Health care reform goes in effect today: Go thank a nun!

Thanks to the recent health care reform, starting today insurance companies can no longer put lifetime “caps” on coverage or deny children coverage if they have pre-existing conditions. And young people can remain on their parents’ policies up to age 26 -- during that time of life when they may find it hard to get coverage on their own.

Although the major provisions of the new law do not take effect until 2014, these are important, tangible steps toward greater justice in our national health care system.

As we recall the rancorous debate over this law -- especially the opposition of the U.S. Catholic Bishops and the courageous stance of the women religious, led by NETWORK and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, in favor of the law (a stance that many observers believe made the difference for passage) -- a lot of people can be thankful for nuns today!

In fact, Democratic politicians might learn something from all this. They should stop running away from what they passed and begin to tout its benefits.