Monday, 17 August 2009
Text of Healthcare Legislation actually Worse than Previously Reported
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Some good folks out there have been reading the healthcare legislation, myself included, in an attempt to understand it and translate it to normal everyday english for those of us not Obama-speak Inclined. All the legalese and external referencing make it quite the chore. Many in the news media claim we are inventing bogeymen. We know we are not.
Since the bill in Congress, HR 3200, is 1017 pages long and filled with legalese, all Americans owe an enormous debt to a philosophy professor from Duke University, John David Lewis, for carefully reading and translating into plain English some of its more important provisions. Read it and weep folks, the liars are in the Presidential office and sit in congress... this is nothing less than wholesale despotism.
Healthcare provisions translated to normal english. Thank You, John Davis Lewis!
Some of the keener points listed here:
- Will the plan RATION Medical care?
EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN READMISSIONS.—For purposes of clause (i), with respect to a hospital, excess readmissions shall not include readmissions for an applicable condition for which there are fewer than a minimum number (as determined by the Secretary) of discharges for such applicable condition for the applicable period and such hospital. - Will the plan punish Americans who try to opt out?
TAX ON INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT ACCEPTABLE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE: In the case of any individual who does not meet the requirements of subsection (d) at any time during the taxable year, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 2.5 percent of the excess of --
1) the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year, over
2) the amount of gross income specified in section 6012(a)(1) with respect to the taxpayer - What constitutes “acceptable” coverage?
b) MINIMUM SERVICES TO BE COVERED.—The items and services described in this subsection are the following:
1) Hospitalization.
2) Outpatient hospital and outpatient clinic services . . .
3) Professional services of physicians and other health professionals.
4) Such services, equipment, and supplies incident to the services of a physician’s or a health professional’s delivery of care
5) Prescription drugs.
6) Rehabilitative and habilitative services.
7) Mental health and substance use disorder services.
8) Preventive services . . .
9) Maternity care.
10) Well baby and well child care . . .
1. The bill defines “acceptable coverage” and leaves no room for choice in this regard. IT MUST COVER THESE THINGS.
2. By setting a minimum 70% actuarial value of benefits, the bill makes health plans in which individuals pay for routine services, but carry insurance only for catastrophic events, (such as Health Savings Accounts) illegal. IT WILL ONLY PAY UP TO 70 PERCENT OF THE BILL. - Will the PLAN destroy private health insurance?
1. The bill does not prohibit a person from buying private insurance.
2. Small businesses—with say 8-10 employees—will either have to provide insurance to federal standards, or pay an 8% payroll tax. Business costs for health care are higher than this, especially considering administrative costs. Any competitive business that tries to stay with a private plan will face a payroll disadvantage against competitors who go with the government “option.”
3. The pressure for business owners to terminate the private plans will be enormous.
4. With employers ending plans, millions of Americans will lose their private coverage, and fewer companies will offer it.
5. The Commissioner (meaning, always, the bureaucrats) will determine whether a particular network of physicians, hospitals and insurance is acceptable. You will have no choice of doctors, hospitals.
6. With private insurance starved, many people enrolled in the government “option” will have no place else to go. You will have no choice to go elsewhere once your on the gov't option.
More than ever, this bill must be tossed out, with no hope of rearing its ugly head again ever.
as always... keep the change.
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