The lead story in today’s Washington Post includes a poll which shows that Americans remain divided over health care reform, as divided as they were prior to the vote.

In general, people’s views have tended to follow their political party affiliations. The governors of states who want to file suit to overturn the new law have all been Republicans, except for one.

It is too soon to tell how this will shake out. Once upon a time there was a “socialistic” program called Medicare, passed in the 1960s. The mood about its passage was roughly like it is now although abortion, obviously, was not then law and not a concern for the Medicare population. (Abortion was rendered a moot issue with the president’s signing a confirmation letter which committed to upholding the federal funding restrictions on abortions in place now. Abortion had been an issue which threatened to derail passage.)

Try taking Medicare away from anyone today.

However, each major piece of legislation has to win its way if it is going to work.

The American people still are digesting the impact of the bill. This story says that many of the features of the program are ones people like.

Their doctors are digesting this bill, too.

The view of this bill will be settled largely in the exam rooms of patients’ own doctors as they discuss the changes with their patients.

The Washington Post

“Americans overwhelmingly see the new health-care law as a major shift in the direction of the country, but they remain as deeply divided today over the changes as they were throughout the long congressional debate, according to a Washington Post poll.”

Source: Washington Post, March 27, 2010