Posted on 07/21/2009 6:25:14 PM PDT by Kaslin
Letters: California Representative Henry Waxman responds to It's Not An Option, IBD's recent editorial on the impact pending health care legislation would have on private medical coverage. Read IBD's follow up editorial, Still Not An Option.Your July 16 editorial, "It's Not an Option," was factually incorrect and highly misleading.
The editorial incorrectly states that "those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. . . . Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers."
The editorial also falsely claims that the bill "will kill the market for private individual coverage by not letting any new policies be written after the public option becomes law."
America's Affordable Health Choices Act will reform the individual health insurance market. It will create a transparent insurance marketplace that protects consumers and provides them with choices among quality, affordable health care plans.
Insurers will no longer be able to exclude individuals from coverage based on pre-existing conditions and will be prevented from selectively refusing to renew coverage or charging different premiums based on an individual's need for health care.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...
The follow up editorial, posted before Waxman’s, explains it well.
Good Evening, Please add me to your list :)
The devil is in the details. Read between the lines.
This is like Obama saying “If you have healthcare or a doctor you prefer you can keep it.” to the question “Is it going to be illegal to buy private health care if you don’t already have health care. /nuance
Waxman is a leftist psychopathic liar. He probably didn’t even read the healthcare bill, but he knows that it is full of crap, like himself.
He is a disgrace to California (if that is possible), to the Congress (if that is possible), to America, and to the human race.
If they ever send man to the moon again, Waxman has to be on or under the next moon-lander. I don’t care which. Just get this pig off the earth before he destroys it.
Done :)
Tar and feather this traitor.
Thanks for the link to the whole series.
I have the bill in front of me. What are you talking about?
*************************
Michael Steele could have used your help on CNN today. He needs to be able to cite the bill chapter and verse and oh by the way, CNN demanded to know which insurance carrier he used. How is that information pertinent?
a) In General- A qualified health benefits plan shall provide coverage that at least meets the benefit standards adopted under section 124 for the essential benefits package described in section 122 for the plan year involved.
SEC. 123. HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment-
(1) IN GENERAL- There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans.
(b) Duties-
(1) RECOMMENDATIONS ON BENEFIT STANDARDS- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subtitle referred to as the `Secretary') benefit standards (as defined in paragraph (4)), and periodic updates to such standards. In developing such recommendations, the Committee shall take into account innovation in health care and consider how such standards could reduce health disparities.
(a) Process for Adoption of Recommendations-
(1) REVIEW OF RECOMMENDED STANDARDS- Not later than 45 days after the date of receipt of benefit standards recommended under section 123 (including such standards as modified under paragraph (2)(B)), the Secretary shall review such standards and shall determine whether to propose adoption of such standards as a package.
(2) DETERMINATION TO ADOPT STANDARDS- If the Secretary determines--
(A) to propose adoption of benefit standards so recommended as a package, the Secretary shall, by regulation under section 553 of title 5, United States Code, propose adoption such standards; or
(B) not to propose adoption of such standards as a package, the Secretary shall notify the Health Benefits Advisory Committee in writing of such determination and the reasons for not proposing the adoption of such recommendation and provide the Committee with a further opportunity to modify its previous recommendations and submit new recommendations to the Secretary on a timely basis.
(a) In General- A qualified health benefits plan shall provide coverage that at least meets the benefit standards adopted under section 124 for the essential benefits package described in section 122 for the plan year involved.
(1) REQUIRED OFFERING OF BASIC PLAN- The entity offers only one basic plan for such service area.
(2) OPTIONAL OFFERING OF ENHANCED PLAN- If and only if the entity offers a basic plan for such service area, the entity may offer one enhanced plan for such area.
(3) OPTIONAL OFFERING OF PREMIUM PLAN- If and only if the entity offers an enhanced plan for such service area, the entity may offer one premium plan for such area.
(4) OPTIONAL OFFERING OF PREMIUM-PLUS PLANS- If and only if the entity offers a premium plan for such service area, the entity may offer one or more premium-plus plans for such area.
All such plans may be offered under a single contract with the Commissioner.
(c) Specification of Benefit Levels for Plans-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Commissioner shall establish the following standards consistent with this subsection and title I:
(A) BASIC, ENHANCED, AND PREMIUM PLANS- Standards for 3 levels of Exchange-participating health benefits plans: basic, enhanced, and premium (in this division referred to as a `basic plan', `enhanced plan', and `premium plan', respectively).
Items to note from the above:
I have been referring to section 102, on page 16 of the house bill. To what section do you refer to support Waxman?
Sorry, I was asking that other guy....
SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT COVERAGE.
(a) Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage Defined- Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable coverage under this division, the term `grandfathered health insurance coverage’ means individual health insurance coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:
(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT-
(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1. [Y1 = first year of ObamaCare]
(2) LIMITATION ON CHANGES IN TERMS OR CONDITIONS- Subject to paragraph (3) and except as required by law, the issuer does not change any of its terms or conditions, including benefits and cost-sharing, from those in effect as of the day before the first day of Y1.
Your existing private plan is banned from accepting new members. And it is banned from making any changes to the plan.
Such plans, by design, will die out, and quickly.
When Obama announces that you can 'keep your existing plan' he is technically correct. But as a practical matter such plans will no longer be viable.
I have been referring to section 102, on page 16 of the house bill. To what section do you refer to support Waxman?
**************************
I must not have written clearly. Let me rephrase:
Michael Steele could have used your research abilities today during an interview on CNN. During that interview, he was asked to name specifically in the bill where his points could be found and because he couldn’t name a section and/or page number, I think CNN felt they had a ‘gotcha!’ moment.
That’s all I meant.
Sorry, I was asking that other guy....
********************
OH! Sorry back, I replied! It’s been a long day.
He could win an ugly dog contest.
Bump
...health insurers may only offer individual coverage that meets insurance market reform standards...
So what the heck does this mean? Whose reform? What standards? This is crazy. This is writing nonsense into law. This has amazingly vague wording - especially for a law that affects millions of people, a good percentage of the economy, and the stability of the healthcare system.
I deal with government red tape in healthcare in my job and the potential for misuse and abuse in this legislation is stunning. Enough. Democrats - when you are in a hole, stop digging. Your frantic efforts to pass this junk to meet Obama’s egotistical timetable will cost you your next election.
“Insurers will no longer be able to exclude individuals from coverage based on pre-existing conditions and will be prevented from selectively refusing to renew coverage or charging different premiums based on an individual’s need for health care.”
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
If a company cannot exclude people with preexisting conditions and cannot charge different premiums the private health insurance business is dead! How are they going to insure a sixty year old with terminal cancer at the same rate as a twenty five year old in perfect health?
You’re welcome Nina.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.