Live thread...........
The Republican is saying Me Too about the new health bureaucracy.
Things you should know:
8/23/2009: Ways and Means Committee Markup of H.R. 3200 “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act”
Democrats Refuse to Let Americans Keep the Insurance They Have and Like
2 out of 3 will lose their health insurance
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to strike the government-run plan. When speaking before the American Medical Association, President Obama stated that, “If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” However, the Democrats government-run plan breaks this promise. According to two independent studies: The government-run plan will result in more than 100 million Americans losing their current private health coverage.
This amendment to let Americans keep the insurance they like by striking the government-run plan was defeated, 25-15
Democrats Protect Themselves, Not the Public from Government-Run Plan
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) to require all Members of Congress to get insurance through the government-run plan – proving Democrats do not think the government-plan will provide quality health care. Republicans voted in favor of the amendment, believing if it is good enough for the American people, it should be good enough for Member of Congress.
This amendment to ensure Members of Congress don’t exempt themselves from the government-run plan was defeated 21-18
Democrats ‘OK’ Government Rationing of Medicines & Treatments
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) to prohibit the use of Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) to make coverage determinations on the basis of cost. As it relates to the role of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee recommendations the discussion draft introduced last month said: “In developing such recommendations, the Committee shall take into account innovation in health care and ensure that essential benefits coverage does not lead to rationing of health care.” The new bill says: “In developing such recommendations, the Committee shall take into account innovation in health care and consider how such standards could reduce health disparities.” Democrats actually removed what little language they had protecting Americans from the rationing of care. This subtle change makes it more likely we will face the rationing of care experienced in other countries.
This amendment to prevent the government from using the results of comparative effectiveness research to make coverage decisions based on cost was defeated 26-15
Democrats Okay with Government-Run Plan Increasing Wait Times, Cancer Deaths
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) to repeal the government-run plan if wait times exceed certain thresholds. In order to save money, the government-run insurance plan created in the Democrat bill could ration health care by making Americans wait to see their doctors. Giving millions of Americans an insurance card with the seal of the federal government on it will mean little if patients are unable to see a doctor. Republicans believe if the government-run plan results in beneficiaries being forced into long wait lines to be treated, then it should be repealed.
This amendment to terminate the government-run plan if it led to rationing by delay was defeated 26-15
Democrats Raise Taxes on Employers in Recession
Despite national unemployment rates approaching 10 percent, Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) to strike the job-killing employer mandate. The Democrats’ bill contains hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax increases, hitting employers especially hard, including an 8 percent payroll tax on employers who:
* Can’t afford to offer health insurance to their employers;
* Do the right thing and offer health coverage to their employees but it’s arbitrarily deemed “insufficient” by the government;
* Offer “sufficient” coverage but the employee enrolls in coverage elsewhere (e.g. coverage through a spouse’s employer); or
* Aren’t paying at least 72.5% of an employee’s premium (65% for family coverage).
This amendment to strike this tax increase on employers was defeated 25-15
Democrats Prefer Trial Lawyers to Lowering Health Care Costs
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. John Linder (R-GA) to prohibit the government-run exchange from operating in States that do not provide for reasonable medical liability regulations. Fundamental health reform and bending the cost curve cannot be considered serious and complete without addressing medical liability reform. Many physicians are forced to provide unnecessary and duplicative tests to protect themselves from overzealous trial lawyers, resulting in fees of billions of dollars and wasted resources every year.
This amendment to limit participation in the exchange to those living in states with meaningful medical malpractice reforms was defeated 26-15
Democrats Vote Against Making Sure Illegal Aliens Don’t Get Subsidized Health Insurance
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) to better screen applicants for subsidized health care to ensure they are actually citizens or otherwise entitled to it. The underlying bill is insufficient for the purpose of preventing illegal aliens from accessing the bill’s proposed benefits, as it does not provide mechanisms allowing those administering the program to ensure illegal aliens cannot access taxpayer-funded subsidies and benefits.
This amendment to provide better verification of eligibility for benefits under the bill was defeated 26-15
Democrats to Force Plans to Provide Abortions
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) to ensure the defined minimum benefits in the government-run exchange not include abortions. The Democrats’ bill gives the Secretary of HHS and an unelected federal health board unprecedented authority to mandate which benefits private health plans in the exchange, and the government health plan, are required to cover. The Secretary and a committee of federal bureaucrats should not be allowed to use this authority to mandate that health plans cover abortions.
This amendment to prohibit the government from requiring health insurance plans to cover abortions was defeated 23-18
Democrats Set Different Rules For & Allow Taxpayer Bailouts of New Government-Run Plan
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) to require the government plan to maintain reserves and other margins in amounts consistent with insurance standards that apply to private plans. The amendment would further clarify that reserves would have to come from premiums, not taxpayers thru federal subsidies.
