Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Healthcare Dissent Makes Me Proud


Sometimes the general sentiment of America going down the tubes, our country being lazy and stupid, and disgust at our neo-imperialism can get your psyche-Americana to a low level. We have found some pride, though. This country has found a little common ground, and the result is a beautiful thing.
Town Hall events have taken root all across the country. I'm not being sarcastic at all when I say I see the videos of people in a grassroots movement to tell the government they are screwing up and it warms my heart. It almost brings a tear to my eye. I'm reminded of the Public Enemy line, "One out of one million residents, being dissident, who ain't kissing it." That brings us to another one of the Nonpopulist's Rules for Life- Dissent. Don't take things at face value and believe what you're told all of the time. Hold everything under the magnifying glass. If we were to believe Obama and his advisors we should just let them push HR 3200, the healthcare reform bill, through with no question because it is "what America needs." We need it like I need to sit on a cactus.
Here's a sample of just a few of the things that most Americans would not like in HR 3200.
Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed! 3 (2) ANNUAL LIMITATION.— 4 (A) ANNUAL LIMITATION.—The cost-sharing incurred under the essential benefits package with respect to an individual (or family) for a year does not exceed the applicable level specified in subparagraph (B). 9 (B) APPLICABLE LEVEL.—The applicable level specified in this subparagraph for Y1 is $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family. Such levels shall be increased (rounded to the nearest $100) for each subsequent year by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (United States city average) applicable to such year.
Editor's Note: No thanks.
Some more:
Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard. 5 ‘‘(D) enable the real-time (or near real-time) determination of an individual’s financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card;
Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
21 ‘‘(C) enable electronic funds transfers, in order to allow automated reconciliation with the related health care payment and remittance advice;
Ed. Note: Ha, ha, ha, yeh, right.
Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process) SEC. 123. HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) ESTABLISHMENT. (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans. (2) CHAIR.—The Surgeon General shall be a 20 member and the chair of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee.
Ed. Note: Yes, that's exactly what will fix healthcare, a beauracrat deciding things.
Anyway, full text of the bill is right here.

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