Items in the healthcare bill

Before I start, I want to ask why is there job postings on craig's list offering paying positions for "protesters" to show up at town hall meetings to confront those who oppose the health care bill. How is it "unAmerican" to voice your opinion about things that will affect every American's life. Last time I checked that was how a democracy worked.

The best quote from the health care bill "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax imposed". I guess that's how you won't be taxed, because it's not treated as a tax, what's it treated as then? The surcharge on the high income individuals, is not treated as change in rate of tax. A tax by any other name is still a tax.

Another good measure is the affordability credit that will determine who gets free health care that has no income verification requirement. Doesn't sound like anyone could cheat the system there. The health care bill would also reduce Medicare by 2% per year. Wasn't Medicaid created to help with medical costs for those in the lower income brackets?

Some effects on business, UNINTENTIONAL failure to pay adequate health care can result in fines up to $500,000 and allows the US government to sue business for that money. Business that don't provide adequate health care will be taxed (see quote above about tax, not a tax) 8% for each employee. Every insurance policy written, except the government's plan will be taxed as well. How does that reduce costs, insurance companies would NEVER pass that on to policy holders. Business will not be able to persuade employees to take the public option or drop their existing plans to use the public option.

Some effects on individuals, if you don't have insurance, you will be taxed. If you have coverage and like your coverage, you can keep it (even though the insurance company will be taxed on it). All private insurers will not be able to enroll new members, only the public option will be allowed to add new members. So if you lose your insurance or want to change it, you will only be able to enroll in the government's plan. Where's the freedom in that?

Some overall effects, the large bureaucracy that the bill creates will be in charge of everything. They will consist of advisory panels and commissions that will determine costs, fees, poverty line & inflation (regarding to health care), decide the the type of treatment, type of vaccines to administer, who receives treatment all answering to the health care czar, in turn the president. The commission will be part of the executive branch and appointed by the President. There is NO administrative or judicial review allowed! A review of savings will be projected for 7 years and won't include any federal investment. The commission will have 90 days to respond, 3 months! There will be no analysis or review for 4 years! Coverage for illegal aliens and nonresident aliens, who rarely, if at all pay into the system. The commission will determine national priorities for health care. Money from the "insurance" reform will go to pay for staffing of hospitals, pay medical students, payoff medical student loans, fund hopitals and medical centers, recruit more doctors and nurses. Money will go to reduce health care infections, surgical site infections and improving patient flow in emergency rooms. How can those things even be impacted? Here's a good idea, school clinics, but the health care bill would only partially fund school clinics, non federal money has to be raised and then the bill would send some funding. I would rather see the money go into school clinics where it could help children, not pay back loans.

Some of the more scary aspects: A federal mandated health ID card, with real time access to your bank account! The federal government would have access to your finances to pay for health care and allows any official of the health care bureaucracy access to personal and financial records. Taxpayer funds will subsidize union and community organizers health plans (UAW, ACORN, SEIU) and the government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign people up for the government option. Automatic enrollment in medicaid if qualified, no choice. The small business, as referred in the health care bill, are companies with less than 10 employees. Non residents are exempt from the tax but are eligible for coverage, who pays for them? Doctors and hospitals will be penalized for re-admissions of patients. Establishes outcome based measures, sounds like rationing to me. Restrict enrollment of special needs individuals. Control over living wills, power of attorneys, end of life counseling and advance care planning.

These were just the things that I found in the health care bill and I'm just a working class person, not a lawyer or a politician. These are things that everyone should know about. I don't think anyone is in favor of denying coverage of children or would deny the need to make some changes. The 46 million people that are uninsured include illegal aliens and people who could, but opt to not have insurance. Would it not be better to fix the problems in welfare, medicare, medicaid and social security to help those that need assistance rather than revamping the entire program and forcing Americans into socialized medicine?