ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl has seen a draft of Baucus' proposed health care bill in the Senate Finance Committee. Baucus was reportedly going to meet with the so-called "Gang of Six" this afternoon and give them a take-it-or-leave it proposition for the bill, according to George Stephanopoulos.According to Karl, here are some of the key points in the bill:
Baucus' plan is already taking a heat from the left.- By 2013, Americans would be required to have health insurance or pay a fine. Depending on income level, the fines could be as high as $3800 per family.
- Native Americans, the very poor and those with religious objections are exempt from this new mandate.
- There’s no mandate on companies to provide insurance to their employees.
- Health insurance companies bear a big share of the costs with two new taxes:
- A $6 billion annual tax that will be divided among companies based on market share
- A tax on so-called Cadillac plans; insurance plans valued at more than $8,000 for individuals or $21,000 for a family of four.
- Expansion of Medicaid to those up to 133 percent of the poverty level.
- Federal subsidies to help those up to 300 percent of the poverty level buy insurance
- No new government-run insurance program, aka “public option”
- As an alternative to the public option, the bill creates and funds non-profit “cooperatives” that will provide insurance coverage
- New regulations on insurance companies: e.g. Bans denial of coverage or higher rates b/c of pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies would still be allowed, however, to charge higher rates for smokers.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, President Obama was meeting with Democratic leaders on the eve of his major health care speech tomorrow to plot a strategy for pushing health care reform forward. The White House wouldn't comment on how Baucus' plan fits into the mix.
Administration officials have declined to discuss in depth either Mr. Baucus’s plan or the president’s speech, which Mr. Obama will deliver Wednesday night to a joint session of Congress. But the officials welcomed Mr. Baucus’s draft as important progress just as lawmakers are returning this week from their summer recess.Stay tuned.
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2 comments:
I really do not care what particular insurance policy they get; although in all likelihood, this particular group is experiencing company benefits that exceed that of a typical employee. Health insurance rates and benefits is to instead forget about signing up for an individual health insurance plan and instead focus on finding a group health insurance plan that they can become a part of with other self employed people or by finding a job that offers such a plan as part of its benefits package.
Health Insurance Plans
Thanks.
Health insurance does not grant you health care. Despite what the propaganda machine says, the reform is yet another tax on the people. The people will not be able to vote on this new tax, it will be forced on them.
How is this different then any other Mafia that demands you pay for their service (whatever it may be) and if you do not complay, then they take their pound of flesh?
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