There's some things that you really need to know about the recent rumblings on the health care proposals:
1. The CBO analysis is totally preliminary--
based on the "rough draft" (my words, but it's basically correct) of the Baucus bill. The actual legislative bill has not been written. (This is why it's being called a Vapor Bill.) And, the Congressional Budget Office (a non-partisan body that tallies up the cost of legislation), because the bill is not yet really written, is forced to "guestimate" on future Congressional actions which really puts their figures in doubt.
2. What we don't pay up front, we'll pay in increased costs elsewhere.
Americans will have mandated health care costs, out-of-pocket payments for health insurance, period. Or you'll be fined. Some estimates contend that individual policies could increase by up to $8000 while family policies could skyrocket by $20,000.
Other increased costs to us, the consumers, will come from taxes on health insurance policies (which will passed to us, again!) and taxes on employers who don't meet the government rules on health coverage--which will result in fewer jobs and poorer pay!
3. This bill will impact Medicare:
by getting rid of, or greatly limiting, Medicare Advantage, and by billions of dollars in payment cuts to health care providers.
Which will make it very difficult for our seniors to find a doctor.
4. This bill will still leave, by its estimates, 26 million Americans uninsured.
5. This bill will disallow Health Savings Accounts, forcing those who have this type of coverage into other insurance plans.
6. The federal government will, in effect, take over health insurance. Maybe not explicitly, by running a government insurance program, but by controlling what insurance policies will or will not contain and by putting our health care under a "Commissioner" who will not answer to either Congress or the courts.
7. Some sources, including Heritage.org, feel that the Democrats will force this bill through Congress without going through the usual, and what-the-constitution-expects, legislative mechanisms.
This isn't so far-fetched, seeing as how no one has actually seen the bill, including President Obama.
For a good summary, see:
What to do?
Write your Congress folks today!
Write Blue-Dog Democrats!
Write the President!
