This from FoxNews,
Democrats Plan to help 'Uninsurables' Requires 6 Month Wait.
So part of this whole drive for change has been pre-existing conditions or really expensive conditions that get patients dropped from low tier coverage. Like cancer. Under the proposed plan, in 2013 it would be illegal for insurance companies to turn down folks for either reason. But until then, President Obama has set aside $3B for a high risk pool for those that get dropped or can't get coverage after it's discovered they have a very serious illness (like cancer).
The catch, you have to be without insurance for 6 months to qualify. For those that played roulette with their health and never got insurance, that probably won't be a problem, but for those that lose their jobs or their insurance for other reasons and can't get new insurance, this plan doesn't really help them.
Also, this new plan, HR 3962 (tell them to vote NO!) The Affordable Health Care for America Act, according to the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office, is not budget neutral and
will cost an initial $1T in the first decade, while not adding to the deficeit, because all of that money is coming from Medicare CUTS. And even with that loss to senior citizens (including less money for perscription drugs) the
AARP is set to endorse the bill today. However, in the years after those initial ten, costs will skyrocket, and the deficeit will soar.
To boot, it would
raise premiums on healthy individuals and attract unhealthy individuals who would pay less. All according to the CBO.
How many new federal agencies will be created due to this bill?
111. That's one hundred and eleven new beaurocracies between you and your coverage.
There is a provision in this bill that proposes a fine on
vending machine operators must (I assume or face fines) list out nutritional information
"in close proximity to each article of food or the selection button that includes a clear and conspicuous statement disclosing the number of calories contained in the article." Because that's the sort of crap our legislatures should be working on.
Dallas Examiner calls it a Turkey, stuffed with tax payer money. And also points out that this bill changes the tax codes on HSA's (health insurance savings accounts) and makes that money taxable after $2500.
Abortion is still covered, and the word
abortion is mentioned 23 times while the word doctor only twice. I'm sure the word fine is in there a 1000 times. It introduces 13 new taxes. It's
1900 pages long and costs about $2.4M a word.
Read all of Michael Barrett's analysis of each section. Including providing abortion information to school kids, while of course prohibiting "in school" abortion. WHAT?!? Raising the penalties employers pay on employees who make over $80,000 a year, and cuts what you can spend your FSA on.
It also expressly states in this bill, that if the high risk pool gets too expensive in any given year, our high and all powerful medical / health insurance government Health Secretary
"shall make such adjustments as are necessary to eliminate such deficit, including reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists." Section 101 - National High Risk Pool Program, Page 19. This is the same section that FoxNews is talking about at the top of this post.
And not to harp on this, Section 222 is titled Standards Guarenteeing Access to Essential Benefits. This is the section that expressly says federal dollars will go to provide abortions. Abortions are now essential benefits? How about essential benefits for a woman's annual screening, blood work, and birth control, rather than abortions?
Maybe that's in there. But I've wasted enough time wondering the internet in search of a breakdown of what this crappy bill means.
And yes, I have a PDF of the bill. All 1990 pages of it.
You should too.