While the birthers have been having a hemorrhage trying to prove that President Obama isn't an American citizen and that his election must be declared null-and-void, they have also been pushing their Barackophobia in another direction looking for more than one way to skin the proverbial cat.
The issues surrounding the current health care reform bill have given rise to some very radical claims and controversies and some very passionate protests, to put it mildly.
Recently, a reader of this blog posted what he believes to be is a line item "breakdown" of HR 3200 which is currently at the root of the problem. Now, there are few of us would disagree that our health care system is broken and that something must be done to fix this train wreck. And...few would argue the fact that when looking toward such a massive undertaiking, it can become very confusing and that often much is lost in translation. What we don't need is a whole lot of misinformation, a host of scare-tactics and a bevy of bullies - and it seems that is just what we have.
I caution you that this so-called "breakdown" originated with the Liberty Counsel - a far-right group of zealots closely affiliated with Jerry Falwell and vehemently opposed to President Obama. I issue this caution because the 1000+ page bill is cumbersome at best and filled with what I believe to be nebulous language and open to interpretation. That, in and of itself, is frightening. However, even more frightening to me is that the far-right has chosen to interpret the document as something evil and is attempting to fraudulently confound the public for the satisfaction of their own agenda.
I am publishing this line-by-line analysis from the right in several parts for the purpose of discussion and to help shed some light on some of the major concerns. For all who wish to comment here, please stay on topic and remain civil. This is an important issue and one that needs close and serious attention. Parenthetical remarks have been added by the original poster:
Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Government will audit the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!
Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC Bill - YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC Bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get
Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!
Pg 50 Section 152 in HC Bill - HC will be provided to ALL non-U.S. citizens, illegal or otherwise
Pg 58 HC Bill – Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances and a National ID Health Care Card will be issued!
Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your banks accounts for electronic funds transfer.
(NOTE- This really does mean they can take your money at any time. Who will have this authority?—a government bureaucrat.)
Pg 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions and community organizations (ACORN).
Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Government is creating a Health Care Exchange to bring private health care plans under government control.
Pg 84 Sec 203 HC Bill - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private health care plans in the Exchange
Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The government will ration your health care!
Pg 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Government mandates linguistic appropriate services.
Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The government will use groups i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps to sign up individuals for government Health Care Plan
Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members - Your health care WILL be rationed!
Pg 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Individual will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.
Pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue the government on price fixing. No “judicial review” against government monopoly.
Pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/ #AMA - The government will tell YOU what you can make.
Pg 145 Line 15-17 An employer MUST auto enroll employees into public opt plan. NO CHOICE
Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for health care for part-time employees AND their families.
Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Employer w/ payroll 400k and above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll
Pg 150 Lines 9-13 Businesses with payroll between 251k and 400k who do not provide public opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll
Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesn’t have acceptable health care according to government will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Pg 170 Lines 1-3 Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay).
Pg 195 Officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans' financial and personal records.
Pg 203 Line 14-15 HC - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it says that.
Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected.
Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have, you’ll all be paid the same.
Pg 253 Line 10-18 Government sets value of doctors' time, prof judg, etc. Literally value of humans.
Pg 265 Sec 1131Government mandates and controls productivity for private health care industries.
Pg 268 Sec 1141 Federal Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
Pg 272 SEC. 1145. Treatment of certain cancer hospitals – Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
(Note: Much cancer treatment will not work unless implemented early, but the waiting time just to see a specialist will likely be months when this plan is implemented. As you can see in this bill, the option of the health care bureaucrat is to deny treatment to those they deem not likely to be helped by it.)
Page 280 Sec 1151 The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable re-admissions. (Incentives for hospital to not treat and release.)
Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Doctors that treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission-Government will penalize you.
Pg 317 L 13-20 PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much they can own.
Pg 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Government is mandating hospitals cannot expand.
pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception, BUT community input required. Can you say ACORN?!!
Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 - Government mandates establishment of outcome based measures. Health Care the way they want. Rationing.
Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Government plan.
Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people!
