Many of you have asked what I think is going to happen to healthcare reform now that control in the House of Representatives has switched from the Democrats to the Republicans. Clearly the conservatives want a full repeal of healthcare reform. Many moderate Democrats no longer want to be too closely associated with the reform that was passed last March.

Let me dispel some myths and fears. Even with the Republican majority in the House, healthcare reform is not going to be overturned. The primary reason is there is no alternative out there that is any better. Americans are only now starting to see the benefits of the reform. Some of the key highlights include:

1. Providing insurance coverage for dependent children under age 26
2. High risk insurance pools for many Americans who are unable to obtain health insurance because of preexisting conditions
3. Elimination of lifetime benefit caps on health insurance plans
4. New rules eliminating the health insurance companies ability to drop policy holders when they get sick

As these benefits become more widely known and understood, no political party will be able to get the public behind a full outright repeal. Sure there may be some tough talk but there is simply too much at stake to wipe out what has started.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to start highlighting some of the changes that are going to take effect in 2011 including those that are in place now that the reform has passed. Check back each week for new updates and see what’s happening. I will focus on the “behind the scenes” work that is being done to improve the current healthcare delivery system that many Americans either do not fully understand or were not told about during the reform debate.

Certainly there remains may unpopular parts of the law including:

1. The individual mandate requiring all Americans to carry insurance or pay a penalty
2. Higher taxes on individuals making over $200,000 a year or families making over $250,000 per year
3. Tax on high-cost health insurance plans
4. Requirement for employers with over 50 people to provide health insurance or pay a penalty

While exceptionally unpopular, these initiatives are the foundation of healthcare reform. Without them, there is no healthcare reform. Those who want reform repealed have attached themselves to these unpopular components of the law without putting them into the overall context of why they are so critical to make it all work. Stay tuned for more updates. I believe the more we know about this law, even the unpopular components, the less likely the country will return to where it was before March 2010.