10 Aug 09 American Affordable HealthCare Act (HR3200)

By: Angelo Biondo

I guess witth the end of summer nearing it’s time to finish my summer projects and start blogging again. This one couldn’t wait any longer, I just had to get the word out - it’s way to important to let slip. I want to thank all who commented, I enjoy the comments and welcome all oppinions. If there is a topic you would like to see in future blogs please drop me a note in the form of a comment and if I feel I can properly research it, you’ll probably see it. - Thanks

No doubt you have been following the proceedings on the Universal Healthcare Act (H.R. 676) issues as has millions of concerned responsible tax paying citizens. I must admit I’m no expert on the subject, but I do know when I’m about to be had. Most agree something needs to be done to make healthcare affordable to all citizens in the United States. And yes, I feel we need to provide those non-citizens who are legally here in the United States with necessary medical treatment while in this Country legally and unable to pay. This does not mean they are not obligated to pay for treatment, but should receive treatment. I do not feel the citizens of this great Country should be burdened with the obligation to provide anything but emergency, or essential treatment for illegal’s or non-citizens of this Country. I would expect to have to pay for medical treatment received in a foreign land I am visiting, and would expect the same from visitors to this Country.

The purpose of the Bill as stated by Congress is “To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, improved health care delivery, and for other purposes.” The opening sentence of the “Bill” opens a host of questions to me. Note that it specifically states “residents”, and “for other purposes” and not citizens. This makes it very clear to me that the intent is to cover all people living in the United States, legal or not.

The tax burden on the American tax payer is enormous to begin with, and I don’t see any relief in the foreseeable future. The tax relief and cuts promised during the presidential campaigns are none existent. Instead taxes in the form of a surcharges, removal or reduction of tax deductions, and increases in mandatory fees have all surfaced. Because the government chooses not to call it a tax, does not mean it is not a tax. Remember, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, than more than likely it’s a duck.

President Obama has stated that we will have a choice, we can choose to accept the new plan or keep the insurance we have. Is that not was said when the government was pushing Medicare? Then why was it mandated by big companies and corporations that employee’s and retiree’s had to sign up for Medicare on their 65th birthday or lose their healthcare insurance.

They will tell you they did not drop coverage, but simply place the cost of primary care on Medicare and would pay what Medicare did not. If you are not on Medicare, ask someone you know if you can look at their medical doctor’s bill and see for yourself hoe the burden for senior citizen has increased since the inception of Medicare. Believe me, the government did the majority of senior citizens of this nation no justice when they introduced Medicare.

Don’t get me wrong. Medicare was and is a blessing for the many retired seniors who had not medical insurance at all, and those are the people who should have been eligible for Medicare insurance.

Had the government excluded those who already had health insurance, Medicare would have had the funds to be more like Medicaid, which covers afford full medical treatment, procedures, and prescriptions, etc.

So – am I skeptical, you bet. But it’s not just me – I’m part of the majority of citizens who feel Healthcare is in dire need of an overhaul, but have no answers. You might want to read what Steve Martini points out about the H.R. 676. It might help you to decide if you’re for or against it. Here are some of the issues that make this so disconcerting:

Note: You can download a copy of the American Affordable Healthcare Act HR 3200 directly from the Government Printing Office at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/bills/index.html. If you know the number of the Bill you are looking for in the search engine about mid page and select the format you want. PDF (portable document format) is usually best.

Excerpts from H.R. 3200:

Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
Page 42: The “Health Choices Commissioner” will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. (None.)
Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “judicial review” is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll
Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
Page 167: Any individual who doesn’t’ have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).
Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.
Page 203: “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” (Yes, it really says that.)
Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected.”
Page 241: Doctors: no matter what specialty you have, you’ll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)
Page 253: Government sets value of doctors’ time, their professional judgment, etc.
Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries.
Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.
Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government.
Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!
Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.
Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on “community” input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN.
Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.
Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.
Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.
Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone).
Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.
Page 425: Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.
Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient’s health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.
Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.
Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN.
Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those s

You can download and/or read the full text of the final version of the Universal Healthcare Act in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) at: http://www.pnhp.org/nhibill/nhi_bill_final.pdf

Additional references: The Library of Congress, (search HR676)

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Tags: Congress, Healthcare, Healthcare reform, House, Senate