UP Ibalon Bicol: Democrats introduce its controversial health reform plan

Democrats introduce its controversial health reform plan

11/01/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

With about 2,000 voluminous pages detailing the healthcare proposal, the Democrats headed by Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveils a healthcare plan that many have found to be difficult to read. To enforce the bill, (introduced at the end of the week,) it is estimated to cost $1.055 trillion, way above from the proposed budget originally thought. The quote doesn’t include the $245 billion needed to halt the decrease in compensation of doctors and healthcare providers. The relaxation of government-funded Medicaid eligibility will increase the charity beneficiaries to 15 million within a 10 year period----raising expenses and taxes further--- making healthcare less affordable.

Rushed before the general public could understand the bill, the text of the legislation isn’t readily accessible for the public to read. In the bill, the proposed government-run “public option” has been retained with some room for doctors to negotiate their fees instead of being imposed upon by government.

On bill's unveiling at the west front of the Capitol Building, only attendees listed among the welcomed guests have been permitted to attend. The contrarians who oppose the proposal have been kept out of being part of the audience. Given a quick thumbs-up by Pres. Barack Obama, the legislation remains enigmatically deceitful and infuriating as before.

Republicans who question the bill insist it is too expensive with confusing hidden expenses which befuddle the legislators and public as well. Proponents of the bill however insist it will make available medical insurance to 96% of Americans with a net price tag of $900 billion when those who refuse to avail of the insurances are penalized. According to those who designed the proposed legislation, the cash generated from such penalty will be used to lower down the expenses of healthcare.

To further control cost of medical care, the proposal calls for drastic cuts of about $460 billion on government-run Medicare programs---- raising accusations that eventually, healthcare services will be rationed--- giving the government to much power to intrude on the lives of private citizens.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is unsure if the actual expenses quoted to underwrite the proposed healthcare revamp will be greater than what the democrats tell the public. The numbers are preliminary, but the likelihood is high that the cash requirements to enforce the bill will be high. There are suggestions that the belt-tightening proposal in this bill won’t bring down expenses as promised.

Eighty five (85%) of Americans are satisfied with the current health system, but they fear of losing what they believe is the best healthcare system of the world. Though most of them agree that a change to cut down the astronomical rise in medical cost which could bankrupt the system, they are not ready to give away the choices of doctors and the promptness of medical care delivery they enjoy. The current proposal failed to address tort reform and Medicare fraud which jack up expenses further.

In the proposed revamp, cost-cutting will include drastic cessation of certain Medicare services including programs for the prevention of diseases. Slashing the Medicare budget raises the lingering suspicion that healthcare will be rationed at the expense of the elderly, disabled and chronically ill. Approval of certain diagnostic tests, procedures, and treatments may be harder to get under this plan.

In spite of assurances to the contrary, the public, doctors and the rest of the medical community are not fully convinced. An income tax increase to be imposed on rich Americans is expected to generate $570 billion to help lower medical expenses thus approximating the 10 year spending projected in the budget. Whether this will materialize is the subject of disagreement and continuing debate.

Opponents of the bill believe that these grandiose projections and questionable assumptions are not realistic. They do not augur well for success since lack of trust, poor management, corruption, and failure in many government enterprises are worse as before. (Photo Credit: gnotalex) =0=

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Labels: bill proposal, Democrats, Health, medical insurance, Nancy Pelosi, Totie Mesia, universal healthcare

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Democrats introduce its controversial health reform plan

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