the week ahead; both measures were written by Democrats  - for the full article...

Health overhaul: Understanding the pros and cons

By Associated Press Writer Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar, Sat Nov 28

WASHINGTON – Maybe you've been reading the health care bill in your spare time. Then perhaps you can answer this question:

If Congress makes history and puts a bill on President Barack Obama's desk by Christmas, how long before the uninsured get medical coverage?

If you said three years or more, you'd be right. Yet many people don't realize that to keep costs down, lawmakers made compromises that might not appeal to consumers.

"There's going to be a long period of great expectations and very modest deliveries," said economist Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute public policy center. That's assuming Democrats prevail.

Photo courtesy Jeff Rense