Max 'Bogus' Health Care Reform Bill

Throughout the health care debate, Democrats have characterized Republicans as the 'party of no', largely because Republicans won't get with the fraudulent Democratic health care program. How fraudulent that program is in reality has become very apparent. The stated major goals of health care reform are:

• Help the 49 million uninsured acquire adequate health care coverage
• Reduce the cost of health care for all Americans
• Americans who like their current health care coverage would be able to keep it
• Health care reform legislation must be deficit neutral

The more we learn about the Baucus bill (hereafter referred to as the 'Bogus' bill), the more we realize that it falls far short of meeting these goals.

1). Help the 49 million uninsured acquire adequate health care coverage.

This number is, of course, an arbitrary one at best. The actual number of the uninsured in America is undetermined. I have heard numbers as low as 30 million, and as high as 49 million. So, granting then what has not been proved, we accept the 49 million figure with the understanding that 17 million of those are individuals who are financially well off enough to pay as they go, 18 million are young and healthy and choose to opt out, and 12 million are foreign nationals.

By the CBO's own estimate, the 'Bogus' bill would leave 25 million still uninsured by 2019. Since the 'Bogus' Bill will only cover roughly half of the uninsured, the door will be left open for further legislation down the road, like say, nationalized health care.

2). Reduce the cost of health care for all Americans.

The 'Bogus' bill will not reduce the cost of health care, in fact in will significantly increase it. First, the bill pushes off about $35 billion in Medicare costs onto the state governments, which in turn will pass those costs onto the taxpayer.

The bill will also levy a 40% excise tax on insurers who offer benefits in excess of $8,000 per individual plan and $21,000 per family plan; and as inflation increases in the coming years, more Americans will find themselves subject to the tax. There will also be taxes on health care devices and other services. The bill will mandate a requirement that insurers cover pre-existing conditions. Insurers also expect reductions in Medicare payments. All of the foregoing additional costs, providers will be forced to pass on to consumers in the form of increased premiums. A new study by Price Waterhouse Coopers estimates that the 'Bogus' bill will increase the health care premiums for a family of four by $4,000 by 2019.

3.) Americans who like their current health care coverage would be able to keep it.

Many Americans who currently have health insurance, and like it, will be forced leave it for a government approved plan, or pay a penalty. The bill will also gut Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Medicare Advantage Plans. Currently about 10 million Americans have an HSA, and one in five seniors are on Medicare Advantage.

4.) Health care reform legislation must be deficit neutral.

Despite the CBO estimates that the 'Bogus' bill would cut the deficit by $81 billion, the numbers are deliberately misleading. The CBO says that the bill will cost roughly $829 billion over the next 10 years (2010 - 2019), but the most expensive portions of the bill do not go into effect until 2013. If one estimates the cost over ten years beginning with the actual full operation year (2013 -2022), the bill will cost $1.3 trillion. The $81 billion figure comes from the projected cost offset from Medicare cuts. These Medicare cuts were authorized in 2003 and they have yet to be implemented. It is unlikely that Democrats would actually risk implementing these Medicare cuts, and if they do not, the 'Bogus' bill will end up costing $2.2 trillion between 2013 and 2022. Either way, the bill is not really deficit neutral.

I know that it seems amazing that the Democrats who claim to care so much about Americans in need of help, would propose a bill that offers so little help, and does so much harm. But one must remember what the real goal of the Democrats is, namely, a government run health care system. By screwing health care reform up so badly now, it presents a future opportunity for a public option redux.

Backdoor provisions.

While not a stated goal of health care reform, the bill can be used to force Americans to give up their right to own a gun. Through an 'unhealthy behavior' provision already in the bill, Americans could be denied coverage, or pay much higher premiums for coverage, if they own a gun for self defense or hunting. What constitutes 'unhealthy behavior' is yet to be defined by legislators, but why would Democrats , who have long had wet dreams about removing our second amendment rights, let a golden opportunity like this pass them by? To force Americans to bend the knee at their altar, and remove their wherewithal to effectively oppose them , all with one piece of legislation, of course they would do it.

Other sources: Cato Institute, and the Heritage Foundation.