HEALTH REFORM FOR MY AREA.....PRETTY DECENT....

Annette, over at Just My Little Piece of the World, has an excellent piece on the Health Reform Act. Click on the link to HR 3200 below and then find your district (within you state) and you will be able to see how you might be affected by this bill.

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE - re: HR 3200

July 2009
Benefits of America’s Affordable Health Choices Act
In the 6th Congressional District of Ohio
Committee on Energy and Commerce
America’s Affordable Health Choices Act would provide significant benefits in the 6th Congressional District of Ohio: up to 11,300 small businesses could receive tax credits to provide coverage to their employees; 9,200 seniors would avoid the donut hole in Medicare Part D; 1,270 families could escape bankruptcy each year due to unaffordable health care costs; health care providers would receive payment for $89 million in uncompensated care each year; and 81,000 uninsured individuals would gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance. Congressman Charles A. Wilson represents the district.
• Help for small businesses. Under the legislation, small businesses with 25 employees or less and average wages of less than $40,000 qualify for tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing health insurance. There are up to 11,300 small businesses in the district that could qualify for these credits.
• Help for seniors with drug costs in the Part D donut hole. Each year, 9,200 seniors in the district hit the donut hole and are forced to pay their full drug costs, despite having Part D drug coverage. The legislation would provide them with immediate relief, cutting brand name drug costs in the donut hole by 50%, and ultimately eliminate the donut hole.
• Health care and financial security. There were 1,270 health care-related bankruptcies in the district in 2008, caused primarily by the health care costs not covered by insurance. The bill provides health insurance for almost every American and caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $10,000 per year, ensuring that no citizen will have to face financial ruin because of high health care costs.
• Relieving the burden of uncompensated care for hospitals and health care providers. In 2008, health care providers in the district provided $89 million worth of uncompensated care, care that was provided to individuals who lacked insurance coverage and were unable to pay their bills. Under the legislation, these costs of uncompensated care would be virtually eliminated.
• Coverage of the uninsured. There are 100,000 uninsured individuals in the district, 16% of the district. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that nationwide, 97% of all Americans will have insurance coverage when the bill takes effect. If this benchmark is reached in the district, 81,000 people who currently do not have health insurance will receive coverage.
• No deficit spending. The cost of health care reform under the legislation is fully paid for: half through making the Medicare and Medicaid program more efficient and half through a surtax on the income of the wealthiest individuals. This surtax would affect only 1,100 households in the district. The surtax would not affect 99.6% of taxpayers in the district.
This analysis is based upon the following sources: the Gallup-Healthways Survey (data on the uninsured); the U.S. Census (data on small businesses); the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (data on the Part D donut hole, health care-related bankruptcies (based on analysis of PACER court records), and uncompensated care); and the House Committee on Ways and Means (data on the surtax).

I see very few problems with this bill as porposed. I fall into the cracks, and should get help for my medical issues with a bill such as this. I know so many elderly, who get shafted on Medicare D - another Bush failure.

Considering the right has NO plausible solutions - to anything - an act like this needs to be passed. I have heard from so many right wingers - that this will ruin the country - HAVE NO INSURANCE or never pay medical bills. The burden is great. I have major medical coverage ONLY. No office visits, no Rx's, no dental or eye. I get bills for 20% of any hospital bills. Considering the local HMO here pays 41% of medical bills and patients do not see bills for the balance, the hospital loves to jump on me for the remaining 20%. Screw that.

HMO's have been the major ruin in the medical arena. The CEO's get fatter and richer, on the backs of the small business owners and the working peons. The board of directors of our major local HMO, enjoy an annual junket to someplace warm and sandy. Is any business discussed - I doubt it. Are these folks enjoying the largesse of their members - of course.