Posted on 01/27/2008 2:46:13 PM PST by CedarDave
SANTA FE— A House committee Saturday spent hours hearing from dozens of people that private insurance is at the root of New Mexico's health care problems.
Supporters of the Health Security Act told the House Health and Government Affairs Committee that giving a new, powerful commission control of health care funding and spending would improve access to care, raise quality and reduce costs. ...
~~snip~~
Eleanor Chavez, director of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Workers Local 1199, said access to care is rationed by today's insurance-based system. Coverage decisions are dictated by insurance companies' need for profit, she said. "We don't want to choose a plan, we want to choose a provider," Chavez said.
~~snip~~
Under the Health Security Act, employer- and individual-paid premiums and funds used to support public health care programs would be consolidated into a single fund. That fund, under the control of an unpaid 15-member commission, would pay the health bills of residents not already covered by military, military retiree and federal retiree health plans. Tribes and employers who operate in a number of states would have the option to join the plan.
The commission would negotiate payment rates with health care providers and operating budgets with health care facilities. It would determine what capital investments hospitals can make.
~~snip~~
Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad, who is sponsoring Richardson's Health Solutions proposal, said the Health Security Act would result in "significant rationing of capital" that hospitals need to buy equipment and build facilities.
Other critics said the act could create provider shortages and require rationing of care when funds are not adequate to pay providers. The state Department of Finance and Administration in its comments on the bill said that "it is unclear how the bill proposes to generate sufficient revenues" to cover beneficiaries.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
BTW, this is not Richardson's proposal but a close kin. Some legislators are doing their best to pander with lowest-common denominator health care.
And don’t you know that politicians will somehow get around the laws they pass for everyone else. I guarantee that none of them or their families will wait for months for treatment as the common folk will.
Promoters of these shams turn basic economic principles upside down. The lack of logic is comical. If these idiots do not like the control of health care by insurance companies, they will abhor the situation when this proposed committee controls health care. Many complain about the role of insurance companies. To fix the problem, make individuals responsible for their own health care. You can do it now with a health savings account. The more government control, the bigger the mess. Taken to its limit with a single payer system, the situation will become just like any of the other single payer countries where you can die waiting for treatment.
NM PING!
We can go a long way in repairing the whole health care mess in 6 months by requiring that everyone has the exact same health care as our supposed ‘leaders’ in congress.
I have four ruptured disc in my back, I work each day, I have had two epidurals, I am on strong medication.
I pay a large health care bill each month and my employer pays a large percentage.
I have access to my pain management doctor each time I call him.
I pray no one has to live with the pain I have!
Doctors will leave this state if they are not allowed to make an income! Once they are gone, they will not come back! I pray for all people like myself with such pain.
If you want on or off the NM Ping list, please FReepmail me.
Access to the ping list is available to anyone by going to my FR home page.
Another downside to this madness is that small business owners are going to have to lay people off because they can’t afford to pay for their medical insurance. They just raised minimum wages causing them to have to lay employees off and now this. Government paid employees don’t understand how small businesses operate. Not only will NM get the reputation of being doctor unfriendly, but we will also be noted for being business unfriendly. It’s a disaster in the making.
The company I work for, a small business, has an excellent health plan for its employees. Unfortunately, under anyone of these schemes, my employer will have to not only pay for our health insurance, but will have to contribute to the pot for others, which will affect our bottom line. It’s just another tax so that the illegals and anchor babies and unemployable (read druggies) and the rest of us will have the finest care equal to that in England and Canada. Grrrr...
You're very fortunate that your employer can afford a healthcare package for their employees. Unfortunately, when Billy boy's flunkies get through, it may mess up the plan that they have. I've owned several small businesses and I've talked to lots of business owners. Most of them feel very threatened by what the socialists in our government are doing to their businesses.
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