The GOP health bill (tax cuts, more state liability, vouchers for private Medicaid & tort reform)

[high density]

This seems to take all of the worst things about our current system and magnifies them, especially the idea of having states create insurance pools for people with pre-existing conditions. It seems like a way to sweeten an already sweet deal for the corporate insurance companies while bankrupting state budgets even further. They also hope to handicap Medicaid with a voucher program.

According to the summary, the bill aims to make health care accessible to all Americans by creating tax incentives for consumers to purchase insurance on the individual market, encouraging states to assist consumers with pre-existing conditions, and promoting the employer-based insurance system that is popular with many Americans.

In order to provide coverage for Americans who have pre-existing conditions, the Republican plan proposes giving states incentives, such as federal block grants, to establish high-risk insurance pools. Comparatively, Democrats have proposed regulating insurance companies to prohibit them from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

The Republican plan also proposes reforming Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by giving beneficiaries the option of getting a voucher to purchase private insurance. Mr. Obama, in fact, wants to lessen encouragement for private insurer participation in government-run programs like Medicaid and Medicare -- he has proposed eliminating subsidies for private insurers to participate in Medicare Advantage.

The Republican plan also addresses the issue of medical liabilities that doctors face -- something Democrats have not addressed. It would establish in each state administrative health care tribunals, also known as health courts, and add affirmative defense through provider established best practice measures. It would encourage the speedy resolution of claims and caps non-economic damages.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/07/29/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5195904.shtml

I am also interested to learn that the employer-based insurance system is "popular with many Americans."

[RDANGELO]

1. ok.

Lets see the numbers. Run it through CBO. How much will it cut costs? How many more people will it insure?

[high density]

4. I'm going to guess that their ideas are so generic and vague that the CBO wouldn't hazard a guess

The overall feeling I get is that the GOP still denies there is a problem with our health care/insurance industry as it exists currently.

[RDANGELO]

5. Until they have a real plan,

they won't have any credibility on this issue. I think they are completely misreading the public on this.

[mvd]

2. Same old, same old

:puke:

[Blaukraut]

3. Doesn't look very cost efficient to me

Federal grants, subsidies, etc etc - all designed to end in private insurance companies' pockets. The "fiscally conservative" republicans strike again.