NO ONE in the GOP – not bloggers, not locals, not Congressmen, not Party leaders – has been able to answer this question, and I’ve been asking it since last Thursday:
How is this plan any less socialist than the Democrat plan that so many “conservatives” are all riled up about?
It is a six page document (the “intent” language, not the actual bill), so I won’t bore you with all the gory details, but let’s look at some of it, shall we?
Division A Section 101 explicitly requires States to create a high-risk pool. No hint of free market methods there, the State has to do this. Furthermore, premiums for this pool will not be set by the market, but are capped by this bill at 150% of the average premium in the State.
Division A Section 103 explicitly prohibits insurance companies from having annual or lifetime spending caps – which is a business decision better left to the company and its clients. If the clients don’t like the caps their company has, they can find a better company – at least before this bill is rammed through.
Division A Section 104 mandates that an insurance company must continue to provide coverage for someone who created a fraudulent account while that person appeals the decision. Let me make that a bit more clear: This provision is government-enabled theft, as “fraudulent account” means that the person was essentially stealing the services of the insurance company.
Division A Section 111 is more Federal bribery of the States, while Section 112 forces the State to do the individual’s job of comparison shopping. Could the GOP be any more blatant with their desires for a nanny-state?
Division B Section 211 mandates that dependents be covered through their 25th birthday. Again, this is a decision best left to the company and its clients and government should NOT dictate this coverage.
Division B Section 232 requires “greater coordination” between administrators of high deductible health plans and administrators of health savings accounts. Insurance companies will not be allowed to decide their own business model and structure, government will dictate it.
Division B Section 234 allows people to spend money from a Health Savings Account that they haven’t even created yet!
Division C is “tort reform”, which basically says that government will limit your right to sue doctors and insurance companies for damages they cause you. That is a decision best left to the courtroom, not Capitol Hill.
Division E further interferes in private contract by rewarding some behaviors and not others, which is NOT a proper role of government. This division “incentivizes” certain programs, similarly to how government currently “incentivizes” straight marriage. Government should not be in the business of determining whose relationships are “real”, and it should not be in the business of dictating personal activities either. If a person wants to smoke a cigar while having a glass of brandy with fried twinkies sitting around watching Bonanza in their boxers all day, that should be their right, and government has no business telling them otherwise.
Division F Section 601 explicitly increases the size of government “for our own protection”. A common theme on this site is that government has NO business “protecting” the individual from anything other than foreign invasion or a violation of the Punch Principle. Everything else should be left to individuals – not some bureaucrat.
Division F Section 602 shows GOP hypocrisy in full effect by explicitly denying coverage for one procedure while allowing coverage for every other procedure. In other words, the GOP is saying “we don’t care that government health care laws are unconstitutional to begin with, so long as this specific procedure is banned”. Kinda like how they continue to say that government involvement in relationships is cool, so long as government is not involved in THOSE relationships. At least the Democrats are honest and have a bit of integrity by flat out admitting they want the government COMPLETELY involved in healthcare and relationships!
Division F Sections 603-605 are all about “improving” a system that is unconstitutional to begin with! They should be dismantling this program, not “improving” it!
Similar to Division F Sections 603-605, Division G adds further mandates to an already unconstitutional agency, the Food and Drug Administration. Again, instead of dismantling this unconstitutional agency, they are increasing it!
So again I ask, how is this plan any better, or any less socialist, than the Democrats’ plan?
