Back to Basics

After reading more and more of H.R.3200, it is becoming very apparent that this is not health care reform at all and would be better title “The National Health Care Welfare Expansion Program.” This bill should be burned and ANY attempt at true health care reform should start with a fresh slate. It creates a new health care system running concurrently with the Medicare program with expanded services to cover those areas typically not covered by Medicare. In creating this system it permitted an expansion of the welfare system, an invasion into the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid programs and personal lives of everyone. In order to fully understand the implications of the bill, you not only have to read H.R.3200 and the amendments, but also must reference the Internal Revenue Tax Code, the Social Security Act, Medicare and Medicaid laws and the Public Health Service Act. Throughout these sections obscure references are made to amend those bills, so unless you are reading the affected sections you are not getting the true ramifications of the bill.

The bill is like a cancer that is spreading through our government, out of control. An attempt at amending the bill would be like doing surgery on one tumor but leaving thousands of others still at bay to do their damage. There is NO WAY to save this patient, and taking the lead from the bill itself “the value of the bill to the American public is not worth the money required to try to save it.” Take the policies you are trying to shove at the rest of us and apply them to your own bill. LET IT DIE!

This bill is being advertised as a means to make sure everyone is insured. Yet they left open one of the biggest drains on our health care system – the illegal immigrants. There is reported to be 12 million illegals in this country at a cost of $11 million dollars a year for medical care. If you do the math we obviously have a revolving door policy of illegals coming into the country, receiving free medical care, and then a good number of them returning to their own country. NO where in the bill are there provisions to stop this abuse of our medical system.

While reading through the bill here is what was uncovered.

Although I could not find anything related directly to the purchase of a policy on the National Exchange, I did find a reference under Affordability Credits, Section 246 No federal payment for undocumented aliens, states that “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.” (Page 143 of the bill.) But under Subtitle C for Individual Affordability Credits it states “Commissioner shall establish effective methods that ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency are able to apply for affordability credits.” (Pages 129-130 of the bill.)

The bill requires all individuals to purchase health care insurance or be penalized. Section 593 Tax on Individuals Without Acceptable Health Care Coverage states “(a) Tax Imposed – In the case of an individual who dos not meet the requirements of subsection (d) at any time during the taxable year, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 2.5 percent of the excess of…” (page 167 of the bill.) Further in this section it states “(2) Nonresident Aliens – subsection (a) shall not apply to any individual who is a non-resident alien.” (Page 170 of the bill.)

So, although it states individuals who are not lawfully in the United States should not receive affordability credits, there was nothing I could find to ensure they do not get them. No additional safeguards are in place to verify their legal status, so we would continue on the same path we are on granting handouts to illegals. Further, it requires citizens to obtain insurance or pay a penalty, but non-resident aliens are not subjected to the same penalty. Then NO WHERE in the bill could I find that care could be withheld if one did not obtain insurance. So illegals could continue to visit our emergency rooms without insurance and obtain free service as they are today. Nothing is in the bill to stop that, and they would not have to pay the tax penalties for not having insurance. This leaves an open door for anyone to enter this country illegally, obtain medical services at the taxpayers’ expense, and have no monetary responsibility. How does this solve one of the major problems of the increasing cost of health care?

Sec 2511 establishes a school-based health clinic program awarding grants supporting the operation of these programs. It gives preference to areas with a high percentage of children and adolescents who are uninsured, underinsured or eligible for medical assistance under Federal or State programs. Under this bill, in theory, since it is a requirement of everyone to obtain health insurance then no child or adolescent should be uninsured. Further, since the government sets the standards for coverage for insurance plans then no child or adolescent should be underinsured, unless the government is approving policy standards that are not adequately providing medical coverage. So one could conclude that these programs are implemented to serve those who are eligible to receive service under the Federal or State programs and ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS – they are the only ones who do not have to purchase health care insurance.

Throughout the bill there are references to Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services and Communications, reducing health disparities (including racial, ethnic and other disparities) and individuals with limited English proficiency.

The bill amends the Social Security Act making it a requirement to provide interpreters for patients who do not speak English, free of charge to the patient. It also appears to penalize providers under Medicare if they fail to substantially provide language services to limited English proficient beneficiaries enrolled in the plan.

Section 1222 of the bill provides no fewer than 24 3-year grants to Medicare service providers specifically to address populations with language barriers.

Sec 2251 establishes a cultural and linguistic competency training program for health care professionals consisting of grant money. It encourages placing these health professionals in regions along the US-Mexico border.

Does this not imply that the government is continuing to support illegal immigration at the expense of the taxpayer? When does the immigrant take responsibility for living in this country and learn the language of the people – ENGLISH!

My great-grandparents came to this country and did not speak English. My great-grandfather learned English so he could obtain a job and support the family. My great-grandmother did not learn English and lived in a community of like people so she could communicate with local family and friends. However, when she needed to obtain medical services or communicate with others outside the small community she took the responsibility of obtaining a translator to go with her so she could conduct business. She did not depend on the government to provide that service, nor did these immigrants DEMAND or expect that the United States communicate with them in their native language.

This bill not only does not solve the issues of illegal immigrants obtaining medical service at the taxpayers expense, it further INCREASES costs related to those services in governmental requirements mandating Americans learn Spanish (by references to US-Mexican border) in order to serve these individuals.