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I came across a local blog yesterday that had a list of horrible, nefarious details pulled out of HR3200. Google tells me that this list of lies has been widely distributed. The list is basically a compilation of words which are taken totally out of context or given meaning completely counter to what is actually written in the bill.
It is easy to see how this has spread like wildfire across the blogosphere and how it can be used to influence those susceptible to fear-mongering. It is really frightening to see how specific details have been twisted.
For my own education, I checked each reference and came up with a response to it. It is a work in progress as there is just so much of this nonsense that I can deal with in one session. I'm posting my work below.
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Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Government will audit the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self
insure!!
Response:
Pg 22 falls under the Insurance Rating Rules heading. It states that "The Commissioner .... shall study the large insured and self insured health care markets". Yes the study will examine financial solvency and capital reserve levels of employers that self-insure in order
to make sure that obligations can be paid. Also, the study is to make sure that reforms to do
create incentives for companies to leave the marketplace and self-insure.
Yes it sounds like the evil government will collect some statistics from companies and even
require companies show that adequate reserves are in place to pay claims. What a concept!
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Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC Bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE that decides what
treatments/benefits you get
Response:
Pg 30. Perhaps a bit of an overstatement here. The GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE will determine
benefit standards for different levels of coverage. This is not quite the same as a committee
determining what treatments/benefits you get. Oh yes, the GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE will actually
have majority of its members from outside of government.
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Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have
no choice!
Response:
Pg 42. Now we're getting into deep water. "The Health Choices COMMISSIONER will choose your
benefits for you. You have no choice!" Sounds scary.
In reality the Commissioner's job will be to establish and enforce benefit plan choices.
Working with the States, there might be audits of existing plans to be sure that federal
standards are being followed. Standards like plans will not be able to deny coverage to sick
people.
There is not a word about the Commissioner forcing you to select a specific benefit package.
In fact, there will be a choice of plans which is more than many of us have today.
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Pg 58 HC Bill – Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances and a National
ID Health Care Card will be issued!
Response:
Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your banks accounts for
electronic funds transfer.
Pg 58 - Here we have Big Brother enveloping us all. "The Government will have real-time
access to individual's finances and a National ID Health Care Card will be issued". Clearly
we will be just one step from concentration camps if this is allowed to take place...or is
there a touch of reality here?
What these segment actually states is: "enable the real-time (or near real-time) determination
of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service...". So the doctor might
perform an operation similar to checking that your credit card is valid or more likely this
would be a valid check of the question that appears on any service provider's form, "Who is
the financially responsible party?". You know, like the parent for the child?
Now that National ID Health Care Card sounds truly ominous. So much scarier than my
GOVERNMENT ISSUED social security card, or my GOVERNMENT ISSUED drivers license, or my
INSURANCE COMPANY'S Health Care Card.
It is always interesting to see how a few words can be plucked out of a thousand page document
and turned into the darkest of omens predicting the end of free will and thought.
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Pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue the government on price fixing. No “judicial review”
against government monopoly.
Response:
Pg 124 - This is a complex section. It says that rates to be paid to providers will be set by
the Secretary. Providers may opt out. Federal courts remain as the court of jurisdiction as
is currently for Medicare. Rates are not subject to judicial review. If you don't like it,
opt out.
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Pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/ #AMA - The government will tell YOU what you can make.
Response:
Pg 127 - This pertains to providers and claims the government will tell you what you can make.
In reality it sets up two tiers for providers, preferred and non-preferred. Providers select
a tier depending on the level of reimbursement that they will accept. Providers may opt-out
of the system. How is this different from existing insurance company payment mandates?
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Pg 145 Line 15-17 An employer MUST auto enroll employees into public opt plan. NO CHOICE
Response:
Pg 145 - An employer MUST auto enroll employees in the public option plan - Wrong - It states
employee must enroll employees in a qualified plan.
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Pg 195 Officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans' financial
and personal records.
Response:
Pg 195 - Officers and employees of HC admin will have access to ALL Americans financial and
personal records. - Not exactly. Individuals applying for premium credits will have to prove
their eligibility by submitting their tax returns. Much like when applying for tuition
loans/grants, mortgages, and a host of other financial assistance programs.
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Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have, you’ll all be
paid the same.
Response:
Pg 241 - Doctors will all be paid the same. - This section is especially complex but the
specific clause noted seems to group providers in categories based on where service is
provided with an aim towards determining cost/payment increases. This section needs study to
put in context.
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Pg 317 L 13-20 PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much
they can own.
Response:
Pg 317 - Prohibition on ownership/investment. Wrong Wrong wrong. This section deals with
special case of rural hospitals owned in part by physicians. It states physicians cannot
increase their ownership stake. In general this section is written to prevent providers with
a vested financial interest in a facility from referring patients to that facility. The
specific lines (13-20) are part of a section dealing with exceptions to the policy. This is
all taken out of context.
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Pg 425 Lines 4-12 Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior
Citizens end of life.
Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers
of attorney. Mandatory!
Pg 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Government provides approved list of end of life resources,
guiding you in death.
Pg 427 Lines 15-24 Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The government has
a say in how your life ends.
Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An “adv. care planning consult” will be used frequently as patient's health
deteriorates.
Pg 429 Lines 10-12 “adv. care consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN
ORDER from Government.
Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which doctors can write an end of life order.
PG 430 Lines 11-15 The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of
life.
Response:
Pg 425-430 - This is all about consultation and providing individuals with an explanation of
the various forms of protection available to individuals to ensure that they are provided with
the level of care that they so desire. There is NOTHING in these pages beyond stating that
patients will be afforded consultation. As part of that consultation the patient can elect to
have all possible care available. There is nothing sinister nor mandatory beyond the
consultation. The interpretation that this includes government orders determining end-of-life
care is absolute nonsense and fear-mongering.
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Pg 503 Lines 13-19 Government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic
medical records.
Pg 503 lines 21-25 Government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the
U.S., including your data.
Response:
Pg 503 - Government will build registries, etc. - This section is all about doing comparative
analysis of what works and what doesn't work. There is no specifics about building individual
database and if they did, so what. Have you ever heard of the Medical Information Bureau
which the insurance companies use to share information? Besides, having your medical history
in one central location might actually save your life someday.
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Pg 632 Lines 14-25 The Government may implement any “Quality measure” of health care services
as they see fit.
Response:
Pg 632 - More nonsense. This section doesn't say anything like that.
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Pg 635 to 653 Physicians Payments Sunshine Provision – Government wants to shine sunlight on
doctor but not government.
Response:
Pg 634 - 650 - Basically physicians must disclose financial relationships with manufacturers,
etc.
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Pg 686-700 Increased Funding to Fight Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. You mean like the government
with an $18 million website?
Response:
Pg 686 - 700 - This section details penalties for fraud, waste, failure to provide proper
treatment etc. So if this is bad, I guess you are endorsing the continuation of what was the old conservative bugaboo of fraud and waste.
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The rest of this is so twisted that I just can't deal with it right now.
Pg 769 3-5 Nurse Home Visit Services - “increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.”
Government ABORTIONS anyone?
Pg 770 SEC 1714 Federal Government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services.
Abortion and State Sovereign.
PG 801 Sec 1751 The government will decide which health care conditions will be paid. Say
RATION!
Pg 838-840 Government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with
young kids and families expecting kids.
PG 844-845 This Home Visitation Program includes government coming into your house and telling
you how to parent!!!
PG 935 21-22 Government will identify specific goals & objectives for prevention & wellness
activities. Control YOU!!
PG 936 Government will develop “Healthy People and National Public Health Performance
Standards” Tell me what to eat?
PG 1001 The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?
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