What really scares me is that, although the current bill may be benign, every government program, without exception, rapidly grows out of control. Though counseling may be optional in 2013, you just know in your heart that the cost savings will not meet targets and the counseling will then become mandatory. Then the age will creep down to 65, 60 and 55. Then when cost targets are still not met, mandatory rationing for the useless eaters will be instituted. It's the way and the history of post WW II Washington DC.
As was so eloquently written only a few years back when a great many people rallied for freedom and liberty, "He has...sent hither swarms of new officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Truer words cannot be spoken about the US at the beginning of the 21st century.
..The government will audit your books if you self-insure. The newly created Commissioner will submit a report to the government that includes "any recommendation the Commissioner deems appropriate to ensure that the law DOES NOT PROVIDE incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure." (21.23-23.3)
This is just one of 17 provisions that WORLD has summarized and posted to its website, www.worldmag.com, found under Washington's Prescription, The Editors, Healthcare.
Excellent material for information and hand-out. This is an absolute outrage.
Others: The government will define your "health benefits" ... will ration your care ... will establish and administer a public health insurance program ... will define how doctors manage their time ... will tax employers for not providing healthcare ... will tax individuals unless you are a foreign resident ... will order you to get end-of-life counseling and show proof ... will limit your hospital readmissions by penalizing hospitals ... will restrict coverage of special needs patients ... will not let you sue over coverage limits and costs decisions ... will mandate what physicians make ... will have access to your bank accounts ... will not call the fees it imposes taxes ... will issue you a health ID card ... will enlist or create outreach programs like ACORN to sign-up individuals in government-run plan; will create a new bureaucracy to include phone healthcare. References with page numbers and line items are given each provision.
“the current bill may be benign, every government program, without exception, rapidly grows out of control.”
Exactly. It’s the frog boiling technique (incrementalism) so popular with the left.
Does anyone remember when ‘no smoking sections’ were added to flights? Then no smoking on flights within X miles, then no smoking on any flights, or restaurants or office building ...till they got what they wanted in the first place. Unlike conservatives who want their agenda implemented NOW, setting up its failure, libs are patient and willing to take one piece of pie at a time.
Be assured, the ultimate goal here is to eliminate the high cost of keeping the ‘non-productive,’ i.e., the elderly and disabled, to a minimum, which means expediting their demise.
Obviously, a generation that was raised to believe that “choice” is ok, and partial birth abortion is ok, does not have respect for life unless it fits within preconceived parameters of productivity.
Has anyone asked if the same advice and choices will be foisted on HIV/AIDS patients? Or drug addicts? Or high school dropout gang members? How about single mothers of several children by different fathers? None of them are particularly productive, either.
It puts levers in place that are too dangerous to allow to exist.