Things about healthcare reform

There's been so much grumpy press/discussion about these bills -- crummy provisions of the Senate bill, late starts to various benefits, etc. -- that I'd gotten rather down on them. So was glad to be reminded of all the good things that came out of this battle, including some really substantive reforms that start right away. So here are a few links from recent days:

• A little column from Krugman notes that the anti-fear forces got a win against the propaganda of the right.

  This is, of course, a political victory for President Obama, and a triumph for Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. But it is also a victory for America’s soul. In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform. This time, fear struck out.

  (via Medley's twitter stream)
  
  
• Ten immediate benefits of HCR. Most notable here are the end of "preexisting conditions" for children and of the vile game of recission (dropping folks who get sick). Plus some stop-gap options for other folks until better systems come into existence.
  
  
• Ezra Klein offers Who does health-care reform help? The answer in the long run is probably a lot of us, but most obviously those with suboptimal jobs and those who've had very bad luck.

  Sickness and health might be capricious, but access to health care doesn't have to be.

• Robert Reich: The Final Health Care Vote and What it Really Means:

  We will not return to the New Deal or the Great Society, but nor will we continue to wallow in the increasingly obsolete Reagan view that we don't need a strong and competent government. Today's vote confirms our hope that we can have both strength and competence in Washington. It is an audacious hope, but we have no choice.

  This is certainly not how the GOP thinks things will play out, but I hope he's right.
  
  
• Want to see how these reforms will affect you specifically? Here's a text explanation and a chart, both of which break down the changes by category of individual (employed, covered, uninsured, etc.).
  (via Atrios and Medley, respectively)
  
  
• And finally, for those always looking for a dark cloud, here's some analysis of how the Supreme Court might view this legislation, if/when cases are brought before it, given the law and given the current Justices.