What We Still Need From Health Care Reform

Last night the House passed the Senate's version of the health care bill and the reconciliation package. This legislation is historic and transformative, and does a tremendous amount of good for the American health care system. Liberals and progressives can take pride in a real and solid victory.

However, this is only the first step -- granted, a giant step -- towards building a society and a system that is efficient, effective and just in provision of health care. We've done a lot, but we're not quite done with health care reform. Here's what left on our wish list. What's still on yours?

• We need the Senate to pass H.R. 4626, to repeal the health insurance industry's exemption from anti-trust regulation. Sign the petition!
• We need to pass H.R. 2460, the Healthy Families Act, which would guarantee sick leave to America's workers. Sign the petition!
• We still need a real public option.
• We need to emphasize the importance of the health of all residents by covering the 23 million who will still be uninsured in 2019 (including the 7 million+ undocumented immigrants).
• Can we finally get electronic records?

And meanwhile, we need to sustain the majority in Congress that voted for health care reform. In ten years, most Americans will wonder how anyone could ever have voted against this bill; but for the next few election cycles, conservatives are mounting a concerted effort to regain control and repeal the legislation. If the thought of that makes you sick, work to make sure it doesn't happen.

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