House Democrats unveil ambitious health care plan

After six months of deal-making, Democratic leaders on Thursday introduced a health care reform bill that would expand coverage to almost all Americans and overhaul the insurance industry, while asking the wealthiest taxpayers to pay much of the tab.

[Observer]

Apparently, nobody wants to talk about health care in the context of reducing government power and control
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2286...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2189...

[Gab]

Another 2,000 page bill of legal mumbo jumbo.
Will Obama insist this bill be bum rushed through Congress,as usual?

[Disgusted]

Why the hurry???? It won't be used until 2013, after the elections where these crooks will be voted out...oh, wow, guess I answered my own question!!!!!

[Leap Frog]

These Leftist Democrats are trying to push hard before the Elections. The Leftist Government wants to Control every aspect of American lives, from Birth to Death. If this passes, Next will be Cap & Trade. America will be Doomed, and Collapse from within.

[tww]

This bill is a disaster. Health care reform isnt needed. There may be room for improvements, but a government take over is insanity.

[Peter]

Another massive entitlement program built on lies and borrowed money. We'll still have mass immigration of poor people that'll continue to add to the problem, we'll continue to make stripped down more affordable policies illegal, it'll remain illegal to buy a policy from another state, and the lawyers will still have open season on doctors. Great reform!

The liberals worry that too many can't afford to pay for their own healthcare. But far more people can't afford to pay for their own government. An estimated 47% of Americans will pay NOTHING in federal income tax in 2009. Healthcare reform? We need GOVERNMENT reform, not new entitlement programs!

[Porkulus]

House health bill ceremony closed to public

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/...



House Democrats blocked the public from attending the unveiling ceremony of their health-care bill Thursday morning, allowing only pre-approved visitors whose names appeared on lists to enter the event at the West side of the Capitol.

The audience at the crowded press conference included Hill staffers, union workers, health care providers and students, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who thanked them for attending.

Mrs. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders announced the chamber's long-awaited version of a health care overhaul

more at washingtontimes.com ...

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From the "most transparent administration" ever!

[Porkulus]

U.S. House Health Care Plan Bill

http://health.burgess.house.gov/UploadedFiles...

This is the official pdf from the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled by Nancy Pelosi today.

(It's only 1,990 pages.)

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Page 25 -
(h) FUNDING; TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—(1) IN GENERAL.—There is appropriated to the Secretary, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated,$5,000,000,000 to pay claims against (and administrative costs of) the high-risk pool under this section in excess of the premiums collected with respect to eligible individuals enrolled in the high-risk pool. Such funds shall be available without fiscal year limitation.

(2) INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.—If the Secretary estimates for any fiscal year that the aggregate amounts available for payment of expenses of the high-risk pool will be less than the amount of the ex-penses, the Secretary shall make such adjustments as are necessary to eliminate such deficit, including reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists.

‘‘(b) QUALIFIED CHILD DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘qualified child’ means, with respect to a partici pant in a group health plan or group health insurance cov21 erage, an individual who (but for age) would be treated as a dependent child of the participant under such plan or coverage and who—‘‘
(1) is under 27 years of age; and
(2) is not enrolled as a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (other than under this section, section 2746, or section 704 of the Employee Retire2 ment Income Security Act of 1974) under any health insurance coverage or group health plan.

*** Under 27 years of age seems pretty old to be a dependent child.***

Page 29

(2) INDIVIDUAL HEALTH MARKET.—Section 2742 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–42) is amended by adding at the end the following:‘‘(f) RESCISSION.—A health insurance issuer may rescind individual health insurance coverage only upon clear and convincing evidence of fraud described in subsection (b)(2), under procedures that provide for independent, external third-party review.’’.

***Is this third party ACORN?*** no portablility and no tort reform found either...***

Line 17 on Page 110:

(3) COVERAGE UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION.
—The public health insurance option shall provide coverage for services described in para graph (4)(B). Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing the public health insurance option from providing for or prohibiting coverage of serv ices described in paragraph
(4)(A).
(4) ABORTION SERVICES.—
(A) ABORTIONS FOR WHICH PUBLIC FUND ING IS PROHIBITED.
—The services described in this subparagraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is not permitted, based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the beginning of the plan year involved.
(B) ABORTIONS FOR WHICH PUBLIC FUNDING IS ALLOWED.
—The services described in this subparagraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is permitted, based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the begin ning of the plan year involved.
*** Public funding of abortion will be allowed and a section is set aside for it ***

[anonomouse]

Government at work hang on to your butt. I can hardly wait to see what they are giving the drug and insurance co. this time. sounds like free rites too raise prices like the drug insurance.

