Landmark: The Inside Story of America's New Health Care Law and What It Means for Us All

Synopsis

The Washington Posts mustread guide to healthcare reform traces how President Obama and the Democrats achieved this historic overhaul, explains the legislation itself, and shows how it will impact individual Americans. After a yearlong political war, in March 2010 President Obama and the Democratic leaders of Congress achieved a victory that has eluded lawmakers for seventyfive years: an overhaul of Americas healthcare system. In this indispensable book, the staff of the Washington Post tells the story of healthcare reform and explains what it means for the American people. In the books first section, the Washington Posts reporter embedded in the White House provides a behindthescenes narrative of how Obama and the Democrats pushed through healthcare reform in the face of nearly unanimous Republican opposition. This section traces the tortured evolution of the legislation, showing how the Senate killed the public option, how the January 2010 victory of Republican senator Scott Brown left the Democrats scrambling, and how Democratic leaders ultimately negotiated among entrenched political factionsincluding disillusioned Democratsto reach a compromise. What does this final package include? The books second section provides an accessible summary of the legislation that Obama signed into law in March 2010. In the third section, Washington Post writers answer the most pressing questions about the healthcare legislations immediate impact. Most importantly, how will the new bill affect individualssmallbusiness owners, uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions, and twentysomethings on their parents policies? This is a mustread for anyone who wants to understand how this legislation came into being and what the new healthcare program means.