Pg 379 Sec 1191 Government creates more bureaucracy – Tele-health Advisory Committee. Health care by phone/Internet?
PGs 701-704 Sec 1619 If your part of health care plan isn’t in Government Health Care Exchange but you qualify for Federal aid, no payment.
PG 705-709 SEC. 1128 If Secretary gets complaints (ACORN) on health care provider or supplier, government can do background check.
PG 711 Lines 8-14 The Secretary has broad powers to deny health care providers/ suppliers admittance into Health Care Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.
Pg 719-720 Sec 1637 ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services MUST be enrolled in Medicare.
PG 722 Sec 1639 Government MANDATES doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for Home Health Services.
PG 724 23-25 PG 725 1-5 The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (your kids).
PG 724 Lines 16-22 Government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other health care service.
Pg 735 lines 16-25 For law enforcement, proposes the Secretary-HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL data.
PG 740-757 Government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (That's your tax dollars people).
Pg 757-762 Federal Government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to States. (Taxes)
Pg 763 1-8 No DS/EA hospitals will be paid unless they provide services without regard to national origin.
Pg 765 Sec 1711 Government will require Preventative Services including vaccines. (Choice?)
Pg 768 Sec 1713 Government – Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).
Pg 769 11-14 Nurse Home Visit Services include economic self-sufficiency, employ adv, school-readiness.
Pg 769 3-5 Nurse Home Visit Services - “increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.” Government ABORTIONS anyone?
Pg 770 SEC 1714 Federal Government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and State Sovereign.
(NOTE-Can you believe that in America you will be told how many children you can have, and when? Does this mean we can expect the government to impose mandatory abortions? How else can this be interpreted?)
Pg 789-797 Government will set, mandate drug prices, controlling which drugs brought to market. Bye innovation.
Pgs 797-800 SEC. 1744 PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control doctors’ educations.
PG 801 Sec 1751 The government will decide which health care conditions will be paid. Say RATION!
Pg 810 SEC. 1759. Billing Agents, clearinghouses, etc. req. to register. Government takes over private payment system.
Pg 820-824 Sec 1801 Government will identify individuals ineligible for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.
Pg 824-829 SEC. 1802. Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another tax black hole.
PG 829-833 Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans including self-insured to pay for Trust Fund!
PG 835 11-13 fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.
Pg 838-840 Government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families expecting kids.
PG 844-845 This Home Visitation Program includes government coming into your house and telling you how to parent!!!
(NOTE-If you think this sounds like “Big Brother” actually coming into our homes, we really need to think about what comes after Big Brother. )
Pg 859 Government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000. Yes that’s billion.
Pg 865 The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.
PG 865 to 876 The NHS Corps is a program where doctors perform mandatory health care for two years for part loan repayment.
PG 876-892 The government takes over the education of our medical students and doctors.
PG 898 The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure supply of public health prof.
PG 898 The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the U.S. as Secretary deems.
PG 898 The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.
PG 900 The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians.
PG 901 The Public Health Workforce Corps WILL include commissioned Regular and Reserve Officers. HC Draft?
PG 910 The government will develop, build, and run Public Health Training Centers.
PG 913-914 Government starts a health care affirmative action program thru guise of diversity scholarships.
PG 915 SEC. 2251. Government MANDDATES Cultural and linguistic competency training for health care professionals.
Pg 932 The Government will establish Preventative and Wellness Trust fund- initial cost of $30,800,000,000 billion.
PG 935 21-22 Government will identify specific goals & objectives for prevention & wellness activities. Control YOU!!
PG 936 Government will develop “Healthy People and National Public Health Performance Standards” Tell me what to eat?
(NOTE-This is no joke—the government will be able to actually mandate what you can eat or not eat. This could be helpful for some, but do we want the government doing it?)
PG 942 Lines 22-25 More government? Offices of Surgeon General -Public Health Svc, Minority Health, Women’s Health
PG 950- 980 BIG GOVERNMENT core pub health infrastructure including workforce capacity, lab systems, health info sys, etc.
PG 993 Government will establish school based health clinics. Your kids won’t have a chance or choice.
