Has anyone read the bill?

[loumeinhart 0]

There is much debate but I feel like I cannot comment because I have not seen the bill. Has anyone seen the bill. If so can you post a link?

Thanks!

edit: sorry for the new post but I'm looking for substantive info on the healthcare bill. I can't find anything online so...

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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There is much debate but I feel like I cannot comment because I have not seen the bill. Has anyone seen the bill. If so can you post a link?

Thanks!

My experience has been that Thomas search results don't produce long-lived links.

http://thomas.loc.gov

The passed House Bill is H.R. 3962 (H.R. 3200 is dead with its objectionable provisions like the public plan).

The Senate finance Commitee Bill was S. 1796

Cornell has a nice on-line version of US law

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/

Just reading the bill isn't enough. You have to look at how it works which requires knowledge of the existing situation - legal and otherwise.

For instance, it requires everyone to get health insurance.

Which includes coverage for pre-existing conditions (I'm not sure what pricing variations are allowed here).

Which has a maximum difference based on age of 2:1. With young people able to get health insurance for $75 a month and old people $300+, young people's rates must go up to compensate.

Which requires no-copay coverage of preventative treatment. Where you got a high deductible policy because you don't care about a $100 office visit but don't want to go bankrupt for a $40,000 broken leg that's going to raise your rates.

There are also provisions for government assistance on insurance premiums. If you're not well off but not poor that lessens the impact. If you're some sort of young professional who gets paid well enough not to share an apartment in a high-cost of living area but not one that gets employer coverage that could hurt.

Then there's the long term change. Bills like to delegate things to the secretary of this or that where the secretary is an executive branch appointee. How much latitude do they have?

Plus secondary effects. Where employers have to provide health insurance or pay a penalty, what's that going to do to employment among old people (who raise group rates) or families (who have more people)?

While illegal to discriminate based on age, it's hard to prove and filtering out people who have too much experience isn't illegal. 50+ people already have problems getting jobs at small companies. People more likely to have families may find themselves moving into the same situation.

[StreetScooby 5]

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While illegal to discriminate based on age, it's hard to prove and filtering out people who have too much experience isn't illegal. 50+ people already have problems getting jobs at small companies. People more likely to have families may find themselves moving into the same situation.

This is far too real. Especially in the financial area.

We are all engines of karma

[TheBachelor 5]

You want to READ it. You must be a racist.

There are battered women? I've been eating 'em plain all of these years...

[FastRon 0]

The bill is well over 2000 pages. If you can read a page a minute of legalese???? Thats over 33 HOURS. My understanding is that one of the ways they intend to fund it is to seize 500 billion from Medicare over 10 years, and tax those awful "Cadillac" health plans that large employers now provide their employees. So I guess if our employer provides a $1000/mo. health care benefit, we get dinged for the taxes on that "income", even if you never use it... (i.e. you're healthy)

[FastRon 0]

P.S. You know-
I bet even most of the senators haven't read it either- except for the pork parts to Nebraska, Connecticut etc.
I forget who said it but something like "a few million here, and a few million there, pretty soon you're talking about some real money"... Painfully, I don't think it was W.C. Fields either, cause it isn't so funny as it is sad.

[ryoder 1,590]

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P.S. You know-
I bet even most of the senators haven't read it either- except for the pork parts to Nebraska, Connecticut etc.
I forget who said it but something like "a few million here, and a few million there, pretty soon you're talking about some real money"... Painfully, I don't think it was W.C. Fields either, cause it isn't so funny as it is sad.

Everett Dirksen
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/everett_dirksen.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[georgerussia 0]

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So I guess if our employer provides a $1000/mo. health care benefit, we get dinged for the taxes on that "income", even if you never use it... (i.e. you're healthy)

To qualify for "Cadillac" plan, your employer would have to provide almost $2000/mo benefit (23K/year is current family limit).

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[loumeinhart 0]

I thought that we were going to be able "view" the bill online for at leat 24hrs before it was signed into law

[georgerussia 0]

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I thought that we were going to be able "view" the bill online for at leat 24hrs before it was signed into law

Did I miss something? Was it already signed into law?

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[PhreeZone 20]

They are still needing to get the two versions to match up before it will be presented to the Executive branch for signing. I imagine the posting will be done for 24 hours once the versions are meshed and then it will be signed.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[georgerussia 0]

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They are still needing to get the two versions to match up before it will be presented to the Executive branch for signing. I imagine the posting will be done for 24 hours once the versions are meshed and then it will be signed.

That's my understanding too. AFAIK they do not need to consider Republicans, so it is simpler, but still some reporters claim those discussions can take the whole Jan and into Feb.
Of course, if anyone has something to say, I'd suggest contacting your Congressmen/women or Senators right now, and not wait until the final version is about to be signed. At least I let them know that I want the following to be included into final version:

- Public option (as in Congress version; I'm pretty happy with the way most gov. services are run);

- National insurance exchange (as in Congress version; having it just on state level only is not enough, esp. for states like CA where you basically have a choice between BC, BS and Kaiser);

- Larger non-compliance fines (as in Congress version; $95 fine is just ridiculous)

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[FallingOsh 0]

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The bill is well over 2000 pages. If you can read a page a minute of legalese???? Thats over 33 HOURS. My understanding is that one of the ways they intend to fund it is to seize 500 billion from Medicare over 10 years, and tax those awful "Cadillac" health plans that large employers now provide their employees. So I guess if our employer provides a $1000/mo. health care benefit, we get dinged for the taxes on that "income", even if you never use it... (i.e. you're healthy)

The smart thing to do, business wise, would be for the company to drop Cadillac plans for cheaper ones. Cheaper plans and avoid the penalties for providing healthcare that's too good.

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