Notes to Self - Thoughts about Health Care Reform

The Consumerist posted some links to the Health Care Reform bill that is passing through the halls of our government. Honestly its very difficult to pay attention, or even want to, when the public dialog around health care reform is so polarized. So, I went ahead to take a look at the source material that's generating the controversy.

Oh snap. It's 2,409 pages...I'm making these notes based the summarized version from the House Ways and Means Committee. Not noting everything, just things that strike me as interesting.

  • CBO says that insurance coverage 32 million more people will be covered as a result of the legislation (95% of Americans)
  • Will apparently reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over 10 years, $1.2 trillion in the following 10 years.
  • Major tax cut for low and middle income Americans in the form of tax credits and cost-sharing assistance.
  • Increases payments to primary care doctors in Medicaid.
  • Provides new, free annual wellness visits, and eliminates out‐of‐pocket co payments for preventive benefits under Medicare, such as cancer and diabetes screenings.
  • Promotes preventative health care.
  • Invests in scholarship and loan repayment programs to expand health care work force.
"NO DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF PROVISION OF ABORTION.—No Exchange participating health benefits plan may discriminate against any individual health care provider or health care facility because of its willingness or unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions."

  • Funds to school based health clinics - cannot use grant money to provide abortions.

"(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF RELATIVE MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES FOR WOMEN OF RESOLVING A PREGNANCY.— SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study (during the period of fiscal years 2011 through 2020) on the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy (intended and unintended) in various ways, including carrying the pregnancy to term and parenting the child, carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the child for adoption, miscarriage, and having an abortion. This study may assess the incidence, timing, magnitude, and duration of the immediate and long-term mental health consequences (positive or negative) of these pregnancy outcomes."

"(e) ABORTION COVERAGE PROHIBITED AS PART OF MINIMUM BENEFITS PACKAGE.—"


Honestly I didn't go through all 1990 pages. One of the things that struck me was how difficult it was to imagine the practical effects of this huge piece of legislation. Despite that it was pretty easy to do some quick searches for the word Abortion and see it linked to the above excerpts. A lot of the conservative furor over this bill seems to be over abortion related coverage, but I can't seem to find it. (Just because I can't find it doesn't mean it isn't in there. What it does mean is that I'm horrible at reading government jargon.)

Any who, I'm more concerned right now about the details that aren't so clear and the promise that this bill is paying for itself. Can you provide basic insurance coverage to 95% of Americans and have it pay for itself? Is it good to end a blog post with a question?

Probably not.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Odd Findings

It is very odd, the places you find yourself on a day to day basis in the Philippines. One day you might find yourself teaching the unruly bunch of kindergarten students, the next, you could be speaking in front of a crowd of 750. Furthermore, in continuing the pattern of seemingly (not) random activities we've participated in; we rode in a motorcade/parade through the city. Never really anticipated doing that, but its National Nutrition Month here and we are participating in a 'Values and Ethics Formation Program' here. (AKA: VBS). It was...an odd experience riding through the city with Mr. and Mrs. Nutrition. Another day in the Philippines I guess. -jr
Read more

Review: Wrestling With An Angel

Haven’t reviewed a book in a while. So a miracle has happened and I have indeed finished a book and feel good enough about it to actually write something concerning it. Most of the time, when I finish reading a book I usually don’t have a strong compulsion to want to tell people to go out and read it right away. This however is not the case with “Wrestling With An Angel”. This book by author Greg Lucas has become one of the touchstone books of my life. I don’t think I am saying that too lightly. Greg Lucas operates a blog that I was pointed to by Jason Chang (hat tip engage). Gauging from how I responded to reading some entries in his blog, I clearly recall telling Susan right before I started reading, “Susan, I think this book is going to ruin me.” Wrestling With an Angel is a collection of short essays that Lucas has written, recounting experiences he and his family have with his mentally handicapped son. In humorous, heart wrenching, and pride crushing honesty, Lucas recounts
Read more

What Counts

1. Good morning world, hello today Sun overhead, grass waves below Walking to my car, hear the beep beep alarm Expressionless, Thoughtless 2. Soft breeze, harsh heat Pop the door open, keys in the ignition Turn the key, feel the rattle rattle vibration Unfocused, Drifting Can you hear it? Do you know what counts? 3. Light filters through the glass, cold air blasts Sunglasses on, vehicles move oh so quickly Radio squeals noise, words drone drone over the speakers Robotic, Insulated 4. Parking lot full, kind ladies with nice words White buildings, many people seated in a room Voices come together, they Rise and fall Rise and fall United?, Discordant Can I hear it? Do I know what counts? 3. Voices fall, words spoken from a stage A Book opened, words older than Time Universe fades, one Whisper speaks soft soft words Indefinable, Ineffable 2. Activity buzzing, crowds mixing Mouth agape, eyes welling up Sitting, silent so silent Speechless, Rising 1. Do you know what counts? Continue...
Read more