As they stand, here are the health care plans that either made it to the U.S. House or U.S. Senate floor or are undergoing alterations in committee:
America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009
Affordable Health Choices Act (Kennedy Bill)
H.R. 3200 – America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
Quite a few people have read and researched the legislation. They have provided their analyses and have provided information from their analyses in Internet-friendly form. Take your pick from the plethora of links provided below:
More dangerous provisions identified in H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choices”
Obamacare: Top 10 Reasons It’s Wrong for America
Health Care Bill: Coverage Gain, Fiscal Pain
Obama health care plan angers seniors
President Obama’s Medical Liability Reform Proposal: No Silver Bullet
Senate Bill Sets Lines for Health Showdown
Clinton Heavy: The Kennedy Health Bill
What CBO Says About the Kennedy-Dodd Health Bill
Why the Kennedy Health Bill Would Wreck Bipartisan Reform
Details on Costs of Baucus Health Care Bill
The Max Tax: Baucus Health Bill Is More of the Same
Sen. Baucus Offers Reform Framework That Includes New Fees on Drug Industry
Senate to Begin Reworking Baucus’ Health Care Bill
I have stated this before, but it bears repeating. Here’s what will have to be in or associated with a health care reform bill for it to be accepted by the majority of the people of the United States of America:
- No government or public option. Health care co-ops are still a scaled-down version of government or public option-style health care.
- Pretax and non-taxable medical savings accounts.
- A crackdown on medical over-billing practices.
- Tort reform.
- Better controls against fraud and waste.
- Non-discriminatory insurance coverage.
- No strings attached incentives for those who want to attend medical school and become health care practitioners or providers.
- “Deficit-neutral”.
- No tax increases.
If there ever comes to be a bill that exists with the bullet-pointed provisions (or other provisions that don’t include higher taxes, government expansion and complete government control of the health care and health insurance industries), the American people will support it. If any legislation is forced through in U.S. Congress that is not supported by the American people, there will be a serious political backlash and possibly civil repercussions. I prefer political backlash to civil repercussions, since the latter option is the least favorable and more destructive response.