Okay, so I don't usually use my blog to be political. I don't because it is a cause for much controversy (though that doesn't stop me when I'm discussing The Bachelor). And because I don't like to sound off about something that I'm not totally informed about... and truly I wish I had the time to read everything and study everything out... but I barely have the time to shower. Despite all that I just wanted share with you all a few things included in the proposed Health Care bill. Now, I am all for helping those in need. Truly, I've made promises to do so. BUT, this health care reform is not the way to do it, in my opinion. I want Government out of my buisness.
Page 94—Section 202(c) prohibits the sale of private individual health insurance policies, beginning in 2013, forcing individuals to purchase coverage through the federal government.
Page 110—Section 222(e) requires the use of federal dollars to fund abortions through the government-run health plan—and, if the Hyde Amendment is not renewed, would require the plan to fund elective abortions.
Page 225—Section 330 permits—but does not require—Members of Congress to enroll in government-run health care.
Page 297—Section 501 imposes a 2.5 percent tax on all individuals who do not purchase “bureaucrat-approved” health insurance—the tax would apply on individuals with incomes under $250,000, thus breaking a central promise of then Senator Obama’s presidential campaign.
Page 313—Section 512 imposes an 8 percent “tax on jobs” for firms that cannot afford to purchase “bureaucrat-approved” health coverage.
Page 520—Section 1161 cuts more than $150 billion from Medicare Advantage plans, potentially jeopardizing millions of seniors’ existing coverage.
Frustrating. Have you taken a look at other countries that do it this way. It doesn't work. Please, no hateful comments.
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11 comments:
So scary! Makes me sad to think it could head this way.
It is all really scary, I agree with you! It makes me nervous to see the direction that our country could be going.
I feel like I need a preface because I've blogged about health care reform before. Everything I've said makes me seem like a huge proponent of the bill. I am a huge fan of the reform proposed for insurance companies, but I still go back and forth about the public option. So I guess my preface is that my approach is fact finding instead of fault finding. In regard to my "passion" for health care reform, the provisions (public option excluded) that discuss reforming the insurance companies will no doubt help those with insurance. You can't be turned away for a pre-existing condition, there's a cap on out of pocket expenses, you can't be dropped in the middle of treatment, etc. I don't know why these things have taken so long to come about. This reform just happens to leave those without insurance out still. The public option is the best they can figure out to make a way for all people to be insured, and I think that's what's so controversial about the bill.
As far as your claims go, I've seen all of them before. They all date back to this summer, and most are based on misinterpretations of the text, claims in the news that have later been recanted, etc. I am still not an expert, but like I said, my mission is fact finding. Take your second claim: Federal dollars are already used to fund abortion. It isn't new. On medicaid, in cases of rape, incest, or the mother's life, abortions can be performed. There is also a clause that allows states to choose whether or not they fund elective abortions, and 17 states do use their funds to do so. Even in McCain's plan (when he was running for president), families would have received a 5000 tax credit to buy into private insurance companies that would fund elective abortions. Either way, federal dollars would be spent on abortion.
Taxes - A major point of having the bill in the first place is to make sure all are insured. The official term used is a penalty for those who continue on without insurance. Tax, penalty, and fine have been used interchangeably to describe the same thing. It doesn't matter how much money you make, if you don't have insurance, you will face a penalty. The tax on jobs is really misstated. An individual small business owner making less than 280,000/year or 350,000/family/year would not be charged an income tax surcharge. When it comes to bigger businesses, if they choose to not offer insurance to their company, they will pay more in taxes as a way of supporting the other options their employees would take part in. (This is a brief explanation, I'm trying to not make it a novel).
Private insurance being illegal: Under the House bill, people who want to buy new individual, nongroup coverage will have to purchase it through a new health insurance exchange. They can still buy private insurance – the exchange, in fact, would offer a range of private plans, in addition to a new federal health insurance option. However, those who were already buying their own insurance before the bill went into effect – about 14 million Americans – will have their plans grandfathered in.
Medicare cuts - This is the part I've read different things about, but here's where I'm at right now: The cuts in medicare would be over a 10 year period, and it's not 150 billion, like 104 billion - I know the numbers don't make anyone rest easy, but there are so many numbers floating around out there from various groups who oppose the bill. It takes tax money that is spent on medicare subsidiaries - private insurance companies that are supposed to add to the care a senior receives, and redistribute those funds into investments that will be more beneficial for senior care in the long run. Senior advocate groups have been trying to show that the subsidiaries aren't worth the cost in benefits for the extra care they should be providing.
It is overwhelming. I don't know how many forward email I've received from death panels to seniors being left out in the cold because of medicare cuts. But at the same time, all of the attacks on the bill have really helped give me a jumping off point to research single points at a time. I had no expectation of what I was going to find, but it made it much more manageable. People on both sides of the aisle agree that health care reform needs to happen, but disagree on how it should be done. There will always be fundamental differences, but I have been so sad at times by the down right falsehoods that have been circulating around about the bill. One of my favorite quotes is by Virgina Woolf. "Mental fight means thinking against the current, not with it. It is our business to puncture gas bags and discover the seeds of truth." I have no problem with people opposing the bill if their opposition is based on fact and not rumors. I admire people who try to get down to the bottom of things. Sorry this is so long, I wasn't even going to comment, but something something kept tugging in terms of my fault vs. fact mission.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who barely has time to shower! ;)
This is random but I really like what Romney did for his state while governor (this coming from a democrat :)
My favorite program that he set up was that anytime anyone without insurance went to instacare, the hospital, ER they were hooked up with Medicade if they qualified. Romney had programs on all computers at these health places to get people aware and applied for medicaid. I think this would be a great tool for all states to use. Preventive care is always cheaper on tax payers.
