The following details by "section" what happens w/Baramacare :
Don G at www.sewallspointer.org, my website.

 

Dear Friends of Liberty and American Medical Excellence,
 
The House of Representatives squeaked through a health bill on November 7th by a mere  five votes, but our biggest battle is still looming - our battle to hold back the Senate.  A win in the Senate will prevent the dismantling of American healthcare and the threat to our liberty. Your hard work has helped turn the tide against passage of these dangerous  bills.  I call upon you now to redouble your efforts and take action as we approach our final fight.  
 
The content of the House bill (H.R. 3962) reveals why this call to action is necessary. 
 
Here's what the government will require you to do if the bill is enacted:

· Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or benefit.
 
· Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it. That's like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.
 
On November 2, the Congressional Budget Office estimated what the plans will likely cost. An individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300 premium and an estimated $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, for a total of $7,300 a year, which is 17% of his pre-tax income. A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus an estimated $5,300 out-of-pocket, for a $20,300 total, or 20% of its pre-tax income. Individuals and families earning less than these amounts will be eligible for subsidies paid directly to their insurer.
 
· Sec. 303 (pp. 167-168) makes it clear that, although the "qualified plan" is not yet designed, it will be of the "one size fits all" variety. The bill claims to offer choice-basic, enhanced and premium levels-but the benefits are the same.  Only the co-pays and deductibles differ. You will have to enroll in the same plan, whether the government is paying for it or you and your employer are footing the bill.
 
· Sec. 59b (pp. 297-299) says that when you file your taxes, you must include proof that you are in a qualified plan or risk paying fines.  
 
More Bad News:  Porkers Live Off Fat of the Land & Seniors Lose Out

 

Shockingly, more than half of the House bill has nothing to do with making insurance better or more affordable.  Instead, in these pages, billions of dollars are diverted to the creation of new urban welfare and diversity programs with vague standards of accountability.  Here are just a few of those pork programs:
 
· Sec. 399V (p. 1422) provides for grants to community "entities" with no required qualifications except having "documented community activity and experience with community healthcare workers" to "educate, guide, and provide experiential learning opportunities" aimed at drug abuse, poor nutrition, smoking and obesity. "Each community health worker program receiving funds under the grant will provide services in the cultural context most appropriate for the individual served by the program."
These programs will "enhance the capacity of individuals to utilize health services and health related social services under Federal, State and local programs by assisting individuals in establishing eligibility . . . and in receiving services and other benefits" including transportation and translation services.
 
· Sec. 222 (p. 617) provides reimbursement for culturally and linguistically appropriate services. This program will train health-care workers to inform Medicare beneficiaries of their "right" to have an interpreter at all times and with no co-pays for language services.
 
· Secs. 2521 and 2533 (pp. 1379 and 1437) establishes racial and ethnic preferences in awarding grants for training nurses and creating secondary-school health science programs.  For example, grants for nursing schools should "give preference to programs that provide for improving the diversity of new nurse graduates to reflect changes in the demographics of the patient population." And secondary-school grants should go to schools "graduating students from disadvantaged backgrounds including racial and ethnic minorities."
 
· Sec. 305 (p. 189) Provides for automatic Medicaid enrollment of newborns who do not otherwise have insurance.  This provision is separate from the one that makes Medicaid available to all adults with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty line - which means about 21% of the entire U.S. population would be eligible for this welfare program. 
 
While pork programs make it possible for more people to live off taxpayer dollars, an estimated $571 billion will be cut in future Medicare funding to offset the tab for the health bill.  That's about a 10% reduction over the next decade, when almost 18 million baby boomers will be turning 65 and entering Medicare!  The President insists these cuts won't affect senior care, but the House bill fundamentally changes how Medicare pays doctors and hospitals, permitting the government to dictate treatment decisions.  Here's how:
 
· Sec. 1302 (pp. 672-692) moves Medicare from a fee-for-service payment system, in which patients choose which doctors to see and doctors are paid for each service they provide, toward what's called a "medical home."
 
The medical home is this decade's version of HMO-restrictions on care. A primary-care provider manages access to costly specialists and diagnostic tests for a flat monthly fee. The bill specifies that patients may have to settle for a nurse practitioner rather than a physician as the primary-care provider. Medical homes begin with demonstration projects, but the HHS secretary is authorized to "disseminate this approach rapidly on a national basis."
 
A December 2008 Congressional Budget Office report noted that "medical homes" were likely to resemble the unpopular gatekeepers of 20 years ago if cost control was a priority.
 
· Sec. 1114 (pp. 391-393) replaces physicians with physician assistants in overseeing care for hospice patients.
 
· Secs. 1158-1160 (pp. 499-520) initiates programs to reduce payments for patient care to what it costs in the lowest cost regions of the country. This will reduce payments for care (and by implication the standard of care) for hospital patients in higher cost areas such as New York and Florida.
 
· Sec. 1161 (pp. 520-545) cuts payments to Medicare Advantage plans (used by 20% of seniors). Advantage plans have warned this will result in reductions in optional benefits such as vision and dental care.
 
· Sec. 1402 (p. 756) says that the results of comparative effectiveness research conducted by the government will be delivered to doctors electronically to guide their use of "medical items and services."
 
We must take a stand against these outrages. 
 

 

With Kind Regards,

 

Don Gleichman