What is wrong with the Senate Finance Committee health care bill? (The Baucus Bill.)

[IndianaGreen]

We need to remind ourselves of the reasons why the Left is opposed to the Senate's HCR, which is basically the Baucus bill sprinkled with corrupt giveaways such as the Nelson and Landrieu bribes.

The House doesn't trust the Senate to fix the Baucus bill if the House were to vote for it first. I wouldn't trust the Senate for anything!

The Baucus Framework: Why it must be fixed.

Health Care for America Now Talking Points on Senator Baucus’ Framework (9/7/09)

Key messages to deliver:
• The Baucus Framework violates the most basic promise of health care reform -- a guarantee of good, affordable coverage. It could actually make health care worse for many people.
• The Baucus Framework violates the President’s proposals. The President promised: affordable coverage; good benefits; an end to medical bankruptcy; employer responsibility; a public option to compete with insurers.
• The Baucus Framework must be repaired. The Senate Finance Committee must pass legislation that at a minimum addresses the most egregious problems with the Baucus Framework.

The biggest problems with the Baucus Framework:

• No employer responsibility. Unlike the House and Senate HELP bills, under the Baucus Framework employers do not have to pay a dime for health care. The plan creates incentives for employers to:
o offer barebones coverage that would continue to subject people to medical bankruptcy;
o discriminate in the hiring of older workers, poor and minority workers and workers with children.
• Not affordable. High premiums and out of pocket costs to people in Exchange with much higher rates for older people and people with families.
• Poor coverage. Barebones benefits at work; high costs in the Exchange.
• Unfair taxation. High excise tax on high cost plans forces higher costs and lower benefits on businesses and workers that: have good benefits; live in high cost states; or have older work forces.
• No public option. State co-ops designed to fail. Insurance companies keep their monopoly.
• Increases state Medicaid costs. Unlike House bill, makes states pay their share of increased Medicaid eligibility.
• No early retiree coverage. "No program to encourage employers to continue coverage for early retirees; as a result, employers could dump early retirees into the Exchange, where they would face the highest premiums for bare bones benefits."
• Weakens state insurance regulations. Allows insurance companies to shop around for states with weakest consumer protections.

http://centralindianajwj.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Baucus_Framework_Problems_9_14.25995510.doc

[bvar22]

1. K&R

But NOW, the Senate Bill is New & Improved.
They put Obama's face on the label.
.
.

[Kablooie]

2. It may be bad but if they don't get anything through we may be living at the GOP version someday..

1. First if nothing is passed the Dems will appear weak and useless and many more Repugs will win elections.

2. There will never be another chance at any kind of Democratic health care bill again. It's either now or never.

3. And when Repugs get enough power, they will bring up the health care issue and make it theirs. They will do it their way. Eliminate regulation and insure that the seriously ill never get proper health care.

We will be screwed forever.

If something passes now there is the option of improving it someday. Also the GOP would have to shoot down this legislation before they could implement their own. A much more difficult challenge.

Something has to pass, and pass soon or you will be very sorry in the future.