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In short, the new law puts us on a path to provide health care coverage for all Americans, empowers consumers over insurance companies and ensures we are moving to reduce health care costs in the long run. No matter what fixes occur to the bill as it goes through the reconciliation process, sweeping new policies will be ushered in and many outlets are trying to tease out what this will mean for the average consumer. We are in the process of sifting through the many resources that are providing information about this historic health care reform so that we can help you to understand it all. We will continue to have extensive coverage of the bill and what it means to you, so check back often.

Health Care Bill Is Now Law

The final fixes have been signed into the health care reform bill marking the historic first steps in the largest overhaul of the American health care system since the passage of Medicare in 1965. After more than a year of legislative bickering and grueling debates, sweeping changes will now begin to be made to our health care system. Strong opinions continue to be expressed, Republicans have declared that there will be “no cooperation” from them as they work on their strategy to “repeal and replace,” and Big Insurance has already started looking for loopholes. So now the real work begins.

The bill will eventually affect just about every American by 2014, but there is a list of reforms that will begin within the next 6 months, including tax credits to 4 million small businesses to cover employees’ insurance; an end to recisions by insurance companies of customers who get sick; an end to caps on coverage; and a provision to allow young adults to remain on their parents’ policies until they are 26 years old.

To help you understand how it will affect or benefit you, stay tuned here to find out how. To begin with, check out below.

By Henry Nicholas

After 50 years, a major down payment on healthcare for all has been achieved under leadership from the Obama administration.

Sadly enough, the Republicans have been almost unanimously opposed to any working-family issues that have been proposed or enacted as the economically strapped nation strives toward a return to normalcy.

The major issue now facing the American people is the loss of millions of jobs and many of those jobs are gone forever. Green jobs are a step in the right direction but there are not enough green jobs on the drawing board to replace the jobs lost in the last 36 months.

Jobs lost through Wall Street shenanigans continue to hurt working families and our union has joined AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in his call for bankers and other Wall Street bigwigs to pay workers (the taxpayers who funded the bail out) the $145 billion bail-out money and stop distributing unearned bonuses that executives persist in paying each other.

The political divide that runs rampant through this nation impedes progress on Wall Street and Main Street. We cannot be manipulated to believe the partisan hype – what we need now is progress not rhetoric. The economy will not rebound without an infusion of money. Cutting taxes is not the answer. Tax money is sorely needed for city and city services. As health care workers, we know that our industry now is reeling from cuts.

We cannot lose sight of the fact that only a unified effort can forge a solution to the nation’s problems – not flaming rhetoric that pits one community against another. We traveled to this juncture from different places but as the saying goes, “We are all in the same boat now.”

The rich can’t stay rich unless the economy rebounds and unless the economy rebounds, both the middle class and the poor will get poorer.

Many of our members face contract negotiations during these trying times and they can rest assured they can rely on all necessary support from the national union. I am confident that health care workers across the country will stay united and stay focused; we won’t buy into the politics of division. We will keep organizing, educating, agitating and working toward our vision of a just society. Our union remains committed to quality healthcare for all in a society free of costly wars; we remain committed to justice and a better life for all who work to achieve one.

Why Join NUHHCE?

·	Job Protection

We help save jobs by guarding against unfair layoffs.

·	Secure Employee Benefits

NUHHCE contracts safeguard employee benefits such as health premiums and pensions.

·	Quality Patient Care

Organized health care professionals help develop laws that enforce standards of quality patient care.