Posted on 02/20/2010 5:52:50 AM PST by reaganaut1
The backlash against ObamaCare is moving beyond the Tea Parties and has now arrived in state capitals. In more than 30 states, legislators are proceeding to pass statutes or ballot initiatives that would guarantee the right to choose medical services and insurance.
These laws are generally called Health-Care Freedom Acts. If enacted, they will set off a Constitutional 10th Amendment fight over whether there are limitations on the powers of the federal government to regulate health care and override the protections in these state laws.
Almost all these measures would make it illegal for the government at any level to require a citizen of the state to purchase health insurance. This would let Americans opt out of any federal "individual mandate," which makes people buy insurance or pay a tax, a la Massachusetts and both the House and Senate bills in Congress.
Second, the bills would guarantee the right of residents to pay directly for health services without incurring penalties or fines. This means citizens could go outside any government-run system to purchase private treatments from the doctor or hospital of their choice. Often, the federal Medicare program doesn't let doesn't let doctors charge extra for specialized care.
Virginia's legislature has already passed such a law and Republican Governor Bob McDonnell is about to sign it. The house in both Utah and Idaho passed a similar bill last week, and the Tennessee senate did so earlier this week by a vote of 26 to 1. Legislatures in Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee are expected to hold votes in coming weeks. Last June, Arizona's legislature authorized a November 2010 referendum vote on the Arizona Health Freedom Act. A similar ballot initiative failed by a slim margin (0.5%) in 2008 after health insurers spent millions to defeat it.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Out Standing, Alaska better be on board with this or Parnell can pack it up.
In fact I am going to e-mail him right now.
Great news. I did not realize that such a large number of states was involved.
2. Tort reform.
3. Pre-existing conditions must be covered.
Then let the people find their own best medical care. Maybe another whole system in which doctors can practice and people can be cared for without fear of frivolous lawsuits and denial of care. That's all we want.
I emailed Parnell. I don’t think he will do anything because, frankly, I do not think he has the balls. The truth is probably that he has other things on his plate, but I wish Parnell would show some Palinesk balls.
What is taking the states so long to do this?
Ballessness, some folks need to sprout balls. If America allowed its balls to sprout, it could become the largest exporter of ball sprouts.
Why? This is supposed to be insurance. As in you're buying this to hedge against something that might happen. A pre-existing condition is a certainty. That's not "insurance". That's "getting someone else to pay my way". That just perpetuates the current line of thinking that you deserve to have everyone else be your slave.
Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke.
Tennessee has joined several other states in trying to pass a Health Care Freedom Act. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military's secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011)
New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security
http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security
TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:
http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html
This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.)
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/hcva09/hcva110609-1.htm
Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09
Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries
Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w
By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009
Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.
Snip
The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.
Snip
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.
“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.
Bambi doesn't keep his promises...so buyer beware
This is a worthier thread than the amount of posts reflect. Especially because of my sprouts comment. But seriously this is an important issue and it should be posted again or recycled. I am not sure how the rules work in that respect. P.S. Check out my new tag line: Ball sprouts $0.10 a bushel.
But I am starting to feel something like hope : Dare I believe this worthless, incompetent affirmative action recipient currently befouling the WH has managed to do something great? Not only has the Race Card been damn' near rendered worthless (Yes, it has : Back in 2008, you KNOW the garbage supporting BHO thought his race would make any push back against any of has proposals impossible-and this has NOT been the case, to put it mildly : Trying to pretend that only "racism" is behind criticism of BHO's plans has provoked such a backlash and so much derision that that claim is rarely heard now, at least from Democratic party officials and elected scum). And now state's rights, which has been moribund for so long, is being revived at the state government level throughout the nation. Prior to the BHO regime, only isolated militia types mentioned State's rights-and now we are seeing 30 states passing or trying to pass state's rights legislation protecting their citizenry from DC! By trying to move into full socialism too quickly, the Democrats have created massive push back not only in the state governments abut within the American citizenry. If BHO , evil as he is incompetent,finally manages to create a backlash against AA policies and their recipients, he will have accomplished more good for the USA than I at least would have deemed possible. Race card : Declined. State's rights-revived, at state government levels. Affirmative action and its recipients-despised and distrusted. Socialism-MASSIVE push back on individual AND state levels. The Constitution-a new appreciation for it as a result of the push back and the new emphasis on state's rights? How's that for "hope and change"?
3. Pre-existing conditions must be covered.Why? This is supposed to be insurance. As in you're buying this to hedge against something that might happen. A pre-existing condition is a certainty. That's not "insurance". That's "getting someone else to pay my way". That just perpetuates the current line of thinking that you deserve to have everyone else be your slave.
"Yup, it's a pre-existing condition. Buy some insurance and the insurance company's obligated to fix 'er right up for you."
Health Care Reform by John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO
• Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs). The combination of high-deductible health insurance and HSAs is one solution that could solve many of our health-care problems. For example, Whole Foods Market pays 100% of the premiums for all our team members who work 30 hours or more per week (about 89% of all team members) for our high-deductible health-insurance plan. We also provide up to $1,800 per year in additional health-care dollars through deposits into employees' Personal Wellness Accounts to spend as they choose on their own health and wellness. Money not spent in one year rolls over to the next and grows over time. Our team members therefore spend their own health-care dollars until the annual deductible is covered (about $2,500) and the insurance plan kicks in. This creates incentives to spend the first $2,500 more carefully. Our plan's costs are much lower than typical health insurance, while providing a very high degree of worker satisfaction.
• Equalize the tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits. Now employer health insurance benefits are fully tax deductible, but individual health insurance is not. This is unfair.
• Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines. We should all have the legal right to purchase health insurance from any insurance company in any state and we should be able use that insurance wherever we live. Health insurance should be portable.
• Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover. These mandates have increased the cost of health insurance by billions of dollars. What is insured and what is not insured should be determined by individual customer preferences and not through special-interest lobbying.
• Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. These costs are passed back to us through much higher prices for health care.
• Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost. How many people know the total cost of their last doctor's visit and how that total breaks down? What other goods or services do we buy without knowing how much they will cost us?
• Enact Medicare reform. We need to face up to the actuarial fact that Medicare is heading towards bankruptcy and enact reforms that create greater patient empowerment, choice and responsibility.
• Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren't covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
The list, ping
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