It is somehow fitting that a bill hastily patched together under the cover of darkness is now being unveiled under the cover of a snowstorm blanketing Washington, D.C. In the wee morning hours today, Harry Reid released the text of his amendment to the Senate’s version of the unconstitutional takeover of American medicine. I’m reading it. And it’s just as ugly has its cousin in the house.
Page 3: The infamous “Secretary” will be the sole determinator of “essential benefit” restrictions. (Read: rationing.)
Page 9: Regulates private insurance (i.e. the free market) by requiring insurance companies “rebate” their profits based on premium costs.
Page 17: Eliminates “in-network” vs. “out of network” costs for emergency services.
Page 21: Doctors specializing in ob/gyn will be required to accept any health insurance plan under which a patient may be covered.
Page 23: Creates “Medical Data Reimbursement Centers” at “academic or other non-profit institutions” and these “centers” will publish fee schedules for services.
Page 30: Defines clinical trials, which will be only those funded by the federal government or for drugs that have applied for FDA approval. The studies or investigations are subject to “peer review” and such as determined only by the Secretary. (For how well this works, reference global warming research.)
Page 38 contains the Big One: Instead of outright denying federal funding for abortions, Harry and his cohorts have decided to leave abortion coverage up to the individual states and make it dependent upon laws in place 6 months prior to a plan year. It requires separate accounting for premium monies that would go to plans that cover abortions. In effect, this means that every American taxpayer will subsidize abortions since payment of premium subsidies will continue, thereby freeing up people’s money to go towards paying for a plan that covers them. States like California are certain to allow for health insurance plans to cover voluntary abortion so people living in states that do not will still have to pay for someone else’s choice.
And right there I can stop reading.
Nothing has changed and therefore this bill – and Harry Reid and every Senator who will even consider voting for it – needs to go.