Affordable health care for the masses or a government takeover?

Which side of the aisle you occupy in the House of Representatives most likely determines your view of the Affordable Health Care For America Act that was passed on Saturday night.

Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Third) called the House's approval of the health care bill "a historic vote" that will "fix our broken health care system and give all Americans a higher quality of life."

On the flip side, Congressman Glenn Thompson (R-Fifth), one of the 176 Republicans to vote against the bill, referred to the act as a "Pelosi health care takeover," saying the bill would "make things worse instead of better."

"This bill will cost every American, and I question whether it will ever lower costs," Thompson said. "It costs $1.3 trillion and imposes taxes on small businesses and individuals."

Thompson said the bill calls for taxes on medical equipment, cuts Medicare by $500 million and shifts people onto Medicaid "at a huge cost to state budgets."

The bill was passed by the House late Saturday night, 220-215. A total of 39 Democrats voted against it. One Republican - Anh Cao of New Orleans - voted for the bill.

"Of course the Republicans didn't vote for it," Dahlkemper said. "They brought out an alternative bill about a week ago that doesn't do anything to help this country."

Dahlkemper praised Cao for casting his party's sole vote of approval.

"I believe he did the right thing," Dahlkemper said.

The bill must be approved by the Senate and then signed into law by President Barack Obama before it can go into effect.

"Our legislation meets all the criteria for effective, affordable reform," Dahlkemper said. "It will benefit thousands of people in the Third District of Pennsylvania: seniors, small businesses, young adults, the uninsured and the already insured."

Dahlkemper said that her district has seen over 900 bankruptcies due to health care costs.

According to Dahlkemper, the bill would make health insurance more affordable for small businesses by allowing companies with up to 100 employees to join a "health insurance exchange," while making businesses with up to 25 employees and average wages of less than $40,000 eligible to qualify for tax credits of up to 50 percent of the cost of providing health coverage.

Small businesses with payrolls of less than $500,000 are exempt from the bill's shared responsibility requirement for health coverage.

Dahlkemper said that under the bill workers who don't receive health insurance through their employer will be able to purchase coverage at group rates through the insurance exchange.

Companies that provide health insurance to their employees should see lower costs in premiums due to increased competition between insurance companies, Dahlkemper said.

"I can go on and on about all the good things in this bill," she said.

Thompson blasted the bill, saying it calls for the rationing of health care to people with pre-existing conditions, and will wipe out the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Thompson said that families who rely on the state's CHIP option will face higher costs when their children are forced into plans offered through the bill's insurance exchange.

"The measure I supported would have addressed medical liability tort reform, and allowed small businesses that it would not kill jobs while making health care more affordable," Thompson said. "The Congressional Budget Office looked at the bill I supported and wrote that it would lower premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses. But the majority voted it down, 258-176."

Dahlkemper pointed out that the Congressional Budget Office estimated the Affordable Health Care For America Act would reduce the federal budget deficit by $109 billion over the next ten years.

Dahlkemper said she believes the Senate will approve its own version of the health care bill in the next month.

"I think the chances are very good," Dahlkemper said. "There were people who were saying our bill was dead in the water in September and we passed it this weekend. The pressure is on now for (the Senate) to pass something. They are going to start to feel it from the public. I think we're going to have a bill for the president to sign by the end of the year."