Sunday, November 08, 2009
Is this a good summary of the House bill?From a commenter at FDL: 36 million more people will be insured or become eligible for Medicaid
There will be a trillion dollars raised to help subsidize this.
There will be multiple measures to help control the costs of Medicare
We will stop subsidizing private insurers in Medicare Advantage
Closes the donut hole
Allows Medicare negotiation for drugs
Includes the seeds of a public option
Prohibits denials based on prior conditions; ends rescissions except for fraud
Funds more education for doctors/nurses
Begins dozens of health prevention programs, pilots, surveys
Creates entities to evaluate and recommend better treatment, cost saving I did not know about closing the donut hole, ending Medicare Advantage subsidies, and allowing Medicare negotiation for drugs. BTW, Medicaid is no day at the beach; it's a bureaucratic maze for those in it. And there is the Stupak restriction which is a huge bring-down for many at FDL. On the whole, it looks substantial and if trends continue - with employers withdrawing health care - this could be the start of a near-nationalization of basic health care. BooMan is conflicted, and comments: The difficulty of passing this bill in the House has surprised me more than anything I've seen in Washington since the impeachment of Bill Clinton. I am usually the one counseling progressives about how unrealistic their expectations are considering how conservative the Senate is. Now I learn that the House is just as conservative. There is no way anyone could pass a single-payer system through this Congress, even if we won oodles of new seats. It just won't happen. It's not a matter of leadership. Why does the entire South oppose even this lukewarm reform? but notes: ... the insurance reform elements of the bill are rock-solid ... Also, he's pissed at Kucinich. CODA: I haven't seen anybody mention Teddy Kennedy tonight.
posted by Quiddity at 11/08/2009 01:23:00 AM
4 comments
from one of the blue doggers who did vote for the bill:
This bill lowers health insurance costs for families, individuals, and small businesses and puts our spending on a fiscally sustainable path. As the MIT economist Jonathan Gruber pointed out, premiums will be lower for families and individuals, not just for those who qualify for federal subsidies, but even for those who do not. According to Mr. Gruber, a family making $93,000 would make too much to qualify for financial assistance, but their premiums would still be $1260 - or 12% - less than under current law.
Further, the bill meets a fundamental requirement I stated at the beginning of this debate: that the bill does not add a dime to our federal deficit. In fact, H.R. 3962 actually goes beyond deficit-neutrality, reducing the deficit by $129 billion. Pharmaceutical companies and hospitals, which will see millions of new paying customers, have committed to contribute hundreds of billions in savings toward the cost of reform. And a large portion of the bill is paid for with a surcharge on income over one million dollars, a provision which would impact 1/3 of one percent of households.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-patrick-murphy/why-we-cant-afford-to-fai_b_349592.html&cp
Opponents of reform have aimed their worst scare tactics at seniors, claiming that the bill includes everything from death panels to euthanasia. In fact, reform provides the help that Medicare needs to continue providing health care for seniors today and for generations to come. We will finally close the Medicare "donut hole" that leaves seniors paying thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for prescription drugs. Seniors will have access to lower cost drugs, too, as the government will be allowed to negotiate with manufacturers to get better deals on medications. And, seniors will have free preventive care services to help them stay healthy and active.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-patrick-murphy/why-we-cant-afford-to-fai_b_349592.html&cp
booman: Now I learn that the House is just as conservative.
conservative, shmaservative. this bill reduces the freaking deficit. what more do conservatives want?
isn't difficulty of passing the bill more of an indication that we need to pass public financing for election? it's corporate donors influencing politicians' campaign coffers is what makes is so difficult to pass good and even fiscally sound policy.
the trick though is that passing public financing legislation is going to be 100 times harder than passing this bill.
patrick kennedy was there with pelosi and steny hoyer and other leadership at the press conference after the bill won passage: patrick said “my dad was a senator but tonight his spirit was in the House."
pelosi thanked patrick for getting mental health parity into the bill.
mental health parity!rosalynn carter fought/has been fighting to get that passed. reagan republicans killed her mental health act legislation she managed to pass.
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