This amendment to make the government-run plan operate on a more level playing field was defeated 22-19
Democrats Want Government to Deny Doctors, Hospitals the Right to Choose Which Plans to Participate In
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) to ban the Health and Human Services Secretary from forcing providers to participate in the government-run plan. Republicans believe it is wrong to force anyone to offer services in this plan that will underpay doctors and hospitals.
This amendment to ensure providers aren’t compelled to see patients enrolled in the government-run plan was defeated 25-16
Democrats Vote to Eliminate Private Insurance, Force Everyone into Government-Run Plan by Attrition
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) to repeal the prohibition on new enrollees in private individual market plans. Today there are 16 million Americans who are enrolled in an individual market health plan. House Democrats want to eliminate this option for every American. The Democrats’ bill says that beginning in 2013 the health plans that provide coverage for these Americans could no longer enroll new members. This will cause a slow and steady attrition out of these plans, violating the promise that you should be able to keep the coverage you like.
This amendment to prevent the slow but steady erosion of the individual insurance market was defeated 26-15
Democrats to Force Taxpayers to Fund Abortions
Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) to ensure that no taxpayer money would go to plans that pay for abortions. The Democrats’ bill allows for plans that would require taxpayers and private insurance companies to subsidize abortions. Presently, all government-subsidized health care plans (SCHIP, DOD, Medicaid, etc.) prohibit abortion coverage. Any plan that Congress passes must include this prohibition.
This amendment to prohibit the government from forcing taxpayers to fund abortions was defeated 22-19.
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Also FYI:
Obama Misrepresents Insurance Case
September 10th, 2009 From Mr. Obama’s address last night:
One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn’t reported gallstones that he didn’t even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it.
This is the story of Mr. Otto Raddatz, a case that Mr. Obama has cited several times before, including his August 16th editorial in the New York Times.
For the record, however, the case is not quite the way Mr. Obama has characterized it, at least according to the sworn testimony of Mr. Raddatz’s sister.
From Ms. Raddatz’s opening statement, from page 58 of the hearings transcript (a pdf file):
Otto began more chemotherapy for purposes of preparing him for a stem cell transplant. In the midst of his chemo treatments, Otto received a phone call and letter from Fortis Insurance Company stating his insurance was canceled. It was rescinded all the way back to the effective date of August 7, 2004.
This meant none of his cancer treatments would be covered. Most importantly, he would not be able to receive the stem cell transplant need [sic] to save his life. My brother only had a very small window of time in which to have the stem cell transplant. He needed to be scheduled within the next 3 to 4 weeks.
My brother was told he was canceled during what they called a “routine review” during which they claimed to discover a “material failure to disclose”. Apparently in 2000 his doctor had done a CT scan which showed an aneurysm and gall stones. My brother was never told of either one of these conditions nor was he ever treated for them and he never reported any symptoms for them either.
After months of preparation, the stem cell transplant could not be scheduled. My brother’s hope for being a cancer survivor were dashed. His prognosis was only a matter of months without the procedure.
Mr. Radditz was faced with having to pay for the stem cell transplant himself.
However, Mr. Raddatz’s lawyer sister contacted the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
They investigated and found that the doctor who did the CT scans could not remember whether he had ever told Mr. Raddatz about his findings.
The insurance company overturned their original decision to rescind her brother’s coverage, and he was reinstated in the words of his sister, “without any lapse.”
Again, from Ms. Raddatz’s sworn testimony:
After two appeals by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Fortis Insurance Company finally overturned their original decision to rescind my brother’s coverage and he was reinstated without lapse. This is after weeks of constant phone calls between myself and the Attorney General’s Office and we were literally scrambling hour by hour to get this accomplished so that my brother wouldn’t lose his 3- to 4-week window of opportunity that he had prepared for and lose his opportunity to have the procedure.
In other words, Mr. Raddatz’s did receive the stem cell transplant without delay.
Indeed, Ms. Raddatz does not seem to claim anywhere in her testimony that the insurance company’s actions shortened her brother’s life. (Though she does accuse them of having been cruel and unethical.)
From page 75 of the hearings transcript:
Mr. Barton. My next question is to the gentlelady there in the middle. Your brother, has he had his stem cell transplant?
Ms. Raddatz. He did indeed receive the stem cell transplant. It was extremely successful. It extended his life approximately 3-1/2 years. He did pass away January 6, 2009, and he was about to have a second stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, due to certain situations, his donor became ill at the last minute and so he did pass away on January 6. But again, it extended his life nearly 3-1/2 years and at his age, each day meant everything to him…
This is not quite the impression Mr. Obama gives with his rendition of Mr. Raddatz’s story.
Despite Mr. Obama’s claims, Mr. Raddatz never lost his coverage. His treatment was never delayed. And he did not die because of it.
And to think in this very same speech Mr. Obama accused others of misrepresenting the facts.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obamas-story-about-lost-insurance
More to follow with links when I get home... gotta hop.
