Using a microsimulation model, this RAND analysis estimates the effects of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) on the number of uninsured, the costs to the federal government and the nation, revenues from penalty payments, and consumers' health care spending. Key finding: the House version of health care reform would cut the number of uninsured Americans to 24 million by 2019 (a 56% decrease) and increase personal spending on health care by about 3.3% cumulatively between 2013 and 2019.
Read Analysis of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (pdf) by Elizabeth A. McGlynn, Jeanne S. Ringel, Federico Girosi (RAND Publications)
See, also: Side-by-side comparison of the House & Senate health care reform bills (H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3590) as of January 7, 2010 (Rand Publications)
Showing posts with label HR 3962. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HR 3962. Show all posts
Health Care Reform: Will the current bills help?
Donna Smith appeared in Michael Moore's Sicko, along with other Americans with health care issues. Now that health care legislation is moving through Congress, she wonders if the bills under consideration will help the other "American Sickos" who were suffering from the abuses of the rapacious and dysfunctional insurance industry. The answer is a resounding "No," as this heart-wrenching video shows.
See, also: Health Care Reform 2009: No Bill Is Better Than a Bad Bill by John Geyman MD: "The new House bill for health care reform (HR 3962) ... will not fundamentally reform U.S. health care." (Guaranteed Health Care 2009-11-04)
See, also: Health Care Reform 2009: No Bill Is Better Than a Bad Bill by John Geyman MD: "The new House bill for health care reform (HR 3962) ... will not fundamentally reform U.S. health care." (Guaranteed Health Care 2009-11-04)
Health Care Reform: Planned Parenthood Condemns Passage of Stupak/Pitts Amendment (Press Release)
Statement by Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Condemning Passage of Stupak/Pitts Amendment
“Planned Parenthood condemns the adoption of the Stupak/Pitts amendment in HR 3962 this evening. This amendment is an unacceptable addition to the health care reform bill that, if enacted, would result in women losing health benefits they have today. Simply put, the Stupak/Pitts amendment would restrict women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. This amendment reaches much further than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977.
“Planned Parenthood serves three million women every year through its more than 850 affiliate health centers across the country and has worked tirelessly on behalf of those patients for affordable, quality health care. On behalf of the millions of women Planned Parenthood health centers serve, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America has no choice but to oppose HR 3962. The bill includes the Stupak/Pitts amendment that would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today, violating President Obama’s promise to the American people that no one would be forced to lose her or his present coverage under health reform.
“The Stupak/Pitts amendment violates the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all. In fact, this amendment would create a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and middle incomes, the very people this bill is intended to assist. The majority of private health insurance plans currently offer abortion coverage, and the Stupak/Pitts amendment would result in the elimination of private abortion coverage in the ‘exchange,’ the new insurance market created under health care reform, as well as in the public option, if one is created.
“The Stupak/Pitts amendment would purportedly allow women who want comprehensive reproductive health care coverage to purchase a separate, single-service rider to cover abortion. But such abortion riders do not exist because women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies or medically complicated pregnancies that require ending the pregnancy. These so-called ‘abortion riders,’ which would be the only insurance policy through which abortion care could be covered in the ‘exchange,’ are discriminatory and illogical. Proposing a separate ‘abortion rider’ or ‘single-service plan’ is tantamount to banning abortion coverage since no insurance company would offer such a policy.
“It is extremely unfortunate that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and anti-choice opponents were able to hijack the health care reform bill in their dedicated attempt to ban all legal abortion In the United States. Most telling is the fact that the vast majority of members of the House who supported the Stupak/Pitts amendment in today’s vote do not support HR 3962, revealing their true motive, which is to kill the health care reform bill. These single-issue advocates simply used health care reform to advance their extreme, ideological agenda at the expense of tens of millions of women.
“Planned Parenthood applauds the members of Congress who stood up for women’s health and voted to oppose the Stupak/Pitts amendment. We will work with those members to rectify this travesty.
