My Own Look at the Health Care Bill

I have often been told that the best way to become educated on a subject is to check it out for yourself and take what anyone else says with a grain of salt. I believe that to be very sage advice. So with this in mind, I decided to undertake what probably almost all politicians in Congress have NOT done. I am of course talking about actually READING the bill they are batting around like a cat going after a new toy!
For those of you interested in looking into it yourselves, it can be found at the following website: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/AAHCA09001xm1.pdf. Keep in mind that this bill is 1018 pages long which answers the question as to why very few, if any, of our elected representatives have read it. After all, they have much more important issues to spend their time on instead of reading a bill that could ostensibly completely overhaul the world's best health care system right? And those pesky angry constituents at the town hall meetings that demand answers????? Let them read it for themselves. And in this part, I agree so that we all know what is going to take place if this bill is enacted this fall.
At this time, I have made it to only page 30! Yes, that's right, page 30, which means it could take quite some time to read through and digest the contents of this bill. (Perhaps I should run for Congress.....after all, I AM doing what they are PAID HANDSOMELY to do! But then again.....I have too many skeletons in my closet!) But I will share with you what I find out as I read through it. I will also include references so you can go check it out as well....don't take my word for it, but look at it yourself and make your decisions from there.
Annual Cost-Sharing Limitation - (Page 29, Para 2A, Lines 4-8 and Para. B, Lines 9-16). In this area, the costs are quoted for an Essential Benefits Package. If you want to see what is included in this package, it can be found starting on Page 26, Line 21 and extends to Page 29, Line 2. According to this bill, the annual cost-sharing limitation will start at $5,000 per person and $10,000 per family. In addition, these amounts will INCREASE EACH YEAR by an annual percentage of the consumer price index. Keep in mind that according to this bill (Page 8. Line 11 through Page 9, Line 3), cost sharing includes deductibles, co-insurance, copayments and similiar charges. It does NOT include premiums, payment differentials for covered services and spending for non-covered services. Now I realize that every person's financial situation is unique, but you need to weigh what you are paying now against what you could pay in the future based on this information. Keep in mind as well that this is designed to provide coverage at a level of approximately 70% of the full value of the benefits. So who pays the remaining 30%?? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. So let's see.....you (or your employer) will pay the premiums first, then you will be responsible for up to $5,000 or $10,000 (which as shown earlier will go up every year) as well as everything else that doesn't fall under the umbrella of coverage. How's that sounding to you so far?
We've all heard a lot of rhetoric as well about who's going to decide what health care we get and how much, but do you REALLY know for certain? Well consider the following. Starting on Page 30, Line 11, the bill specifies who these people, known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee, will be. These people will include: the Surgeon General, 9 members appointed by the President (who can not be federal employees or officers), 9 members appointed by the Comptroller General (read, "non-medical number crunchers" who can not be federal employees or officers) and yet another even number of members, not to exceed 8 that ARE federal employees or officers, that are also appointed directly by the President. According to the bill, this Committee must "at least reflect" providers, consumer representatives, employers, labor, health insurance issuers, experts in health care financing and delivery, experts in racial and ethnic disparities, experts in care for those with disabilities, representatives of relevant governmental agencies and at least one practicing physician or other health professional and an expert on childen's health. These members will serve for three year terms and make their recommendations as a committee to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
My my initial concern with the above initially stems from the fact that one (1), count them, one (1) practicing physician or health professional is mandated to be on this committee. It does state "providers" but considering the many areas of expertise in medicine, this provider could come from any field. With the exception of the specifically stated requirement that there be at least one practicing physician or other health professional, there is really nothing mandating that the health care providers most needed for consultation on this committee are physicians. I mean in no way to denegrate other areas of expertise in medicine as they are all highly intelligent, educated, dedicated and caring people. I think it is safe to say though that when most people think of the "ultimate health care provider", we think of physicians, not physical therapists, pharmacists or any other type of health care provider that might come to mind.
My second concern here stems from the fact that this bill allows the President to personally appoint 17 people out of a committee of 27. Given this fact, it is very possible if not probable, that these 17 members could and would be picked to ram-rod through whatever the President personally wanted for an outcome. Given the President's influence in the selection of a Surgeon General, that would bring the number to 18 out of 28 or approximately 65% of the committee.
By the way, you will see the word "disparity" and other forms of the word in this bill. In other words, "some people have more than others" or "all is not equal". The way I see it, that is just "natural". It was this type of "disparity" that has been the founding point of such failed experiments such as "socialism" and "communism", where the solution was to take away from those who have worked hard for what they have and give to those who just didn't want to work as hard. In those systems, NOBODY does better and that has been proven over and over again. I personally do not want the insidious by-product of disparity to affect what is currently the best health care system in the world.
So what have I seen today in just the first 30 pages of this extremely laborious bill??? The first is that it is prone to be very expensive....much more expensive I believe than what we are being told. Secondly, with the exception of one mandated currently practicing physician, the door is left open for members of the committee to literally be plucked from any place, any discipline and be placed in a position to determine what health care we should or shouldn't have. Lastly, the fact that the President will be able to "load" the committee with henchmen willing to do his bidding is troubling. This would guarantee him the majority in the committee thereby making any real debate or discussion of valid points a "no go". Doesn't sound good to me. How about you?