[Porkulus]

anonomouse wrote:

Government at work hang on to your butt. I can hardly wait to see what they are giving the drug and insurance co. this time. sounds like free rites too raise prices like the drug insurance.

The CBO letter says that insurers “could not vary premiums to reflect differences in enrollees’ health”(page 4). And page 22 of HR 3962 says there cannot be more than 2-to-1 difference between the highest and lowest premiums of any enrollee.

Young people are going to be shocked when their premiums explode.

Insurance companies are drooling at the prospect of signing up (by force) millions of healthy young uninsured Americans at ridiculously high premiums.

This is why the insurance companies have been staying quiet about ObamaCare. When Baucus tried to defer the forced-enrollment requirement for a few years they got angry. Then the pitchforks and negative ad campaigns started.

[jvm]

'The Medicare end-of-life planning provision'
What a wonderful thing to look forward to! These S.O.B.'s would fight to the death before they would subscribe to this insurance plan, but,'The bill would require most individuals to buy insurance', but at what cost and what penalty for those who don't or can't?'CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN'. Do you feel good yet? I for one do not and want it to stop!

[Bob the Bilderberg]

"After six months of deal-making, Democratic leaders on Thursday introduced a health care reform bill that would expand coverage to almost all Americans and overhaul the insurance industry, while asking the wealthiest taxpayers to pay much of the tab."

When the first sentence of the article is a lie, there's no sense in reading the rest.

[Porkulus]

jvm wrote:

'The Medicare end-of-life planning provision'
What a wonderful thing to look forward to! These S.O.B.'s would fight to the death before they would subscribe to this insurance plan, but,'The bill would require most individuals to buy insurance', but at what cost and what penalty for those who don't or can't?'CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN'. Do you feel good yet? I for one do not and want it to stop!

Proving my contention that broken, ineffective, and bankrupt government programs leads to more broken, ineffective, and bankrupt government programs, the Treasury Department has reported that America faces a $43 trillion unfunded obligation in Social Security and Medicare benefits with 77 million retiring baby boomers and rising health care costs.

According to the CBO, paying for the promised benefits will eventually force Congress to impose a 63% income tax on the middle class and an 88% tax on the "wealthy."

Yet, even as we try to figure out how to meet our current obligations, the President wants to create an additional health care entitlement and further increase spending elsewhere in the budget.

The Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2037, and the Medicare hospital trust fund will become insolvent by 2017 according to a report by the trustees of the two programs.

In fact, next year – 2010 – Social Security’s costs will exceed it’s income.

Medicare has an unfunded liability of $36 trillion over the next 75 years, or about $317,000 per U.S. household, and in just the next 5 years, by 2013, Medicare’s unfunded liability is projected to grow by 33 percent, to $48 trillion – or about $412,402 per household.

When Social Security and Medicare are taken together, the total unfunded liability is $40 trillion, or about $353,000 per household. By 2013, that total will grow to $54 trillion, or $474,077 per household.

So let me ask you this: When we can't afford the public health plan we have already, does it make sense to expand it? That’s exactly what the Democrats want to do with their health care overhaul. The public option by another name is just "Medicare for All."

The system is already broken, yet they want to compound the problem. With math like this, it’s no wonder we have a debt nearing $12 trillion and our country is running record deficits. This is real money we’re talking about here, and real people’s futures. Let’s get serious.

Politicians lied to us about the "Social Security Trust Fund." They spent our money and the system cannot and will not deliver on it's future promises.

In 1966, Medicare cost $3 billion. The House Ways and Means Committee, along with Lyndon Johnson's administration, projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion, adjusted for inflation, by 1990. In 1990, Medicare costs were over $107 billion. That's nine times Congress' projections. That's only 900% off! Close enough for government work. Medicare now costs over $400 billion and is heading towards bankruptcy. Do you really believe that Obama's numbers will be any less counterfeit?

Nevertheless, a large part of the population, like an abused spouse, keep coming back for more, believing the continual lies wrapped in empty, deceptive and condescending rhetoric of "hope and change." When will we get tired of being lied to? When will we hold politicians accountable?

America: Either wake up or or bend over and let the likes of Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the RINO's have their way with you.

