Kennedy Bill Would Make Employers Provide Health care

WASHINGTON — Employers would be required to offer health care to employees or pay a penalty, and all Americans would be guaranteed health insurance, under a draft bill being circulated Friday by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's health committee.

The bill would provide subsidies to help poor people afford care, and give patients the right to select any doctor they want.

Insurers would be required to provide a basic level of care and cover all comers, without turning people away because of pre-existing conditions or other reasons.

It's already been known that Kennedy's health committee was planning to pursue most of the concepts outlined in the draft of the bill, called the "American Health Choices Act." But it's the first actual bill language to circulate since Congress began working on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

"It's a draft of a draft. HELP democrats are still actively talking amongst themselves and their Republican colleagues," said Anthony Coley, spokeswoman for Kennedy's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Comments

[magicmary]

Put me down for single payer! You can't count on having the same job for the rest of your life anymore. In these days of downsizing, outsourcing, career changes etc., is it really wise to have health care coverage dependent on your job? I'm tired of employers having that power over us! I want single payer.

[LouisvilleLiberal]

How are you going to pay for single payer....h­mmm, how about a payroll tax that your employer collects from your paycheck and sends to the government like your other taxes?

How would you have Single Payer without it being tied to your employment?

[ErnestineBass]

Why can't Congress get it through their thick skulls that even though for profit health insurance may be working for them, it ain't working for the rest of us?

If these knuckleheads won't put SINGLE PAYER ON THE TABLE, they should be forced to give up their own taxpayer-funded health insurance plans. Let THEM deal with REAL LIFE for a change.

[MNinWI]

Absolutely-have been saying that for years. But they get to make that decision, not us. Do you think they will take away any bennies they have now?

[LDnearthesea]

Last time I read the Constitution, nothing was in there that said corporations had a Constitutional right to screw working Americans to make monster profits.

[TJCole]

They'll come up with every plan but the one we the people want and that works all around the world Single Payer with no corrupt Insurance companies involved..­.!

Change, what a joke...

[ErnestineBass]

Ain't it the truth. More hmmming and hawwwing and hot air.

These asshats aren't gonna do chit. Again.

Once (if?) the housing market ever recovers, I'm selling this place and moving to Canada.

[NightOwlCafe]

With all due respect to Senator Kennedy, this draft just doesn't cut it. American citizens want single payer health care not some convoluted plan that includes greedy insurance companies making huge profits from the pain and illness of their fellow man. It is time for Congress to serve the People and their right to health care instead of corporate campaign donors. Single payer now and public financing for elections too. We've had enough!

[ekoorb]

I am already struggling as an older worker by piecing part-time jobs together; this will make even that impossible.

[Nevervotesrepublican]

Let's just vote now on single payer health care. That way we can find out who we need to throw out of office. Max Baucus who has collected over million dollars from the insurance companies would make a good start. Wonder when he is up for reelection?

[neurologymatters]

Allowing people to choose their Doctor and not allowing pre-exisiting condtions are crucial. So long HMOs! I agree insurance companies are greeedy. So are hospitals- in MA one CEO of an alleged non-profit hospital's annual paycheck is just under $1 million dollars. Thanks Senator Kennedy !

[medon]

why doesn't Congress give us all the health care program THEY have given themselves and which WE pay for.

[NightOwlCafe]

Perfectly stated medon. I couldn't agree more!

[jeniferdaniels]

this is the EXACT MESSAGE WE SHOULD BE USING - PERIOD....

[sarabono]

What is wrong with a structure like Medicare? A base level of services, for a fixed premium set by and collected by the Government. Then if you want additional coverage (called a Medicare Supplement) you can purchase it from any number of vendors. To make it easy to compare supplements, there is a fixed format, provided by Medicare, which details what each
supplement includes which all supplement vendors must comply with. This makes it easy for the buyer to compare supplements and there monthly cost.

A similar arrangement is provided by the Government for Part D, the optional Medicare Drug Plan.

[Agent420]

Sorry Ted, this one is dead before it gets out of the gate. The American public will not stand for anything less than a single payer system. The insurance companies can go to bankruptcy courts like we do.

[hilary916]

Sounds just like buying car insurance. How are they going to enforce that? What would this "basic coverage" from insurance companies cover? A yearly physical and some antibiotics? Still doesn't solve the problem for people with serious health conditions who can't afford good care. Maybe I'm not understanding this correctly, but that's what it sure sounds like to me.

[FogBelter]

Comprehensive Universal Single Payer Health Care is the only responsible answer for the people of the United States ... and I don't understand why the US Chamber of Commerce isn't pushing hard for it.

Are they waiting for the rest of the world to abandon their public health care plans in favor of America's failed mess of a system? That's foolish. If US Business has any interest in being competitive in the Global Economy it is simply not going to happen as long as Business has to carry the cost for health care. Also, the more consumers have to spend on Health Care the less they have to spend on goods and services. I know the whole goal of the Chamber of Commerce is to have consumers spend LESS on their goods and services. If the Members of the US Chamber of Commerce don't want the fate of their companies to resemble their friends in the Auto Industry, they better stab their Chamber Brothers of the HMO, Pharma. and Insurance industries in the back and start pushing for Comprehensive Universal Single Payer Health Care ... they are outclassed fools if they don't.

[Adagio]

A. We need less employer involvement with health care, not more.

B. Requiring insurers to cover everyone without regard to pre-existing conditions is meaningless. They'll do that now - for a price. If the proposal has some price restrictions the reporter should have mentioned it. My guess is that it does not.

[hilary916]

My guess is that you'll get a certain price initially, but if you actually have to use your insurance, they'll start raising the price you pay. Just like if you get in an auto accident or have multiple traffic tickets your insurance premium usually goes up. And I'm guessing there will be no oversight by the government to prevent them from doing that.

[chronic]

SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE NOW!

[iridium53]

The old lion is now thte cowardly lion.

Forcing companies to provide health care won't help the millions of unemployed.
You know, the unemployed that you helped create by not reining in the bankers and insurance companies.

Why don't you Senators and Congresspersons screw up the courage to build a real health care system?
Why don't you Senators and Congresspersons screw up the courage to cut the useless insurance companies - that add zero value to health care - out of the deal? All they do is tell us it isn't covered - because it was a pre-existing condidtion or some other thing.
Why must you favor large corporations over small? Is it now the Democratic Parties job to put small business out of business in favor of big business?

[SCG]

Actually, it sounds like the Nixon proposal from the early 70's.

[MNinWI]

The man who brought us the HMO? And of course which brought us to the horrible situation we're in now. It's just more of the same & as others have said, it will just regress back to the old system even if the lying b*st*rds do create something that looks doable. Single payer, universal. I write to Obama every week about it. Hope you all do too.