Wyden's vision for health care reform begins with making sure everyone is covered

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By Ivan Oransky in 60-Second Science Blog

SEATTLE -- If the U.S. wants real health care reform, it needs to make sure everyone is covered. The way to pay for that coverage? Limiting the tax-exempt status of health insurance premiums, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said yesterday at the annual meeting of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

Here are the basics: The government would pay the costs for those at or below the poverty line, and that subsidy would decrease as a family's income increased. Employers would still be welcome to provide coverage, but if they didn't, each employee would get a check for the amount that coverage his or her coverage would cost. But as the WSJ's Seib points out, employers "would pay a fee -- a tax, really -- for each employee to help fund those federal subsidies to help families buy their policies."

How those numbers work out, and just what percentage of this insurance "rebate" check would be taxable for the employees who got them, remains to be seen, particularly as Congressional committee members mark up the bill and make changes. But Wyden is convinced that whatever health care reform costs, it will pay for itself. And the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) agrees with him -- to a point. They'll "score" some of the cost savings he's claiming for his bill, but not others, particularly those directed at prevention -- eg lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Overall, however, the CBO says the proposal will in fact pay for itself.

For his part, Wyden is optimistic that the time is right for real health care reform. The history of health care in the U.S. is "a story of unrequited love for health care reformers," Wyden said. But despite the fact that the last major reform effort -- the Clinton plan in 1993 -- was a complete failure, he said there are reasons for hope.

Chief among them? The fact that health care is consuming such a large percentage of the GDP creates pressure to bring down costs, especially during the economic meltdown. "Fixing health care and fixing the economy are not only not mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand," he said.

The U.S. spends enough on health care -- $2.5 trillion per year -- he says, but it spends it in the wrong places. The CBO says current health care spending could pay for one doctor for every seven U.S. families, Wyden notes. But many remain uninsured, while others get care they may not need or is too expensive. "We can't fix the economy without fixing health care," Wyden said. "The middle class can't get ahead because their wages are gobbled up by health care."

Wyden also says the time is right because "there has never been the opportunity for bipartisanship that there is today." He notes that the Wyden-Bennett measure is the first time in history so many Senators from both sides of aisle have signed onto a bill.

http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-scienc...efor-2009-04-18

[Ban Hammer 13,400]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

why?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

lol

[one...two...tree 2,762]

lol

Wonder twins.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

lol

Wonder twins.

[Ban Hammer 13,400]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

I am confused. You are not in the military anymore, but you have their health insurance, right? If that is so, this proposition would not change things for you at all. Unless I am missing something (which is possible since I ran out of Dr. Pepper last night )

[JimandChristy 1,689]

About time as well.

If this part is true, that's shocking..

The U.S. spends enough on health care -- $2.5 trillion per year -- he says, but it spends it in the wrong places. The CBO says current health care spending could pay for one doctor for every seven U.S. families, Wyden notes. But many remain uninsured, while others get care they may not need or is too expensive

Edited April 20, 2009 by JimandChristy

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

You just need coverage which you already have, so you don't have to buy anything additional.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This is from the full text of this legislation, at http://is.gd/t18d. Charles, does 1-A-ii apply to you?

(1) ADULT INDIVIDUALS- Each adult individual shall have the responsibility to enroll in a HAPI plan offered through the HHA of the adult individual's State of residence, unless the adult individual--

(A) provides evidence of receipt of coverage under, or enrollment in a health plan offered through--

(i) the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act;

(ii) a health insurance plan offered by the Department of Defense;

(iii) an employee benefit plan through a former employer;

(iv) a qualified collective bargaining agreement;

(v) the Department of Veterans Affairs; or

(vi) the Indian Health Service; or

...

(2) DEPENDENT CHILDREN- Each adult individual shall have the responsibility to enroll each dependent child of the adult individual in a HAPI plan offered through the HHA of the adult individual's State of residence, unless the adult individual--

(A) provides evidence that the dependent child is enrolled in a health plan offered through a program described in paragraph (1)(A); or

...

[mawilson 2,133]

Here are the basics: The government would pay the costs for those at or below the poverty line, and that subsidy would decrease as a family's income increased. Employers would still be welcome to provide coverage, but if they didn't, each employee would get a check for the amount that coverage his or her coverage would cost. But as the WSJ's Seib points out, employers "would pay a fee -- a tax, really -- for each employee to help fund those federal subsidies to help families buy their policies."

Hmm... interesting. This might work.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

You just need coverage which you already have, so you don't have to buy anything additional.

Perhaps correct in Charles' case, but not in all cases. My current insurance, offered through my employer, would not exempt me (even if my employer chose to continue to offer it) from purchasing a mandated policy from my states HHA.

Hmm... interesting. This might work.

My primary concern with this is the mandate that individuals buy policies as individuals, eliminating any 'group' discounts available today.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

You just need coverage which you already have, so you don't have to buy anything additional.

Perhaps correct in Charles' case, but not in all cases. My current insurance, offered through my employer, would not exempt me (even if my employer chose to continue to offer it) from purchasing a mandated policy from my states HHA.

stfu AJ

WAIT, why did I say that???