Feb 26 2008
HR 676 (a note on health care)
We’re sitting at dinner on during my visit to CV over the winter holidays and my brother starts talking about how he was up late the previous evening writing to his House of Representative Caucus members. He wants them to support HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act. So my siblings and I proceed to ruin any attempt at cheerful holiday conversation by instead talking about this bill and it’s greater implications on US citizens and, closer to home, those family members who may not be able to afford, or even have the option to afford, the coverage that I pay for (and hardly ever use, btw). Yes, we’re LAME and mayhap we pride ourselves on being family gathering downers. These are the things we have to resort to when booze is NOT involved.
One morning, in the not to distant past, I took it upon myself to find and read this bill. The following are excerpts from the text followed by my meager thoughts in italics. You can download the .pdf from this page as well as find out if your Representative(s) has joined on as a co-sponsor. This bill was brought before a variety of committees when it was introduced in 2005 and looks to have been stalled in all of them. What a crock. At least bring it out so OUR elected Representatives can vote on it!
IN GENERAL.—The health insurance benefits under this Act cover all medically necessary services, including—
primary care and prevention; inpatient care; outpatient care; emergency care; prescription drugs; durable medical equipment; long term care; mental health services; the full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry); substance abuse treatment services; chiropractic services; and basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes).
PORTABILITY.—Such benefits are available through any licensed health care clinician anywhere in the United States that is legally qualified to provide the benefits.
This act basically covers everyone with the basics necessary to maintain good general health and well-being (crap, I just used basically and basics in the same sentence. Sorry Jess). Whether one chooses to use it or not are two totally different things. Further, it does not allow for you to use the services to get a boob job or your stomach stapled (unless, of course, you’re life is in danger…Doc, I’ll just die of embarrassment if you don’t enhance my breast size to a DD!)
No institution may be a participating provider unless it is a public or not-for profit institution.
CONVERSION OF INVESTOR-OWNED PROVIDERS.—Investor-owned providers of care opting to participate shall be required to convert to not-for profit status.
While I am fully in support of doctors, nurses and hospitals making money (hey, they’re a business, too) I think this plan’s plan to not qualify for-profit institutions will make many of those institutions think twice. When the hospital or doctor’s office to which you go is owned by investors who want to make money, it stands to reason that you may get mediocre care while paying for premium care. When your health care provider is in the business to make a bunch of money, they want to funnel as many patients through their office, etc. as possible, in a short amount of time (it’s like a restaurant), which does NOT lend itself to premium time with your doctor. I’ll liken it to the proverbial (or not) bending over without the lube.
Plus, you can still choose to continue paying for your private insurance and opt out of the national health care coverage.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE.—Patients shall have free choice of participating physicians and other clinicians, hospitals, and inpatient care facilities.
Hmmmm. Freedom of choice. Interesting concept and one that I, personally, don’t currently have with my insurance plan. Sure, I have a wide variety of choices available to me but my plan does not have any holistic or natural healers as providers. I would definitely like to have that option available to me, as long as the healer in question was licensed. I just don’t see why not. Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?
OVERVIEW: FUNDING THE USNHI PROGRAM.
IN GENERAL…Sums appropriated pursuant to subsection (b) shall be paid for— by vastly reducing paperwork; by requiring a rational bulk procurement of medications; from existing sources of Federal government revenues for health care; by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5 percent income earners; by instituting a modest payroll tax; and by instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions
at first I was a bit put off by the ‘modest payroll tax.’ I was thinking that I already pay quite a bit o’ my scrilla to the US Government for benefits that I don’t receive (which I’m fine with, except when dickwads abuse them…). Then I realized that I would no longer be paying that monthly fee for my health insurance. My guess is that modest payroll tax would be similar, if not less, than my monthly insurance cost (which is not costly since it’s just moi. But still…)
I’m not saying this is the only solution, nor even the best solution. I don’t know what the best solution is and I sure as shit don’t know how to fix our current system but someone does and at least there are ideas floating around out there. Moreover, people are actually talking about it and it’s become a HUGE issue in the upcoming election cycle. I guess our governing bodies finally realized that our system dysfunctional and can’t be fixed by convincing some small child (or a large mass of the underpaid populace) that sticking a finger in the hole will stop the dam from bursting.