“As a health care provider, Planned Parenthood is committed to passing health care reform that will guarantee affordable, quality health care coverage for all, including access to comprehensive reproductive health care. In the coming weeks, Planned Parenthood will work with its allies in the Senate to ensure that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and those who oppose abortion do not once again hijack the legislative process in their ongoing campaign to make abortion illegal. Planned Parenthood will join forces with women and their families and health providers to ensure that health care reform does not take away benefits that most women with private health coverage have today. Together, women and their allies are going to make their voices heard, so that they do not become second-class citizens in a newly reformed health care system in the United States.”
“Planned Parenthood condemns the adoption of the Stupak/Pitts amendment in HR 3962 this evening. This amendment is an unacceptable addition to the health care reform bill that, if enacted, would result in women losing health benefits they have today. Simply put, the Stupak/Pitts amendment would restrict women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. This amendment reaches much further than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977.
“Planned Parenthood serves three million women every year through its more than 850 affiliate health centers across the country and has worked tirelessly on behalf of those patients for affordable, quality health care. On behalf of the millions of women Planned Parenthood health centers serve, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America has no choice but to oppose HR 3962. The bill includes the Stupak/Pitts amendment that would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today, violating President Obama’s promise to the American people that no one would be forced to lose her or his present coverage under health reform.
“The Stupak/Pitts amendment violates the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all. In fact, this amendment would create a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and middle incomes, the very people this bill is intended to assist. The majority of private health insurance plans currently offer abortion coverage, and the Stupak/Pitts amendment would result in the elimination of private abortion coverage in the ‘exchange,’ the new insurance market created under health care reform, as well as in the public option, if one is created.
“The Stupak/Pitts amendment would purportedly allow women who want comprehensive reproductive health care coverage to purchase a separate, single-service rider to cover abortion. But such abortion riders do not exist because women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies or medically complicated pregnancies that require ending the pregnancy. These so-called ‘abortion riders,’ which would be the only insurance policy through which abortion care could be covered in the ‘exchange,’ are discriminatory and illogical. Proposing a separate ‘abortion rider’ or ‘single-service plan’ is tantamount to banning abortion coverage since no insurance company would offer such a policy.
“It is extremely unfortunate that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and anti-choice opponents were able to hijack the health care reform bill in their dedicated attempt to ban all legal abortion In the United States. Most telling is the fact that the vast majority of members of the House who supported the Stupak/Pitts amendment in today’s vote do not support HR 3962, revealing their true motive, which is to kill the health care reform bill. These single-issue advocates simply used health care reform to advance their extreme, ideological agenda at the expense of tens of millions of women.
“Planned Parenthood applauds the members of Congress who stood up for women’s health and voted to oppose the Stupak/Pitts amendment. We will work with those members to rectify this travesty.
“As a health care provider, Planned Parenthood is committed to passing health care reform that will guarantee affordable, quality health care coverage for all, including access to comprehensive reproductive health care. In the coming weeks, Planned Parenthood will work with its allies in the Senate to ensure that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and those who oppose abortion do not once again hijack the legislative process in their ongoing campaign to make abortion illegal. Planned Parenthood will join forces with women and their families and health providers to ensure that health care reform does not take away benefits that most women with private health coverage have today. Together, women and their allies are going to make their voices heard, so that they do not become second-class citizens in a newly reformed health care system in the United States.”
Health Care Reform: California Nurses on the canning of the single-payer in the House (Press Release)
CNA/NNOC Statement on the Withdrawal of the House Single Payer Amendment (California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee)
"On the eve of what would have been the first national vote on single-payer legislation Rep. Anthony Weiner's single-payer/Medicare for all amendment was withdrawn Friday, November 6. The vote for Congressman Weiner's single-payer amendment would have allowed advocates to have their representatives on record as single-payer supporters. The announcement of the withdrawal of the amendment also followed an 11th hour decision by the House leadership to drop an amendment sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich that had been in the bill since July to remove legal barriers for states that choose to enact single payer/Medicare for all state bills.
"The outcome on the Weiner and Kucinich amendments is the latest in year-long maneuvers by the Obama administration to take single payer off the table, to exclude single payer advocates from participation in the Congressional debate and White House healthcare forums, and to twist arms behind the scenes to block both the Kucinich and Weiner amendments.