PG 994 School Based Health Clinic will be integrated into the school environment. Say government brainwash!
PG 1001 The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?
Reiteration -
ReplyDeleteI am publishing this line-by-line analysis from the right in several parts for the purpose of discussion and to help shed some light on some of the major concerns. For all who wish to comment here, please stay on topic and remain civil. This is an important issue and one that needs close and serious attention.
As to the first item...
ReplyDelete1. Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Government will audit the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!
This is what the Bill says...
STUDY.—The Commissioner, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor, shall conduct a
study of the large group insured and self-insured employer health care markets. Such study shall ex2
amine the following:
(A) The types of employers by key characteristics, including size, that purchase insured products versus those that self-insure.
(B) The similarities and differences between typical insured and self-insured health plans.
(C) The financial solvency and capital reserve levels of employers that self-insure by employer size.
(D) The risk of self-insured employers not being able to pay obligations or otherwise be
coming financially insolvent.
(E) The extent to which rating rules are likely to cause adverse selection in the large group market or to encourage small and mid size employers to self-insure (2) REPORTS.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall submit to Congress and the applicable
agencies a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1). Such report shall include any recommendations the Commissioner deems appropriate to ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure or create adverse selection in the risk pools of large group insurers and self-insured employers. Not later than 18 months after the first day of Y1, the Commissioner shall submit to Congress and the applicable agencies an updated report on such study, including updates on such recommendations.
***
So...where's the problem?
"Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC Bill - YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!"
ReplyDeleteSection 122 outlines broad categories of benefits that must be included in an essential benefits package. It prohibits cost-sharing for preventive care and limits annual out-of-pocket spending to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family, indexed for inflation. It says nothing about rationing or limiting treatment.
Additionally, it delineates and safeguards the MINIMUM services that must be covered. And...
...limits cost-sharing for such covered health care items and services in accordance with such benefit standards, consistent with subsection (c); (3) does not impose any annual or lifetime limit
on the coverage of covered health care items and
services;
The health care town hall meetings are just a yard stick of what how pathetic and worthless the GOP has become. Unable to devise a useful plan they spend all their energy trying to torpedo anything that Obama or the Democrats put fourth. They are caving in toward special interest lobbyists. Republicans should never ever be allowed to run the country again.
ReplyDeleteObamacare = euthanasia for the elderly.
ReplyDeleteNeed we know more???
O-Bongo's Healthcare screwed up plans must be stopped. Socialized medicine sucks. Just ask folks in Canada and England.
ReplyDelete"Obamacare = euthanasia for the elderly.
ReplyDelete"Need we know more???"
Where, precisely, are you reading this shit? Spell it out and cite the specifics.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in Canada their health care system is far better than the US's. Somebody slap the pedo upside his misshapen head before he runs his pie hole and says something stupid....again...
ReplyDeleteWhy do people who know nothing always feel they have to pipe in on the health care debate with lies and misinformation?
Fake Hal, shut the Fuck up and go do what you do best sucking Nigger Dicks
ReplyDeleteI too have lived in Canada and their health care, as well as their entire socialist government, sucks to high hell. You just have to break laws constantly or be a slave. Hal Turner would do well up there though. Snitching on people is highly encouraged. Anyone who wishes that on America ought to have to live there.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate Nikki doing something constructive for a change.
ReplyDeleteThere is over 900 lines and you only published a quarter of that breakdown Nikki.
I think it would be helpful for people if the whole thing was published.
BTW-
ReplyDeleteThis healthcare issue has nothing to do with the race of our President.
A lot of people are scared and concerned about this thing and it angers me when folk say it is only because of racism that people appose this Bill.
Frankly, Obama didn't write this bill and probably is working from crib notes himself...IT ISN'T HIS BILL.
I would like to know who actually wrote this monstrosity
Hey, Hal is snitch:
ReplyDeleteIf Canada's system is so damn great then how come your people come to the United States for life saving treatment?
I know America treats the majority of Canada's cancer patients...the oncology departments around the border towns are filled with them! If these people waited the amount of time the Canadian governement told them to then most of those people would die!!!
