| May 2012 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||
Today, from Krauthammer:
...there is an exit strategy [for Obama on health care]. And a politically clever one, if the Democrats are smart enough to seize it.
(5) Promise nothing but pleasure -- for now. Make health insurance universal and permanently protected. Tear up the existing bills and write a clean one -- Obamacare 2.0 -- promulgating draconian health-insurance regulation that prohibits (a) denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, (b) dropping coverage if the client gets sick, and (c) capping insurance company reimbursement.
And from today's LA Times:
With a virtual civil war raging over parts of President Obama's healthcare agenda, the smoke of battle has obscured a surprising fact: Democrats and Republicans actually agree on a bundle of proposals that could make medical insurance better for millions of Americans.
The consensus proposals include such popular ideas as barring insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting injuries and illnesses, cutting insurance coverage off when a policyholder gets sick and imposing a lifetime cap on benefits.
Exactly what Krauthammer predicted, is already being attempted, per the LA Times. What are the dangers of this? It's all the horrors of Obamacare, smuggled into law by stealth. Per Krauthammer (same link):
What's not to like? If you have insurance, you'll never lose it. Nor will your children ever be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions.
The regulated insurance companies will get two things in return. Government will impose an individual mandate that will force the purchase of health insurance on the millions of healthy young people who today forgo it. And government will subsidize all the others who are too poor to buy health insurance. The result? Two enormous new revenue streams created by government for the insurance companies.
And here's what makes it so politically seductive: The end result is the liberal dream of universal and guaranteed coverage -- but without overt nationalization. It is all done through private insurance companies. Ostensibly private. They will, in reality, have been turned into government utilities. No longer able to control whom they can enroll, whom they can drop and how much they can limit their own liability, they will live off government largesse -- subsidized premiums from the poor; forced premiums from the young and healthy.
It's the perfect finesse -- government health care by proxy. And because it's proxy, and because it will guarantee access to (supposedly) private health insurance -- something that enjoys considerable Republican support -- it will pass with wide bipartisan backing and give Obama a resounding political victory.
Isn't there a catch? Of course, there is. This scheme is the ultimate bait-and-switch. The pleasure comes now, the pain later. Government-subsidized universal and virtually unlimited coverage will vastly compound already out-of-control government spending on health care. The financial and budgetary consequences will be catastrophic.
However, they will not appear immediately. And when they do, the only solution will be rationing. That's when the liberals will give the FCCCER regulatory power and give you end-of-life counseling.
It is essential for all of us who oppose Obamacare to recognize this terrible danger, and let our elected officials know that we are on to them and this horrific bait-and-switch will not be tolerated.
#1
#2What happened to my post? It didn't read like that when I pushed "post"!
#3That's odd, Anona. Please repost.
#4so, what's your answer to millions of american's having to file bankruptcy because of their medical bills? your answer to hundreds of thousands being denied care for erroneous reasons? what's your answer to skyrocketing healthcare costs strangling american families, small and large businesses alike?
when you cast as an evil plan the idea everyone being able to see a doctor to receive treatment, alleviating the cost, financial and otherwise, of millions of children and families, who have to choose between rent and food and can only dream of insurance coverage. When you smear any attempt to add efficiencies and fundamentally humane rules to a system that far too often disregards the patient in favor of the profit. when you are so set against resolving these issues effectively, i can only question your actual interest in bettering the lives of your fellow American's and instead assume you are exploiting this issue on purely political grounds, which is shameful. Come down from your blogging pedestal and gain some awareness of the true struggles that your fellow American's face. Good hard working families devastated by a system run amok. Come down from your pedestal and work for real change.
#5Reuben:
so, what's your answer to millions of american's having to file bankruptcy because of their medical bills?
Please provide a link to document this statement.
#6Here ya go
part 1
The Free Choice Proposal
Empower EVERY American to choose the quality, affordable health plan that works best for them.
Health reform should give ALL Americans choices. Americans who are happy with their current coverage should be able to choose to keep it just as Americans who are unhappy with their current coverage should be able to reject it and choose a better plan. The Free Choice Proposal shows that it is
possible to guarantee these choices – not just for some Americans – but for ALL Americans in a way that strengthens the employer-based health care system. While health reform shouldn’t blow up the current employer-based system, health reformers should not steer clear of improving the system. Today, half of American workers fortunate enough to have employer-sponsored health insurance are given no choice in where they get their coverage; and while millions of Americans say they are happy with their current health insurance, most Americans aren’t able to keep that insurance if they lose their job, change jobs or go into business for themselves.
Additionally, as health care costs continue to skyrocket more and more employers are being forced to provide their workers with cheaper benefits or drop coverage altogether. Health reform can and should improve the employer-based system to address these issues.
Brief Description:
The Free Choice Proposal gives every American the ability to either choose to keep the coverage they have or pick a plan that works better for them and their family. It guarantees both choice and portability by creating a
path for employers to insure their workers through a national or state-based insurance marketplace known as the
“Exchange.”
#7The text you quoted makes no mention of bankruptcy.
#8part 2
The Free Choice Proposal recognizes that employers play an important role in ensuring that their employees have
health coverage and gives employers a choice in how they fulfill that role.
