FixHealthCarePolicy

Pony Up, Working Families

Under the Baucus plan, just about everyone who is not covered by a government health program will be required to purchase insurance by 2013. To help pay for the mandated minimum coverage, individuals and families with incomes below four times the poverty line will receive a subsidy calculated on a sliding scale worth a percentage of their income, while those with incomes up to three times the poverty line will also qualify for a cost-sharing subsidy.

However, even with help from the government subsidies, families will be required to pay substantial out-of-pocket costs for health insurance. As analysis from The Heritage Foundation has shown that on average a family of four with an income at two times the poverty line will be forced to shell out 16 percent of their income to buy insurance – and this is even after all the subsidies. (more…)

Tags: Baucus bill, Government Health Care, government subsidies, health insurance

How the Baucus Health Bill Will Harm State Budgets

Just hours after the Senate Finance Committee completed its mark-up of its version of health care reform, Committee staff released a statement that announced, “[i]n a letter sent to Congressional leaders yesterday, Democratic governors affirmed their shared commitment to expanding health care coverage to millions of low-income Americans through the Medicaid program.”

Worried Governors
The press release, however, overstates the case. The governors’ letter does not even mention Medicaid. The very general sentiments expressed in the governors letter such as “… the status quo is no longer an option …” and “[s]kyrocketing health care costs hurt families …” are broadly if not universally shared. Democratic governors from 21 states signed the letter, of which 8 will be out of office before the Medicaid expansion even begins. One Democratic governor who did not sign the letter, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen warns, “I can’t think of a worse time for this bill to be coming. I’d love to see it happen. But nobody’s going to put their state into bankruptcy or their education system in the tank for it.” (more…)

Tags: Baucus bill, Congressional Budget Office, Medicaid, Senate Finance Committee

ObamaCare: Day Four of the Senate Finance Committee Hearings

The Senate Finance Committee Hearings on Chairman Max Baucus’ (D-MT) health care proposal continued Friday morning, September 25, 2009. The amendments offered by members of the Committee continued to address issues related to growth of the federal government and limitation to consumers’ choice and freedom, changes which are likely to emerge from the passage of a Senate Finance Committee bill.

Accountability and Transparency in Government Decision-Making over Health Care (Ensign Amendment C10)

Under both House and Senate bills, federal government officials or appointees would make crucial decisions over health care benefits, treatments and medical procedures that would be available to millions of Americans. Sen. Ohn Ensign(R-NV) offered an amendment to subject these officials to Senate confirmation for their appointment. Currently, the controversial House bill (H.R. 3200) allows for the creation of a Health Benefits Advisory Committee, which would consist of nine non-federally employed members appointed by the President, nine non-federally employed members appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States, and up to eight federally-employed members, also appointed by the President. (more…)

Tags: Baucus bill, baucus bill amendments, health care, Obama Health Care Plan

Obamacare: Day Three of Senate Finance Committee Hearings

Obamacare: Day Three of Senate Finance Committee Hearings

On Thursday, September 24th, the Senate Finance Committee continued to vote on amendments to the “Chairman’s Mark” of the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009. As the committee continues to consider more than 500 amendments, it is becoming clear that Senators are directly undercutting the high profile promises that President Obama made to the American people in his widely broadcasted address to Congress on September 9, 2009. Consider several health policy decisions made by members of the Senate Finance Committee:

Cutting Medicare Advantage (Crapo-Kyl-Roberts Amendment D1)

The White House and Congressional leaders routinely insist that they are not going to cut Medicare benefits, only unnecessary spending or spending properly considered to be waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and Pat Roberts (R-KS) proposed an amendment to change the Chairman’s mark and remove provisions in Title III, Subtitle D which would result in cuts to Medical Advantage, a program which allows Medicare users to obtain coverage through private insurers. Cuts in payments to Medicare Advantage plans would result in decreased choice and competition for seniors. This amendment failed on a procedural vote (9-9). (more…)

Tags: Barack Obama, Baucus bill, big government, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicare trigger, middle class, obama deficit, Obama Health, Obama Health Care Plan, Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees

How the Baucus Bill Kills Jobs

Proponents of the health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress claim that the cost of insuring the uninsured will be paid for by taxes on the rich, and by employers, who will be required to shoulder “responsibility” for their employee’s health insurance. The reality is that these provisions will act as an extremely regressive tax on the working poor, substantially reducing their take-home pay and in some cases eliminating their jobs altogether.

All the House and Senate drafts of health care reform include so-called “employer mandates” or “pay or play” provisions. The details vary somewhat, but all require employers to either “play” by providing health insurance for their employees or pay part of the premium or “pay” a special tax for not providing insurance, even if the employee declines it.

However, (more…)

Tags: Baucus bill, employer mandate, health care employer mandate, HR3200, Max Baucues, Obama Health Care Plan