No, I don't want that sort of system in America.
Did you know the initial Federal Reserve Act was only 25 pages long?
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need a 1000+ page Bill and then Congress tries to rush it through in 4 weeks?
That in of itself is fostering a lot of the mistrust with the Fed Gov.
IMHO they need to scrap this monster and come up with something less cumbersome...surely this can be done in 200 pages or less.
First - I plan on publishing those lines. However, I would like some discussion on the Bill.
ReplyDeleteSecond - I agree that there were two major mistakes made with this Bill; It's wayyyyy too long and cumbersome AND trying to rush something of this magnitude through is just not right and invites a lot of suspicion.
Third - I am wading through all of this mess because I want answers and facts. Thus far, I find some language that is ambiguous and needs to be made more specific and a couple of things that I am not sure about (more on that later). However, so far, I have found that most of those "lines" that the Counsel put out are taken out of context and grossly misrepresented. More on that to come as well.
I still haven't seen anything about euthansia and doubt that it exists.
What a load of lies. Canada's health care system is like 100 times better than this mess you Yanks have in the US of A. I worked for two Years in New York for IBM, I had my medical insurance through Blue Cross. It sucked just like you Yankee pieces of dog shit. I had to wade through a ton of paper work and they tried to call everything a "pre-existing condition". Even the simplest of services of mega expensive.
ReplyDeleteYou want proof that it sucks? You can buy Prescription drugs in Canada at about an average of half the price you can buy the same drugs in the US of fuck you A. No one comes to the US of fucking A for "life saving treatments" that is bullshit being sold to you by your lousy politicians who are on the drug companies and insurance companies payroll. Wise up your stupid yanks. Leave Canada out of your silly debates.
BTW we don't even like you.
Page 22 of the Bill provides a means by which there can be government oversight on companies who self-insure. The information they will be looking at is already available to them.
ReplyDeletePage 29 Lines 4-16 does NOT ration health care. Where in the hell that came from, I hope to never know. What this does do is set maximums that individuals and families would have to pay for health insurance. It caps the cost! It deals with "cost-sharing" and is greatly needed as health insurance is expected to double in the next five years.
Page 30 Section 123 - the committee would set standards - not decide treatments offered to you. It's about basic needs within a plan - whichever plan you opt for. There is nothing there that says they will determine treatments - that's sheer paranoia.
Page 42 - Again, the committee is just about setting standards for minimum coverage. Nothing in there mandates a specific coverage. Paranoia.
Page 50 - This is the one that absolutely cracks me up. It's something that the radical right grabbed onto and twisted simply to attempt to outrage others. Here is what the Bill says:
“Except as otherwise explicitly permitted by this Act and by subsequent regulations consistent with this Act, all health care and related services (including insurance coverage and public health activities) covered by this Act shall be provided without regard to personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related service.”
To be continued...
"What a load of lies. Canada's health care system is like 100 times better than this mess you Yanks have in the US of A. "
ReplyDeleteIf your system is so wonderful why do so many of you Canadians come to America? Oh, sure, Canada's system is great if you have a cold...but if you have a catastophic and lifethreatening condition most Canadians come to America for that treatment.
TRUTH!
I have a friend from Canada that did in fact come to America for treatment of her colon cancer.
ReplyDeleteShe specifically told me if it wasn't for coming here to get treatment she would have died.
Nikki...a lot of the provisions and section numbers are so damn vague you can get them to mean anything.
ReplyDeleteThis is why this turd-of-a-bill should be scrapped.
They need to go back to the drawing board and start over.
To illustrate my point:
ReplyDeleteI do know that the mortality rate for women with breast cancer is much higher in Canada and the U.K. than it is here in the USA.
Sure, the American system has problems, but do we need to throw the baby out with the bathwater? (meaning adopting a similar system as the UK and Canada)
btw- Will try to get that data on breastcancer and post here for your consideration.
Some Liar said:
ReplyDeleteI have a friend from Canada that did in fact come to America for treatment of her colon cancer.