[You Lie]

Ten Things that Probably Will Be in the Health-Care Bill (But Shouldn’t)

1. Removal of the Ability of Insurers to Deny Coverage

2. Coverage Mandates on Individuals and Employers

3. Government-Designed Insurance Plans

4. Threats to Medicare Advantage

5. New Taxes

6. A Stronger IRS

7.“Managed Competition”(a.k.a.“Government Control”)

8. Reckless Expansion of Medicaid

9. Welfare for the Middle Class

10. Government Rationing

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Ten Things that Ought To Be in the Health-Care Bill (but Probably Won’t)

1. Insurance Choice

2. Real Competition: A National Market for Health Insurance

3. Price Transparency

4. High Ceilings for HSAs (and No Taxes)

5. Insurance on Your Insurance

6. Tort Reform

7. Non-Physician Competition

8. Approval/Patent Reform for Drugs and Treatments

9. Provisions to Force Medicare and Medicaid to Compete

10. CHIP Registration for Eligible Kids

----------

Based on over 80 years of government farm policies (using poorly thought out controls and subsidies), it appears likely that the health care industry will end up devising techniques for milking the government rather than providing health care.

[Great Read]

Below is the recipe for a democratic news conference. You have to have people as a “back drop”.
• Black guy
• Black gal
• Handicap
• Hispanic
• Asian (sometimes)
• The lonely white male (probably gay)
• Throw in a few elderly
Next time they are have a news conference look at the people standing behind them. LMAO

[Stephen Canavan]

Another way Obozo and company will bankrupt America. When will these jerks realize that if you keep taxing the wealthy to pay for everything they wont be wealthy for long and then where does the money come from? IDIOTS each and every one of them!

[Gab]

Great Read wrote:

Below is the recipe for a democratic news conference. You have to have people as a “back drop”.
• Black guy
• Black gal
• Handicap
• Hispanic
• Asian (sometimes)
• The lonely white male (probably gay)
• Throw in a few elderly
Next time they are have a news conference look at the people standing behind them. LMAO

Spot on!
I always notice the blacks,especially.
Even before Obama.
At any political speech,if you didn't know better,you would think blacks represent 30% of the population.
This seems to be the trend across the board when it comes to pop culture in general.
This blatant misrepresentation has always intrigued me.
Why does this culture/society insist on presenting itself as something it is not?
Especially when the truth will more than do!

[Great Read]

Gab wrote:

<quoted text>
Spot on!
I always notice the blacks,especially.
Even before Obama.
At any political speech,if you didn't know better,you would think blacks represent 30% of the population.
This seems to be the trend across the board when it comes to pop culture in general.
This blatant misrepresentation has always intrigued me.
Why does this culture/society insist on presenting itself as something it is not?
Especially when the truth will more than do!

If they just had white people standing up there, minorities would be WTF is Whitie up to now??? But when you are distracted by the diversity behind the politician you aren’t paying attention to what they are saying OR what they are doing. People relate to their own culture/ethnicity. So if you are a Hispanic and there is Hispanics standing up there you would mostly likely agree with that politician. Not even knowing EXACTLY what you agreeing to.

[Clark Kent]

Let me make this as simple as it can be. Maybe some feel there should be some kind of "public option." Maybe some feel this whole bill is wonderful. Maybe some even feel we need a single payer system, but does that make it right for this country and our laws and way of life?

I argue that we need to hold to our Constitution! Simple as that. As we continue to create new government programs we slowly loose our individual rights and freedoms. Our federal government is trying to rip apart the 10th Amendment, I ask all, when will it be the 1st Amendment? We've heard attacks on 2nd for years.

It is time for all of us to stop arguing as democrats and republicans or even independents. It is time for each individual to sit down and read word for word the our United States Constitution. We need study our founders to know our foundation and know what made our country the greates country in history. We need to call and write and quiz those elected to offices on their position on the Constitution and know where every bill they write fits into its boundries.

I think it is time we the people make a choice. We need to choose if we want hard work which leads to freedom and individual rights and potential success. Or we need to choose if we want rules and regulations and programs dictated to us in tyrannical fashion that leads to totalitarianism and equality bringing us down to the lowest common denominator so that an elite government can have unlimited control. Time to choose... This bill is step one in the direction of the latter.

Watch out because Cap and Trade (tax) is in the road up ahead and we're already looking at taxing food and drink and some even want a ban on meat. Soylent Green anyone?

I choose choice. I choose to help through charity and choice without government control. I choose freedom and our Constitution. I choose the American way of working for my earnings and keeping what is mine. I don't need 1990 pages to tell me anything. I'll stick to the Constitution. I hope the majority are with me!

"A government big enough to give you eveything you neeed is big enough to take everything you have." -Thomas Jefferson

GOD BLESS THE U.S.!

[IrishMN]

Thank you Ms. Pelsoi.

However, you have only taken the first step. The logical next step is to implement a single payer system. That way no one will ever go broke again or lose their home over a medical bill.

Health care will be right in the United States before Mr. Obama leaves office. And there is nothing my Republi-thug friends can do about it.

Have a great weekend!