What's In The House Health Care Bill?
It seems like all we hear about on the news is the politics of health care. Unfortunately the media seems far more interested in the dog & pony show that is our political system today rather than in actually covering the facts of the health care debate. Do CNN or Fox ever actually tell people what's in the House Health Care Bill that was passed last Saturday?
Since the news media isn't doing their job, I guess I'll have to do it for them. This is what's actually in the House Health Care Bill passed by Congress:
+ A ban on lifetime limits which currently bankrupt many sick people.
+ A ban on coverage denials based on "pre-existing conditions."
+ A ban on premium disparity based on health status and gender.
+ An individual mandate that would require people to buy health insurance.
+ An employer mandate that would require companies to cover their employees. Small businesses would be exempted from this requirement.
+ Funding to create an insurance exchange to serve Americans who are not covered by an employer based insurance plan.
+ A government insurance option that would compete against private plans in that insurance exchange. Only those who do not already have health insurance would be eligible to choose it. No one would ever be forced to use the government option if they don't want to use it.
+ Health insurance subsidies to help households earning up to $88,000 per year.
+ Medicaid expansion which would provide free health care to all Americans with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level. This would provide health care to millions of Americans who are currently without health care coverage.
+ A new tax on those making over $500,000 a year (that's over $1 million for a household) to help cover the costs. No one earning less than half a million dollars a year would see any new taxes under this plan.
Since the news media isn't doing their job, I guess I'll have to do it for them. This is what's actually in the House Health Care Bill passed by Congress:
+ A ban on lifetime limits which currently bankrupt many sick people.
+ A ban on coverage denials based on "pre-existing conditions."
+ A ban on premium disparity based on health status and gender.
+ An individual mandate that would require people to buy health insurance.
+ An employer mandate that would require companies to cover their employees. Small businesses would be exempted from this requirement.
+ Funding to create an insurance exchange to serve Americans who are not covered by an employer based insurance plan.
+ A government insurance option that would compete against private plans in that insurance exchange. Only those who do not already have health insurance would be eligible to choose it. No one would ever be forced to use the government option if they don't want to use it.
+ Health insurance subsidies to help households earning up to $88,000 per year.
+ Medicaid expansion which would provide free health care to all Americans with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level. This would provide health care to millions of Americans who are currently without health care coverage.
+ A new tax on those making over $500,000 a year (that's over $1 million for a household) to help cover the costs. No one earning less than half a million dollars a year would see any new taxes under this plan.