I think something definitely needs to be done about the Health care system. It's sad that our health care is a privilage not a right.
Finding a good solution is going to take a lot of work. And I like others worry that the government won't get it just right.
I worry (in my same showerless ignorance :-)) about the quality of doctors we will have in the future if this bill passes. I have a several friends that are doctors and I know how much this would effect them. I know of several medical students who said they will drop out of the program and go into something else if the bill passes. They say it just isn't worth it to them to pay for years of medical school if they wont ever make enough to pay it off. I guess the cost of medical school will come down and with less people wanting to become doctors, will it become easier to be one? Does that mean that eventually any average Joe will be able to become a doctor? Look at school teachers... they have one of the most important jobs. Imagine if they got paid what doctors do and it wasn't an easy profession to get into. I would image that the quality of our teachers would go up significantly! That's not to knock school teachers. There are still some excellent teachers just like I'm sure you will stil be able to find great doctors. I just think it will be more of a rare find. If you are a healthy person who hasn't ever depended on a doctor's expertise, it may not matter to you, but if it was me or one of my children or a family member, I would want the best.
I don't like insurance the way it is and I would love to see reform, but I don't think this bill is the answer.
I talked to a friend of mine regarding some of your opinions BrieAnn (I'm always so impressed with your research!) He pointed out a few things.
Several versions of a Health reform bill have been floating through Congress for six months. Only in the last week has a more final bill been released. More than likely, the bill as is will be the one the House and Senate will vote on. He thinks you may be talking about things in the bill from this summer.
Federal dollars are not currently spent on abortion. Its against 2 laws Hyde and Smith Amendment). Here is a good, quick article that will make it very clear. Read http://www.facebook.com/l/58253;republicanleader.house.gov/blog/?p=666
Regarding fines/taxes for not purchasing insurance...if you are a business and do not provide a government sanctioned insurance option to your employees, you will have to pay an 8% fine on your payroll. Yep, 8%, more than the net profit margin of any given business.
As an individual, if you don't buy a Gov plan, you will be fined 2.5% of your gross income.
Private insurance: You can keep your current private insurance until you move jobs. Once you move jobs, you will be forced into the Gov option. Of course, private insurance companies won't be around much longer if they have to compete with an entity (Federal Government) with no need to turn a profit and that is tax exempt.
Medicare: The cuts would be deep and painful to those 70+ in age. The only way Socialized medicine stays afloat is by rationing. Older people would be the first to have their services cut.
We could talk about it all til we're blue in the face. I think we all agree that our health reform must change. But this bill is definitely not the direction we want to go.
From personal experience, Bryan has told me so many times about patients that he has that have come all the way from Canada for treatment/surgery because the system there is so bad. Where would we go?
Amen Danielle! I think Govenor Romney did a tremendous job with his state's issues. He would've done wonders in the chief spot. Wishful thinking.
I'm sure you've already read the Hyde Amendment and know it's history, but I learned something new tonight (I'd never read it before). It was passed in 1976, 3 years after Roe v. Wade. It stood as a law that made it illegal to use any federal money to fund abortions. In the year following its becoming a law, it was determined that it unfairly targeted women of lower socio-economic status. In 1977 they added provisions making certain types of abortion eligible for federal funding: "The limitation established in the preceding section [the original section stating it was illegal to use any federal funding to fund an abortion] shall not apply to an abortion (1) the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) in the case where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed."
The point following this one states that states can use their own medicaid funds for abortion (that's where the 17 out of 50 states comes in from my previous comment). The amendment must be renewed every year, so the wording varies a bit.
I've re-read the sections you brought up, and I still think my previous comments are valid. I'm definitely reading the current version dated October 29, 2009. Here is a link.
http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
Did you base information on private insurance companies going out of business because they won't be able to compete from the the Lewin Group Study conducted over the summer? It took a look at 6 possible outcomes of the bills being considered at the time. The most extreme being that 119 million people choose the public option, making it impossible to compete. I think the number on the other end was something like 12 million people choosing the public option and private insurance companies competed just fine. I loved the study, but the middle ground outcomes weren't ever publicized as much as the "dooms day" ones.
And finally, did you know that citizens of Massachusetts pay penalties as individuals if they do not have insurance, as well as employers if they do not cover their employees? Another thing I learned tonight. So much information, so little time!
Wow, this is a great discussion! I think BrieAnn has some great points. We need to try and inform ourselves from the facts and not from forwarded emails that come our way. But I still am against government run health care for sure. I agree with Tara about the quality of doctors, etc. And I worry too, because my husband is becoming a dentist, so it could affect our livelihood. Why do you think people from England have such a reputation for having bad teeth? (And they do, by the way - I've been there and seen for myself!) It's because they have socialized health care and don't get their teeth taken care of! :)
Anyhow, I do believe that there are some great thinkers out there - including the ones who are writing this bill - who can come up with creative and innovative ways to help our system, but we need to make these reforms without a government option.
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