House Democrats on Friday answered President Obama's
call for a sweeping overhaul of the health care system,
unveiling a bill that they said would cover 95 percent of
Americans. But they said they did not know how much it would
cost and had not decided how to pay for it.
The proposal would establish a new public
health insurance plan to compete with private plans.
Republicans and insurance companies strenuously oppose such an
entity, saying it could lead to a government takeover of health
care. The draft bill would require all Americans to carry
health insurance. Most employers would have to provide coverage
to employees or pay a fee equivalent to 8 percent of their
payroll. The plan would also end many insurance company
practices that deny coverage or charge higher premiums to sick
people.
"Health insurance for most American families is just one big
surprise," said Representative George Miller of California, the
chairman of the Education and Labor Committee. "When you go to
use it, you find out it's not quite as it's represented, and
you spend hours on the phone with exclusions and discussions
and referrals to other legal documents that you didn't have at
the time you purchased it."
The 852-page House bill, as expected, is more expansive than
the legislation taking shape in the Senate, where work on the
issue bogged down this week after early cost estimates came in
far higher than expected. The initial price tag for a measure
drafted by the Senate Finance Committee, for example, was $1.6
trillion over 10 years.
Similar sticker shock could hit House members when they see the
cost of their bill, which incorporates many ideas from health
policy experts about how to fix the health system.
Kind of has a nice ring to it: "they said they did not know
how much it would cost and had not decided how to pay for
it." Just minor details, so why let them get in the
way!
As I've said before, it's only money. Don't worry, be
happy.
i will go along with any plan the government chooses as long as
it is the same as the one they use
jerome| 7.18.09 @ 1:27PM
When I sign up for my health care I get a book telling me
everything I need to know about my coverage, now dr. obama and
head nurse nancy pelosi want me to sign on to some plan they
thought of over breakfast and made sure that they won't have to
participate in.
poppy| 6.20.09 @ 10:11AM
i will go along with any plan the government chooses as long as it is the same as the one they use
jerome| 7.18.09 @ 1:27PM
When I sign up for my health care I get a book telling me everything I need to know about my coverage, now dr. obama and head nurse nancy pelosi want me to sign on to some plan they thought of over breakfast and made sure that they won't have to participate in.