Under this proposal:
1) Employers that offer group health coverage must offer the equivalent of a minimum benefit plan,
contribute at least 70% of the premium, and offer at least one other health plan of greater actuarial value;
or
2) Employers that do not offer the choice of a low cost option must offer workers a voucher worth at least
70% of the average of the three lowest cost plans in the exchange; or
3) With an adequate transition, employers can take their entire group to the exchange where they would
receive a group discount so long as they provide at least 70% of the cost of average of the three lowest
cost plans in the exchange; or
4) Employers that do not offer health insurance choices, a voucher, or go to the exchange, would have to pay
a “fair share” fee which would be a percent of the national average of the three lowest cost plans in each
state.
Fair Share Amount: The Fair Share amount is .25% for the first fulltime equivalent employee and increases by
.25% for each additional employee up to 280 employees. The fair share amount for employers with 280
employees or more would be 70%. In order to take into account the burden to small employers, this percentage
could be varied downward to account for revenue per employee or other measure of ability to pay.
In order to protect against adverse risk selection both in the exchange and employers who offer the voucher, the
Secretary will set up a national reinsurance pool to protect employers and insurers who have higher than expected
costs because of adverse risk selection.
Free Choice Strengthens the Employer Based System
The Free Choice approach strengthens the employer-based system by giving employers additional bargaining
power to negotiate affordable health care for their workers. For example, if insurers won't offer affordable
coverage to an employer, that employer would have the option of taking the entire business to the Exchange and
getting a discount on their coverage. Making health benefits more affordable for employers makes it less likely
that employers will be forced to drop health coverage and more likely that other employers will be able to start
offering the benefits.
Free Choice Helps Small Businesses
Under the Free Choice Proposal, small business could use the small business tax credit towards the cost of
covering their workers with group coverage, the voucher, or in the exchange.
The fee under the Free Choice proposal reflects the demands on small businesses. For example, a small business
with 10 workers would have to pay 2.5% of the national average of the three lowest cost plans in every state per
full-time equivalent employee.
Free Choice Will Help Working Americans
With the Free Choice Proposal, workers will be able to keep the coverage they have or go to the exchange if they
want another plan.
Low-income workers will be ensured affordable health care. All Americans eligible for the Federal tax health
insurance tax credits can receive the credit less the amount of the voucher.
Families who receive a voucher for individual coverage can combine vouchers from different employers to
purchase affordable insurance through the exchange.
#9part 3
Free Choice Will Hold Down Health Care Costs
The Free Choice approach reduces rising health care costs. Unlike under the current system where most
Americans consider health care a “free” benefit – thus encouraging the over consumption of health care –
allowing Americans to pocket the money they save in making a careful health care purchase is proven to save the
system money while forcing insurers to compete to offer more affordable quality plans. The Congressional
Budget Office has already scored savings for health reform legislation that provides choices of coverage and
financial rewards for those who choose plans that offer good value for consumers.
Examples:
Large Employer with 1,000 full time employees could:
1) Offer two group health insurance plans, one equivalent to the exchange minimum plan (i.e. $4,000 for
single coverage/$11,500 for family coverage) and another higher cost plan (i.e. $4,800/$14,500), and pay
for 70% of their cost.
2) Offer a high cost plan (i.e. $5,300/$16,000) and a voucher for 70% (i.e. $2,713/$8,139) of the lowest cost
plan in the exchange.
3) Take entire group to the exchange.
4) Pay a fee of 70% of national average three lowest cost plans per employee.
Small Employer with 100 full time employees could:
1) Offer two group health insurance plans, one equivalent to the exchange minimum (i.e. $5,000/$12,000)
and another higher cost plan (i.e. $6,000/$15,000), and pay for 70% of their cost.
2) Offer a high cost plan (i.e. $6,500/$17,000) and a voucher for 70% (i.e. $2,713/$8,139) of the lowest cost
plan in the exchange.
3) Take entire group to the exchange.
4) Pay a fee of 25% of national average three lowest cost plans per employee.
Transition to the Free Choice System
Year 1- People who are currently in the individual market plus small employers with up to 10 workers and the
uninsured have access to the exchange.
Year 2-- Add small employers with up to 25 workers to the exchange.
Year 3-- Give State Medicaid programs the choice to be in exchange.
Year 4-- Open up the exchange to medium sized employers with up to 250 workers using the Free Choice
approach.
Year 5 - Open exchanges to all employers.
#10The text you quoted makes no mention of bankruptcy.
#11hmmm.....Obamacare is a bad thing, people.. not trying to get into a fight here, just saying that it doesn't work for britain or canada very well. we should learn form their example.
healthcare doesn't need government interference~ i know people want to help people and be a utopia...but that's not what will happen, it doesn't work like that...
#12oh and btw~
being 'humane' shouldn't have to involve taking away freedom. we shouldn't HAVE to take care of our fellow americans. we should be ABLE to, but forcing us to do it (obamacare) is a violation of our rights.
The overriding theme of the currrent administration is; quite simply, "How can we fool them today? The theme of the peolpe must be "Won't get fooled again!". It is well past ime to return to the Constitutional limits on Government.