The Health Care Bill - Democrat vs Republican Ideas

This was sent to me by a friend in Colorado. It was produced by Christine Burtt of the Colorado Republican Business Coalition. I hope you find it informative.
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"Here is an excellent side-by-side comparison of the Pelosi House Bill 3962 and the Reid Senate Bill 3590 - in its original form, the final bill is a secret.

The Senate will vote soon to let government control 1/6th of the US economy. Call Senator Mike Bennett at 202-224-4852 AND Senator Mark Udall at 202-224-5941 and ask them to vote NO on SB3590. Call Ben Nelson (D-NE) at 202-224-6551 and contact Senators in other states and ask them to vote NO.

Two polls this week show that between 58%-61% of Americans don't want health care reform as it's currently being shoved down our collective throats. Only a handful of selected Democrat Senators are privy to the details.

Bottom line: increased costs of health care insurance premiums, cuts to Medicare, mandates that everyone carry insurance or pay a fine, rationed care, tax hikes, a $2.5 trillion debt load and, eventually, a nationalized healthcare system.


Following is a summary of the side-by-side comparison of the House & Senate Bills.

The Democrat Bills:

Employers are required to offer insurance, or pay a fine.
Individuals are required to have health care insurance, or pay a fine. Poor people, Native Americans and others with hardships are exempt.
You have to report what kind of insurance coverage you have on your tax return.
Government appointees will decide what kind of insurance is acceptable.
No one can be denied a health insurance policy based on a pre-existing condition.

(All policies will be priced to cover everyone. No benefit in pricing for living a healthy lifestyle.)

"Reforms" paid for by cuts in Medicare, increased taxes, and decreased HSA allowances

You can keep your current plan until you make any changes to it, then it must meet all the federal requirements (even if you don't need maternity care, drug rehab, or mental health care, for example.)
Restrictions about what is allowed to be covered under a pre-tax dollar Health Savings Account will significantly ruin the tax benefits of an HSA. (Alternative health care therapies such as chiropractors and nutritionists and over the counter drugs are disallowed.)

Small businesses can get tax credits to provide insurance for employees, but only for a limited time and if, later, they put employees into the government option.

Establishes a government-run health care insurance plan, subsidized by taxpayers (HSE version: "unlimited start-up funding"), to compete with the private plans.
Government appointees will control access to the health care "exchanges" - (government-speak for the government-run insurance programs.)

Obamacare/Pelosi/Reid Bottom line: More people, but not everyone, will have limited health care insurance. Everyone who is paying for it now will pay more. Medical providers and hospitals will be paid less (this is in a different Bill). Medicare budget will be cut by $500B. Even though the tax burden will expand, less care will be provided (rationing) because Medicare is already going broke as Baby Boomers are hitting the mandatory Medicare enrollment age at record numbers. When a third-party is paying, individuals use more of what is perceived as either "free" or an "entitlement." As the price of private health insurance goes up, more and more people will opt for the government-run program, thereby decreasing the revenues into the private system and making private health insurance cost more. Overtime, there will be a two-tiered system of health care: quality, accessible care for those who can pay for it and government-run health care for the rest of us.

Republican solutions:
(Only the last two ideas are contained in the Democrat Bills. Republicans have been literally shut-out of the debate.)

Increase competition. Allow private health insurance to be sold across State lines.
Tort reform. Reduce predatory and frivolous malpractice lawsuits against hospitals and physicians to reduce the cost of malpractice insurance and the need to practice "defensive medicine."

Level the playing field by allowing the self-employed and unemployed to buy individual policies with tax-deductible dollars, like a business. Allow families to become a "group."

Give American citizens without employer-provided benefits a voucher of $2000 for an individual and $5,000 for families to purchase health care insurance. Even over 20 years, this would be a lot cheaper than the $1trillon price tag of Obamacare. Pay for it from unspent monies in the Stimulus Bill.

Remove the cap on tax-deductibility for Health Savings Account contributions. Allow individuals to use HSA accounts to pay for health insurance.

Standardize state coding and forms so insurers can compete consistently on price and service and to reduce the costs of paperwork.
Get rid of many of the State mandates for insurance-covered treatments. (It doesn't make sense to require a man's insurance policy to cover a pap smear, etc.) There are currently 1,961 mandates nationwide.

Encourage insurance companies to give incentives for wellness behavior through reduced rates for healthy policyholders.
Utilize electronic health records for more accurate data management and efficient treatment.

Expand "Comparative Effectiveness Technology" - using data to determine which medical approaches work best, as long as treatment choices by doctors and patients are not restricted."


Christine Burtt, Chairman
Colorado Republican Business Coalition