Monday, July 20, 2009
Politics / Woods Bredesen Pops Up in Health Debate, Warning Against 'Mother of All Unfunded Mandates'
Posted by Jeff Woods on Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 6:56 AM
"Medicaid is a poor vehicle for expanding coverage," added Mr. Bredesen, a former health care executive. "It's a 45-year-old system originally designed for poor women and their children. It's not health care reform to dump more money into Medicaid."
And so Tennessee is taking the lead in opposing the health care overhaul plans now before Congress. John Tanner voted against the House bill in committee, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker are outspoken in the Senate, Marsha Blackburn is mugging for the cameras at every opportunity, and Jim Cooper is a key player as a purported health care expert among the Blue Dog Democrats. Now add Bredesen, another so-called health care expert, to the list. They all will either (1) save the day by forcing Congress to figure out ways to include more cost controls in the reform or (2) share the blame for killing this opportunity to fix the problem.
On CNN, White House budget director Peter Orszag accused opponents of trying to run out the clock: "There are those who are advocating delay just as a desperation move to try to kill it." That's a good point. We're waiting to hear solutions from all these Tennessee public officials who have been complaining about the plans so far.
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"There are those who are advocating delay just as a desperation move to try to kill it."
Those who are squealing that we have to hurry up and pass their plan RIGHT NOW, are engagning is a desparation move to jam it through in what they think is their window of maximum political opportunity and before people have a chance to find out what the acutal provisions are and what effects it's going to have on them.
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Here is some of the latest info about what Health Reform would actually entail. It's the most progress we've made in about 40 yrs. Our legislators need to know we are sick of "NO". It's time to ACT!
Everyone agrees the health care reform bills are not perfect, but Kathleen Stoll (Asst. Director, Families USA) this week offered 7 things we should all find to our liking. Unless otherwise noted, these good things are in both Senate & House bills.
1) Truly Historic Medicaid Expansion - All low-income adults (married, single, with kids or without) that meet income requirements get covered. House bill covers adults up to 133 percent FPL; Senate covers up to 150 percent.
2) Private Market Regulations: Insurance companies cannot deny for pre-existing conditions, health status , or gender. Denial for age is still not decided. House bill: Insurance companies must spend 85 percent of premiums on medical care (as opposed to the ave. of 60 percent spent now, with the rest going to administrative and marketing). If they fail to do so, they will be required to reimburse the consumer.
3) Public Insurance Plan Choice.
4) Robust Premium Assistance for those above Medicaid level, with premiums assistance for those up to 400 percent FPL—that’s $90,000 for a family of four.
5) Hard Caps – health insurance companies will be required to tell consumers up front what the maximum out-of-pocket costs will be for a given plan. The caps will be between $5,000 and $10,000 per year, and less for those with very low income.
6) Subsidies to help small businesses afford to offer insurance to 26 million workers.
7) Eliminate or reduce the Medicare doughnut hole, over time.
Want more info? Visit www.thcc2.org
I have worked in health care system for 20 years. While I agree that the efficiency of the system needs improvement, the attempt by left wing liberals to ram it down the American peoples throats is disgusting. It only amounts to trying to "fix" the system so that they can look good. Problem is it will not fix it and will not make it better. How many times have we seen people throw money at a problem to no avail. That is what they are doing here. there are to many issues to be addressed for me to do so here.
Bottom line, if you have not worked in health care and do not understand health care, how can you make it better? Our lawmakers are mostly lawyers. What does that tell you. You don;t hear anything about tort reform in this debate, there all lawyers.
What do insurance company executives know about health care either, Derek? You didn't say what part of the "health care system" you have worked in but I have a position:
I am all for doctors and nurses and lab techs and people who change the bed pans and mop the hospital floors making as much money as they can: they work hard and the professionals go to school for a long time.
I don't like the insurance industry making a buck off of health care.