Why don't you lying Yanks tell that crap to someone who believes it? Health care in Canada is better than the US of fucking A.
A 2007 review of all studies comparing health outcomes in Canada and the US in a Canadian peer-reviewed medical journal found that "health outcomes are superior in patients cared for in Canada versus the United States. The World Health Organization's ratings of "overall health service performance", published in 2000, ranked Canada far ahead of the US of fucking A.
You stupid Yank zombies should pull your head out your arses. Canada's health care is better than yours. A few misguided patients going to the US for treatment means nothing, hell quite a few of your people go to Mexico for treatment which probably has better health care than your third world shit hole.
I agree that the language is way too ambiguous in many areas. I think that is a major drawback. But, some of the claims made by the opponents are just patently nothing more than paranoia, scare-tactics, and convoluted garbage.
ReplyDeletePage 58 - I don't understand what the problem is with this. It says nothing about an individual's finances. Now, as far as the ID card - I have private insurance and carry an ID card that is presented at the time of service for billing purposes. I am assuming that if you were to be on the national plan you would be issued a similar card - so what's the problem?
Page 59 - Now, I agree that the wording here is pretty vague. However, what I THINK it means is that doctors will be able to automatically be compensated by the insurance companies via electronic means. The language really needs to be cleaned up on this one.
Page 65 Section 164 - I really don't understand this section so if someone else has some expertise in this area, please weigh in.
Page 72 Lines 8-14 - It does create a "health care exchange" but as I read it there is nothing there that brings private insurance under government control. It merely makes the public health care plan an option.
Page 84 Section 203 - Oh good grief! What an absolute bogus crock of shit! As I go through this mess I am, once again, struck by the gullible nature of some people. Good people. People who really DO care but who are suckered in by a bunch of right-wing, conspiracy ladened nutjobs whose sole purpose is to create even more confusion through dissention.
This section, if anything at all, simply provides options for the insured. It DOESN'T MANDATE anything! It spells out the types of plans that can be purchased and sets a minimum standard for a basic plan!
READ PEOPLE!
"The World Health Organization's ratings of "overall health service performance", published in 2000, ranked Canada far ahead of the US of fucking A."
ReplyDeleteActually, this is a true statement. Additionally, many people have gotten in trouble here for purchasing prescription drugs in Canada because it is cheaper. Whether the cate given there is better than here, I really don't know. I have heard a lot of complaints about the wait time for treatment up there.
(FYI - and as an aside and completely off-topic - it appears that Bill White has been released)
ReplyDeleteDoes he go "whooooosh" when he farts?
ReplyDeleteNikki, I appreciate you going through it line by line...
ReplyDeleteYou know, if Obama was willing to do the same thing with the American people instead of giving them the stiff arm...maybe, just maybe people wouldn't be so damned scared.
Obama saying," If you like your healthcare you can keep it," just isn't going to cut it...understand what I am trying to get at?
Canadian and proud:
ReplyDeleteAre you saying my Canadian friend was lying to me when she said she had to come to the United States to take care of her colon cancer?
Anonymous...
ReplyDelete"Obama saying," If you like your healthcare you can keep it," just isn't going to cut it...understand what I am trying to get at?"
I absolutely agree with that. As I said earlier - trying to rush this through is a major mistake.
I think Obama or one of his people need to step up and explain this because it IS confusing. I also think that it needs to be overhauled so that the average American can understand it.
With that being said - I also think that the scare tactics being used are counter-productive. We all need to breathe and hold meaningful discussions. Obama would be well advised to do the same.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteDoes he go "whooooosh" when he farts?
Not everyone takes those Nigger dicks up their ass like you do.
Bill was sexually molested because someone wrote his cell mates and told them he was a Nazi, pedo. I think it was your butt buddy Delorean.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything in the news about Bill being released.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty sad that the only thing that energizes the comments section is talk of Bill White and Hal Turner.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of Hell would be me strapped down and forced to listen to you fucking idiots (including Nikki and Floyd) concerning the evils of Hal Turner and Bill White for eternity.