Democratic senators lambaste health-care opponents

[sabra]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Three Democratic senators said Wednesday that Republican opponents of overhauling the health-care system are working with the health insurance industry to concoct “phony” arguments and derail proposals that would help consumers.

The trio also insisted Congress will pass a health-care bill this year, with or without Republican support.

Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Sherrod Brown of Ohio spoke at a news conference.

Their comments ratcheted up a Democratic strategy to focus the health-care debate on private insurers, whom they blame for chronic cost increases that threaten the economic stability of the government and average Americans.

House and Senate committees have approved Democratic health-care proposals, while six members of the Senate Finance Committee — three Democrats and three Republicans — have spent months negotiating the only bipartisan proposal so far. Neither chamber met President Barack Obama’s goal of passing a bill before their August recess.

Read more: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/05/democratic-senators-lambaste-health-care-opponents/

[stuball111]

1. Good!

They need to start responding with the truth, hard and fast and unrelenting...

[BluePup]

2. But what does this mean?

I was researching the worst of the claims by the Repubs, namely, that the bill will ban private insurance.

This stuff is hard to read, but it seems to me that Sec. 102 of the House Bill bans private insurance from issuing new policies after this bill is enacted.

Please, someone prove me wrong.



SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT COVERAGE.

(a) Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage Defined- Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable coverage under this division, the term `grandfathered health insurance coverage' means individual health insurance coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:

(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT-

(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1.

(B) DEPENDENT COVERAGE PERMITTED- Subparagraph (A) shall not affect the subsequent enrollment of a dependent of an individual who is covered as of such first day.

(2) LIMITATION ON CHANGES IN TERMS OR CONDITIONS- Subject to paragraph (3) and except as required by law, the issuer does not change any of its terms or conditions, including benefits and cost-sharing, from those in effect as of the day before the first day of Y1.

(3) RESTRICTIONS ON PREMIUM INCREASES- The issuer cannot vary the percentage increase in the premium for a risk group of enrollees in specific grandfathered health insurance coverage without changing the premium for all enrollees in the same risk group at the same rate, as specified by the Commissioner.

[stuball111]

4. I think..

It means that private companies can't enroll people in the government plan or act as an agent to sell government insurance.

[BluePup]

5. It seems to me that they are not allowed to enroll new participants

"(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1."


If you are grandfathered in, that's one thing. If you are new to the health insurance system, you will not be able to go through a private provider.

I would hate to try to read the whole thing.

No wonder they vote on these things without reading them... these bills are, literally, unreadable.

Is that intentioanal?

[BR_Parkway]

7. It means that even the private coverage will have to meet new standards

after the bill passes to clean up some of the abuses, denials of coverage, etc...

[stuball111]

8. I dunno..

Lawyers write these things up

[BluePup]

9. no kidding.... who would read a 1 page bill written like that...

let alone a 1000 page bill.

[stuball111]

10. 676 is lot easier to understand to the layman though.

I think the other one is crap

[defendandprotect]

3. Was wondering the other day if Pelosi shouldn't say that all Democrats will refrain from . . .

taking any further contributions from any part of the health care industry

until the question of medical care for all Americans is settled -- legislation,

etal.

If she would do that . . . then I think GOP would have to follow????

[peaches2003]

6. It's about time!

The worst mistake Obama has made or ever will make is to not have a specific bill of his own to take to Congress and be tough about what he expected from them. He allowed Congress to write their own bill which has turned into competing bills with the Repugs united against all of them. We are where we are which is not where we ever intended to be and which is nowhere good. Obama was very naive.