Good article at Huff Post by Ryan Grim with latest on Senate bill

[Eric J in MN]

- Instead of requiring firms to spend 90% on care (Medical Loss Ratio), they will be allowed to spend as little as 80%, and even less if the HHS Secretary certifies that they need to.

That is because CBO Director Doug Elmendorf claimed that if a private insurance company has to have an MLR of at least 90%, then its revenue should count as government revenue.

The Senate caved to the idiocy of Doug Elmendorf.

- No annual caps allowed by insurance companies (that's good.)

- Tax on so-called "Cadillac Plans" remains (that's bad, it means workers who currently have good coverage will get worse coverage)

-"In order to win the vote of Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson, the bill includes extreme restrictions on which private health insurance plans can cover abortion. It also picks up Nebraska's tab for expanded Medicaid coverage forever."

- Bigger fines for people who don't have insurance and don't buy it.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/19/franken-dems-unified-behi_n_398183.html

[ananda]

1. Bad bad bad.

All bad.

[villager]

2. "Bigger fines for people who don't have insurance and don't buy it."

thanks, Obama and the "Democrats..."

[DJ13]

3. Now THAT is a winning message for the midterms

Bye bye majority.

[ixion]

4. was going to re-quote that as well

what the hell is wrong with those idiots? :argh: :banghead: :grr:

[leftstreet]

5. There's a Republican 2010 bumper sticker right there

Idiots!

:banghead:

[glinda]

6. They don't buy it cuz they are in the "NEW DONUT HOLE" like me.