I'd be happy to. Check the actual pages if you think this is just fear mongering.
• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure
Correct...to ensure the health care policies they provide to their employees meet the minimum mandated standards as adopted by the Health Choices Administration's Commissionor, if any, as recommended by the Health Choices Advisory Committee. The key thing to remember here is once/if the HCR bill is passed as currently outlined, every insurance policy will have to meet minimum standards across the board. This is to ensure everyone receives the same benefits according to which level of health care coverage you accept, not necessarily at the same price. In other words, a basic plan issued in NY must contain the same basic benefit coverage as a plan in CA, but because they are in different regions of the country, the market would still dictate the overall cost of these plans. Right now, a basic plan in one part of the country could be vastly different from an identical plan in another part of the country but at a much higher cost. Sure, it's the free market system, but it also means that somebody might not be receiving adequate care at a fair price.
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get.
Again, it's a review of health benefits (treatment, medicines, etc.) to ensure every health insurance plan at various levels contain the same level of benefits. Nothing more. Bad benefits get removed; good fbnefits are retained; better benefits are added. What's wrong with that?
• Page 42: The “Health Choices Commissioner” will decide health benefits for you.
See above...
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
WRONG!!! NO illegal alien will receive benefits nor credits to be used to offset the purchase of health care under this bill. (See section 246 of the bill.)
• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
This was a proposal, not a mandate. But why would this be a problem considering that everyone is issued a health insurance card from their insurance company anyway?
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
Untrue. The reform bill only recommends that EFT/payment using debit cards be implimented to aid in prompt payment of medical bills, but this in no way implies that the government will have access to anyone's bank accounts.
• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans
Another untruth as the HCR bill does not say that all non-profit organizations will receives gov't subsidizes to help offset the cost of health care; only "non-profit groups/associations". While it could be construed that unions fall under this criteria, it's a bit of a stretch considering unions don't offer health care plans. They may lobby for improved benefits, but they don't offer health insurance.
• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
This is true, and rightly so. If you're going to offer insurance their the public option, you must ensure your health care policies comply with current health care benefit standards.
• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange.
Not true. If you're a private insurance company, your only requirement would be to ensure you offer health care benefits equal to that of the Health Insurance Exchange, as recommended by the Commissionor. But private insurance companyies are NOT required to participate in the HIE. They can, however, provide a health benefits plan alongside what they provide as a private insurer, but they aren't required to provide the public option if what they offer is better.
• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services (for illegal aliens).
Yes, but only insofar as to ensure that members of the Hispanic community can understand the benefit package before them. This does NOT imply that illegal aliens will be afforded health care under the HIE. This country has always provided bi-lingual literature on a variety of topics. Why should this be any different?
• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled.
Yes, but there are a few caveats with this. 1. It's at the state's discretion since Medicaid is a joint-venture between the gov't and the state; and 2. Only if approved by the Commissioner, and only in those instances where the individual is a non-traditional Medicaid individual. (I'm still trying to figure out who these such people are and how they qualify.)
• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “judicial review” is permitted against the government monopoly.
I'll have to get back to you on that one. I don't think you're quoating the issue quite right.
• Page 127: The government will set all wages.
Correct, for the HIE only.
• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan.
Only if they don't offer private insurance.
• Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
You got it part-right. The bill would allow part-time employees to receive health care coverage through the HIE, but the employers would NOT be flipping the bill for said coverage. The cost would still come out of the employee's pocket. Now, there is a provision that says that the small-business employeer could contribute to the HIE in lieu of paying towards an employee's health care, but that doesn't mean that the employer flips the bill entirely. Regardless, major companies are already paying a substaintial portion of their employee's health insurance. What's the difference here?
• Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll.
Correct. Every company does this already per the 1986 IRS law.
• 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
See above
• Page 167: Any individual who doesn’t’ have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
I believe I read that, too, and was thinking 'WTF?!?" I wonder how they'd know who's covered and who's not?
From here on I can't comment because my reading has only gone so far (up to page 150)
Don't get me wrong, I think there are problems aplenty with healthcare, but THIS was not the way to fix it.
