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

[SCG]

Again the insurers are kept on life support.

[ariveria]

it is time to put the insurance companies out of business.

THERE IS NO RIGHT TO LIFE

WITHOUT

THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE

[corwin]

I reply diffidently, because on occasion, I've been accused of being an intellectual bully. Certainly you know (well,maybe not ) that a right to health care presupposes someone must pay for it. In a reductio ad infinitum - or maybe absurdio - let's postulate one person is employed. Therefore, he (just supposing) must support the health of the rest of the country. Can you help me with the perceived flaw in your argument ?
And, as a 'doc ,if you think you have a right to expensive therpies at the end of your life, you are going to love the next 7 years.

[escribacat]

This plan sounds like someone running through a burning house straightening out the pillows.

[anothervoice2]

This is similar to the MA model. The premise was it would bring down costs by bringing down the number of uninsured. Yeah, great success that has been. The premiums remain sky high. The online price comparison tool Mass connector is a price fixing tool for the private HMOs. Kennedy's legacy will be his final betrayal - for all his name brand recognition as some one fighting to make healthcare accessible to all Americans, this plan is a give away to private HMOs. They are laughing all the way to the bank.
The public plan that Congress enjoys is apparently too poor for the average taxpayer. Kennedy should give up his taxpayer funded public plan - and buy it now on the open market as an individual from a private HMO. Hypocrites!

[dukeitout]

Employers should not be required to offer health insurance to their employees. In the global marketplace American employers can hardly compete (Ford, GM and Chrysler) with other industrialized countries that commonly cover their citizens health care expenses. Sen. Kennedy's idea is flawed. The President's approach (check it out) is superior.

[katmeyster]

I hope that Mr. Kennedy listens to Bernie Sanders and the other proponents of single-payer healthcare. We must get rid of the insurance companies as they have absolutely no interest in our health -- only in their profits.

Once the pool includes all citizens, including the healthy ones, our society can shift to one of creating health. This will be a long-term, all-encompassing, challenge that all citizens will be stakeholders in as our lower taxes will reflect a healthier population. We will have to reform the food industry so that corn-subsidized agribusiness does not poison our food, and us. They will have to stop making diabetics and pill poppers out of all of us. We will have to educate our children and parents to be healthy eaters and get regular exercise. The government will have to hire and educate health care workers to go out to all areas of the country -- and the salaries will be comfortable, but not extreme.

I just can't see how a plan like Ted Kennedy's, or any plan that keeps health insurance companies in place, will work in the long run. It will just let the right wing point out how expensive and failed the idea is. We need single-payer; I can't see economically how any other plan will work.

[jordan3189]

What happens to the millions of unemployed insurance workers. You liberals never take cause and effect and add it to the equation.

[SCG]

How about the individuals and businesses who can prosper without the burden of the insurers, as middlemen?

[LouisvilleLiberal]

They can get jobs in the health care industry because their will be more jobs there if people can afford care.

[garyc4]

The government punts again. Why should employers be in the health care loop in the first place? Crap like this kills grass roots entrepreneurship, locks people into dead end corporate drone jobs and gives big companies even more control. Get the insurance companies out of health care now! Single payer is the only thing that makes sense.

[LouisvilleLiberal]

Employers WILL be involved in a single payer system. They will collect the taxes and send them on the the government just like they particpate in the Social Security system now.

In my opinion, if employers are forced to participate they will join in support of single payer. The insurance companies will have zero allies.

[Helzapoppin]

More in an endless trail of half-measures with no real solutions.

The employer-provided insurance model is a dinosaur that should be done away with once and for all.

[smileatfear]

Amen and amen.

[Philip Combs]

More failed policy ideas that will not work from the 'bought and paid for Dems'. The stupitidy of this schlub is unbelievable.

Anyone know why the citizens of the EU are healthier than we are?

Eh?

It's real simple if you think about it for a minute.

Oh...sorry, I know that's too much trouble.

[smileatfear]

Citizens of the EU are healthier for many reasons. They have mass transit superior to ours, they don't have suburbs, so they walk more and use autos less. Their govt. restricts far more chemicals from their food and water supply. Their diets are healthier because they never developed an "eat in your car on the run (fast food)" mentality. They have universal health care so everyone can get treatment when they need it rather than waiting till they can afford it. There is less stress because nobody has to worry about going bankrupt because of a costly medical illness. There are more reasons but I think these sufficiently answer your question. And it wasn't too much trouble.

[CalculatedRiskTaker]

Because they don't eat fast food 4 times a day, 7 days a week

[Antifascist-08]

Too much trouble for you, turkey, apparently.