Rep. Steve Cohen has an information-packed web page on the latest proposal for a House health care reform bill.

Just skimming the major departures from the previous HR3200 bill, there are still several problem areas in the nearly 2,000 page bill.

• The 5.4% surcharge on people making $500,000. Instead of surcharges, the costs should be spread around based on premiums as you would have with single-payer.

• The continued focus on mandatory employer provided insurance plans. (The new proposal at least exempts more small businesses.) Single payer eliminates employer provided insurance altogether and makes insurance portable regardless of job, location, or employment status.

• Expanding state Medicaid programs while cutting funding. Medicaid is already bankrupting state governments. Single payer in the form of opening up Medicare to everyone eliminates Medicaid. I suppose the idea is that reforms will slowly begin to reduce the need for Medicaid. (Did I mention that single payer would eliminate it?) We need to cover the less fortunate uninsured now.

• In addition to the public option and the exchange, we would now have co-ops. Shouldn't the idea be to make it simpler? Like single payer?

On the plus side, it preserves the public option, raises the medical loss ratio for private insurance to 85% of premiums paid, limits preexisting condition lookbacks now, prohibits preexisting condition exclusions starting three years from now, excludes domestic violence as a preexisting condition, implements an immediate program for those uninsured because of preexisting conditions, eliminates rescission and guarantees renewability, bans lifetime limits, provides for Medicare payment rate reform including geographical (rural provider?) adjustments, discourages policy price gouging, and repeals the antitrust exemption for insurance companies.

So I guess it's better than a poke in the eye with sharp stick. And certainly better than the Senate plan (i.e. no state opt-outs that I can see). And presumably this additional 1100 pages of legislation is designed such that half or more of it can be negotiated away to Republicans who have their health care (or think they do) and don't want you to have yours, leaving at least a handful of somewhat meaningful incremental reforms.

Let's hope, anyway.

UPDATE: Roe, Duncan, Wamp, and Alexander oppose health care