Stumble it!
ok, so for those of you who don’t know…i’ve been opposed to a national health care plan since hillary in 1992.
i’ve been doing lots of reading and it seems like there is no clear answer. i’m hesitant to support allowing government to control health care. is this their role?
it’s obvious that something probably needs to change. i’m still thinking that it’s the INSURANCE companies who are evil, not the doctors, the nurses and hospitals.
as far as choice, it’s true that i can’t go to whichever doctor i want - but the fact is that almost every single doctor here in cache valley is covered by my plan, which means i can ALMOST go to any doctor i want to see.
how will we pay our insurance premiums to the u.s. government? will it be on a sliding scale? b/c while $100/month for me is affordable, it’s still not going to be affordable to someone earning minimum wage. and maybe my employer would pick up that tab?
I have always been a fan of socialized medicine… before anyone lynches me I realize I may just have to move to France to get it.
I hate health care right now. Way too expensive. I rarely go to the doctor but I cringe every single time I have to. I hate having to pay for it.
Would you go to a clinic that tried to “funnel as many patients through their office, etc. as possible, in a short amount of time?” Of course you wouldn’t, and neither would most people. For-profit clinics have an incentive to attract repeat customers. A non-profit venture would not have any greater incentive to treat customers well, but the doctors there would have greater incentive to leave at 3:00 to go golfing. Your statement demonstrates a lack of understanding of market incentives.
Also, you say “Plus, you can still choose to continue paying for your private insurance and opt out of the national health care coverage.” That would last about 15 seconds, until people realized that the government plan was horrible and abandoned it, at which point it would be made mandatory for everyone.
I don’t know - I have friends in countries with socialized medical care… and the stories of waiting for years to get good care, or paying out of pocket to sneak into another hospital and get some other doctor to pick up the slack in the nick of time just freaks me out.
Our system is broken, I don’t know what the answer is. Hopefully someone will come up with a good plan that doesn’t make things worse.
This is a great example of why the idea of socialized medicine scares the begeebers out of me.
Though I don’t agree with all of your conclusions, and am not in the least worried about the inevitable universal healthcare system we’ll be adopting, I admire the effort you’ve put into this.
If more people would do even half of what you’ve done trying to understand fully what you are either supporting or opposing, we would all be in a better place in this country.
Jess- I know your feelings on this and definitely do not know what the right system is or how many of the variety of those proposed will work but I do know that I’m glad people are talking… And I whole-heartedly agree that the insurance companies carry a vast amount of blame for the state of our system. But, we continue to stand by and let it happen…
Bridge- yeah, yeah. France rocks! We get it.
Craig- I do not claim to understand market incentives. That’s not anywhere near my area of ‘expertise’ but I’m going off of my personal experience here which is obviously different from everyone else’s. That’s why I’m not advocating for anything specific here except some sort of change.
Holli- While I don’t know anyone who lives in a country with socialized or universal health care. I do know people who work in our system here and I hear their stories about dealing with the multitude of people who wait to come in (they are ER docs) until very sick. I know it’s cliche but it’s what I hear.
MacKenzie-good article. But I have to believe that with all of the nations out there with socialized/universal health care systems the US has a wide variety of different systems from which to implement the best parts. But at the same time, just like any system, governmental or not, there are bound to be problems. Who is to say that this woman’s private insurance (say if she were in the US) would have paid for that medicine anyway?
