At last House Republicans have presented their version of health care reform. At least, they presented a one-page summary of what they say their bill will contain; I have not seen the final bill yet.
The timing of the release " Election Day " was inauspicious. Or maybe "suspicious is a better word: what better day could there be to release a plan so devoid of substance if you wanted to attract minimal attention to it from voters and the media?
Republicans are Past Masters in the art of semantic deception (think "USA Patriot Act or "compassionate conservative ) so it's no surprise that nothing in their 10-point plan is exactly " or sometimes even remotely - what it appears to be. For that reason, I lay out here the main provisions of the GOP Health Reform Plan and then comment on what each one actually means.
These points are not listed in the order they appear in the summary document. I have regrouped them to make clearer what I believe to be their true intents and impacts.
For example, several GOP proposals are aimed directly at increasing corporate profits:
Republicans want to establish Universal Access Programs to guarantee access to affordable care for those with pre-existing conditions. These "Universal Access Programs are high-risk pools and reinsurance programs. The key word here is "access, not "affordable. If you are denied health insurance, you can always go into the high-risk pool.
Of course, the cost will be have to be higher because the risk is higher (if that were not true, it would amount to a financial incentive to engage in risky health behaviors like smoking or eating Big Macs). And if you can't afford the high-risk pool, well, that's your problem. The Republicans guaranteed you "access and that's what you got.
The GOP says it will prevent insurers from unjustly canceling a policy or instituting annual or lifetime spending caps. And what constitutes a ˜just' cancellation, you might ask? They cite two: fraud and "conceal(ing) material facts about a health condition. In other words, failing to disclose a pre-existing condition. If you have a pre-existing condition, you belong in the high-risk pool and out of the preferred risk pool you will go.
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