"Regrettably, the administration and Congressional leadership efforts to silence the voices of advocates of the most comprehensive, most cost effective, most humane reform reinforced the extensive corporate lobbying of the insurance industry and its corporate allies. The private insurance industry alone has sent 3,000 lobbyists to Capitol Hill this year, spending $1.4 million dollars a day to shape reform that protects their profits and reinforces the broken, insurance-based healthcare system.
Only the remarkable, and persistent effort of our members and allies has kept the flame of the single payer/Medicare for all movement moving forward in Congress. And, we're not done.
"Our focus now turns to two remaining efforts for single-payer in this Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce S 703 in coming weeks. In addition, Rep. Kucinich's amendment to allow states to more easily implement a single-payer system may be reinserted into the bill during the conference committee between the House and Senate.
"All of these efforts are crucial to building the movement for the best solution to our healthcare crisis - single-payer national healthcare.
"While the current bills will provide limited assistance for some, the inconvenient truth is they fall far short in effective controls on skyrocketing insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital costs, do little to stop insurance companies from denying needed medical care recommended by doctors, and provide little relief for Americans with employer-sponsored insurance worried about health security for themselves and their families.
"People are suffering – they die needlessly. The Democrats, who control the White House and Congress, bear the responsibility for changing that. Republicans cheerlead to deny care and humanity. The Democrats act as though they care and block the best solution. The heroes in this debate are the Medicare for all proponents who have stood by the American families.
"We will continue to press for guaranteed healthcare in Congress. Further, the outstanding state based campaigns for single payer bills in California, Pennsylvania, Maine, Illinois, and other states will continue.
"We concur with Healthcare-NOW, 'Let us not forget how far we have come. Either now or later, a single-payer national healthcare system must come to the table. We will keep building the movement to make that happen.'"
"On the eve of what would have been the first national vote on single-payer legislation Rep. Anthony Weiner's single-payer/Medicare for all amendment was withdrawn Friday, November 6. The vote for Congressman Weiner's single-payer amendment would have allowed advocates to have their representatives on record as single-payer supporters. The announcement of the withdrawal of the amendment also followed an 11th hour decision by the House leadership to drop an amendment sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich that had been in the bill since July to remove legal barriers for states that choose to enact single payer/Medicare for all state bills.
"The outcome on the Weiner and Kucinich amendments is the latest in year-long maneuvers by the Obama administration to take single payer off the table, to exclude single payer advocates from participation in the Congressional debate and White House healthcare forums, and to twist arms behind the scenes to block both the Kucinich and Weiner amendments.
"Regrettably, the administration and Congressional leadership efforts to silence the voices of advocates of the most comprehensive, most cost effective, most humane reform reinforced the extensive corporate lobbying of the insurance industry and its corporate allies. The private insurance industry alone has sent 3,000 lobbyists to Capitol Hill this year, spending $1.4 million dollars a day to shape reform that protects their profits and reinforces the broken, insurance-based healthcare system.
Only the remarkable, and persistent effort of our members and allies has kept the flame of the single payer/Medicare for all movement moving forward in Congress. And, we're not done.
"Our focus now turns to two remaining efforts for single-payer in this Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce S 703 in coming weeks. In addition, Rep. Kucinich's amendment to allow states to more easily implement a single-payer system may be reinserted into the bill during the conference committee between the House and Senate.
"All of these efforts are crucial to building the movement for the best solution to our healthcare crisis - single-payer national healthcare.
"While the current bills will provide limited assistance for some, the inconvenient truth is they fall far short in effective controls on skyrocketing insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital costs, do little to stop insurance companies from denying needed medical care recommended by doctors, and provide little relief for Americans with employer-sponsored insurance worried about health security for themselves and their families.
"People are suffering – they die needlessly. The Democrats, who control the White House and Congress, bear the responsibility for changing that. Republicans cheerlead to deny care and humanity. The Democrats act as though they care and block the best solution. The heroes in this debate are the Medicare for all proponents who have stood by the American families.
"We will continue to press for guaranteed healthcare in Congress. Further, the outstanding state based campaigns for single payer bills in California, Pennsylvania, Maine, Illinois, and other states will continue.
"We concur with Healthcare-NOW, 'Let us not forget how far we have come. Either now or later, a single-payer national healthcare system must come to the table. We will keep building the movement to make that happen.'"
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