Jasonthe- thanks. I often try to be as informed as possible, I just don’t often write about it…
It is my firm belief that the health care system is broken and that there has got to fixed. I look at other countries and the systems that are used such as socialized medicine even that is not perect but maybe the time has come to have a system like that here. This way amy be some of the frauds that are done like over billing medicare for products and services.Our country is broke,and is is sad need of overhaul.Just look how long it is taking to fix New Orleans,The fixed the superdome so the Saints could playfootball again and be used for other sporting events,that is soo much more inportant than getting the displaced people of the 9th ward and areas like that done.Just think how much quickly the reconstruction could be done if the money that is being used to figh an illegal war was used for the good of the poor people here in the United states?????
I have mixed feelings about socialized health care. If the U.S. decided to embrace this type of health care, where then, would the Canadians go for thir health care? On a more serious note, it comes down to “Is health care a right or a priviledge?”
I am in a masters program for nursing (NP) currently, and in one of my classes we are studing health care. After so much readings about the issue, I feel that health care could be a right. The question is How Much health care. My answer is Preventitive and Primary. (Immunizations, mammagrams, pap smears, treatment for ear infections, strept throat…etc.) Everyone should be entitled to this. It’s a win-win answer, as it is cost effective. For example, providing antihypertensive care (preventitive) may prevent the pt. coming into the E.R. with a stroke, or Heart Attact. It’s cost-containment. It’s cheaper on the system to provide free care rather than to absorb the cost of an E.R. visit, and inpatient services.
I am following the HillaryCare in the news with uncertainty.
She is in favor of “mandating” health care for all. Everyone must subscribe to a health care policy under penalty (undetermined as of yet…possible with holdings from pay???)
if failure to do so. I understand her reason for getting everyone in the “pool”……but mandating health care is wrong. It takes away peoples rights in choice. It no longer makes health care a right or priveledge when forced upon.
I admire Mass. and CA. for their attempts in their health care efforts for the people (uninsured) in their states. They are not waiting around for the government to help.
If you’re in favor of socialized health care and feel health care is a right….then what about other braches of health care, let’s say dentristy. Is everyone entitled to free dental cleanings? (Preventative)
A lot to think about. The more I learn, the more complicated it is. I commend anyone (even Hillary) attempting such a exhausting feat to “fix” our health care system.
It’s interesting to see this debate going on in the US because health care isn’t something I ever think about. Yes, I am Canadian, and yes, there are problems with our system, but on the whole it works. I once waited 6 hours to have a sprain checked upon, but other than that, it’s been in and out when I’ve needed it. And before I get the taxes argument - the spread between the US and Canada is not that great anymore. For instance, Mr. G pays out 18% of his income in taxes and health insurance, while I pay out 20%. We’re both in the 35-40k range.
It’s not necessarily health care that needs an overhaul, but instead preventative care. Too many people simply don’t take care of themselves, and that’s true in both the US and Canada. We have these campaigns about accepting your body the way it is, but it’s a paradox - being obese is not healthy and nobody who is obese should be encouraged to accept themselves as is. There’s also a problem with people overusing the healthcare system - going in for colds, etc, and other things that the hospital really can’t do anything about.
While the health care system does need reform, there also needs to be a reform in regards to how people take care of themselves. That would truly be a health revolution.
Typing as someone who has a pre-diagnosed condition (and contrary to popular-thought, it’s not sarcasticarcinoma..a ha, a ha, ha, ha)…for a year, I was without group-health insurance (I made a job change) and was paying out 400.00+ a month (CASH) just to keep myself covered. So, although I don’t know if I’m 100% for or against the idea of National Health Insurance, I do know that something needs to change.
I appreciate you posting this–especially with the ital’d explanations–thank you.
[...] See Hear Speak No Evil has something worth reading today (HR 676 (a note on health care))Here’s a brief bit, but follow the link for the rest. … durable medical equipment; long term care; mental health services; the full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry);… [...]
[...] See Hear Speak No Evil had a pretty good blog post. Definitely worth your time. Here is a small excerpt: … durable medical equipment; long term care; mental health services; the full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry);… [...]
[...] See Hear Speak No Evil always has something good to say. I like this one posted earlier today. Follow the link for the whole thing. … substance abuse treatment services; chiropractic services; and basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes). PORTABILITY…. [...]