BAUCUS HEALTH CARE PLAN

The Baucus health care plan will cost $856 billion over 10 years. It will be paid for by a half trillion dollar cut in medicare and taxes and penalties on insurance companies. In addition to this, any family that elects not to purchase any health care will be fined $3,800 per year. Illegal aliens will not be able join, individuals will have to provide a name and social security number which will be verified by the Social Security Administration. The plan provides tax credits to middle class and low income families to help purchase health care. These are the basics of the plan.

Now lets look at the basics and ask some questions. The cost, $856 billion dollars. What will the effect be on medicare where huge cuts will be made to help pay for the new plan? There is no mention of the effects. Will services be cut? Will premiums for medicare go up? Will co-pay go up? There is no mention of this. It's important that we now the effects on medicare that will affect you or your parents. Don't forget the babyboomers will not start hitting medicare until 2011. What will the new taxes and penalties do to existing health care we have? Like any business, any new costs are passed along to the consumers. Will there be enough taxes credits for the middle class to cover the increase in their existing health care? (Sidebar) insurance companies will have to accept new applicants regardless of pre-existing conditions, no language is given in the Baucus plan that says an insurance companies have to cover an existing conditions, the plan only says the insurance companies have to accept those with pre-existing conditions. And what stops an insurance company from denying treatment for an existing condition or any condition they feel was contributed by the existing condition? This in itself could make any insurance plan worthless.

Illegal aliens are not stupid. Keep in mind that any child born in the US becomes a citizen of the US and as such the illegal parents can get a social security number for their US born child and thus can get national health care. No mention if made of this.

If a family elects not to purchase health insurance they will be fined $3,800 per year. Does this include those that are currently without work and depend on unemployment and need every penny they have to just meet their basics needs? Something to think about. Or will it be better just to not purchase any health insurance and just pay the penalty while still getting health care services paid for via a government or state option that will cost more than $3,800? If given the choice I would rather take $3,800 out of my savings and pay that for back surgery in lieu of what my share would be after my insurance had paid.

Folks, an effort does need to be made to get everyone health care in some form, but we need to weigh all the options for doing so. Would it better for the government to step into the health care business or would it better for legislation be passed to change the existing health care industry? Here is a point to consider. The states of Texas and California passed tort reform, the effect on those in Texas was a 30% drop in premiums costs, in California it was 40%. Speaking for myself I would love to see a drop of 30-40% in what I pay on premiums. In New Jersey there basically is only one health company providing insurance. State employees are locked into this. What if those of New Jersey could cross state lines and obtain health insurance from a company located in another state that was just as good or better than what they currently have and cheaper? The US Government by the Constitution regulates interstate trade which health care companies would fall under if they provide insurance across state lines. Why does the government restrict health insurance companies from crossing state lines? A good question to ask your politicians. The more competition you have for anything, the cheaper the price will be. That's simple economics, it's what made WalMat so big. When WalMart started offering $4.00 prescriptions other stores followed with similar pricing. There are other things that can be changed by simple regulation and not a new government run system. One last point, once the government gets involved with anything, the cost go up which is ultimately passed down to us. Remember, politicians are not the sharpest pencils in the box.

What say you, hit the keyboard, but don't tell me, tell Washington how you feel. You do not have to agree with anything you read, but do need to sound off in how you feel.