Obama healthcare plan for ex-pats

Once the Taiwan situation became a reality I started making some political jokes with people at work pertaining to how many things no longer apply to me. Higher taxes? Doesn't matter. Employment rate? Not worried. Falling dollar? Don't get paid in dollars. Healthcare reform? Ha! I'll have REAL national healthcare as nearly zero cost to me.

I AM supportive of the idea that in a country like the U.S., there should be some degree of coverage for all with the cost shared among many. Call it "socialism" if you must, but then call the interstate highway system "socialized", too. A friend astutely called the Obama plan a national insurance plan and NOT a national health care plan. Point taken. I thought the elimination of preexisting condition discrimination made sense but didn't feel like it particularly applied to me. While this blog at the NY Times points out that the Obama health care plan does not affect Americans living overseas since the ex-pat tax was removed from the bill, many commenters pointed out that, in fact, it does affect them.

By eliminating the preexisting condition, it will allow many ex-pats who want to return to the U.S. to do so. If I go to Taiwan and suffer a major illness, I might be unable to receive insurance coverage upon returning to the States. There are many Americans "trapped" overseas because of this reason. I wonder if the American voters will really lash out at the polls over healthcare.