Health Policy Experts Push For House Language In Final Version Of Health Care Bill

[laughingliberal]

Without a public option, the signature achievement of health care reform is supposed to be new consumer protections that would force the insurance industry to actually pay claims.

But if the final reform bill winds up looking more like the Senate bill than the House bill, those protections will be easy for insurers to work around in the new insurance exchanges, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), health policy experts and former industry insiders told reporters on a conference call Tuesday.

"Under health reform, 30 million people will buy their insurance through the exchanges. I spent years as insurance commissioner in California, chasing after the insurance company scoundrels. You're going to toss 30 million Americans to these sharks unless there is a real strong regulatory environment and public option," Garamendi said.

Though the public option isn't going to happen, consumer-protection advocates point to four other major problems with the health care bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve. In contrast to the House bill, it leaves the states in charge of setting up individual exchanges. It provides little in the way of federal money for enforcement. It includes a loophole that would allow insurers to penalize people who don't take advantage of available wellness programs or meet related goals, like weight loss. And it completely exempts businesses with more than 100 employees from the new consumer protections, meaning that roughly half of the 160 million Americans with employer-based insurance will still be vulnerable to preexisting conditions and all other kinds of predatory practices.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/health-policy-experts-pus_n_420925.html

[Skittles]

1. it is a gigantic steaming pile

[laughingliberal]

3. These experts seem to think the Senate bill is and I have to agree. nt

[clear eye]

2. Thank you for keeping us updated. n/t

[laughingliberal]

4. Quite welcome.

We need to keep pushing more towards the provisions in the House bill. That Ensign amendment in the Senate bill needs to go, pronto. The exchange does need to be national and, it seems, even the president is pushing for that. Now, if we could get him off that tax on benefits and on the community ratings model of the House bill it might not do as much damage as it, otherwise, would. Our efforts may all be futile but can't hurt to keep pushing as long as it's not signed yet.