PrintJuly 28, 2009
What to Ask Your Congressperson about Obamacare (Part 2)
Here's the second installment in a series of questions you can ask your member of the House of Representatives concerning H.R. 3200 - also known as Obamacare.
The entire bill can be read here. This website will help you find ways to contact your congressperson's office. If he/she is undecided or favors Obamacare, call and ask for a staff person knowledgeable about the bill. Ask your question(s) and considering entering what you hear in the comment section of the American Thinker.
Question 5: According to Section 1173A, Standardize Electronic Administrative Transactions, (inserted in the context of Section 163) Obamacare will operate under Goals For Financial And Administrative Transactions that include the ability to: "(D) enable the real-time (or near real-time) determination of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card;"
SO, does this mean that I'll be required to turn over access to the records of my financial assets to the federal government, and carry a national healthcare identification card?
Question 6: According to Section 164(a)(1), Reinsurance Program For Retirees, there will be "a temporary reinsurance program (in this section referred to as the ‘reinsurance program') to provide reimbursement to assist participating employment-based plans with the cost of providing health benefits to retirees and to eligible spouses, surviving spouses and dependents of such retirees."According to subsection (A):"The term ‘eligible employment-based plan' means a group health benefits plan that - (i) is maintained by one or more employers, former employers or employee associations, or a voluntary employees' beneficiary association, or a committee or board of individuals appointed to administer such plan, and (ii) provides health benefits to retirees."
SO, does that mean that Obamacare will subsidize the retirement plans for unions, like the UAW, and for those working for, say, community organizations like A.C.O.R.N.? And if GM and Chrysler eventually go bankrupt permanently, will Obamacare assume responsibility for paying for their health care?
Question 7: According to General Definitions (19): "The term ‘QHBP [qualified health benefits plan] offering entity' means with respect to a health benefits plan that it is (A) a group health plan...: (B) health insurance coverage..; (C) the public health insurance option...; (D) a non-Federal governmental plan...; [or] (E) a Federal government plan."According to Section 201, Establishment Of Health Insurance Exchange, Outline Of Duties, Definitions, the Health Choices Administration will establish a Health Insurance Exchange "in order to facilitate access of individual and employers, through a transparent process, to a variety of choices of affordable, quality health insurance coverage, including a public health insurance option."
SO, does this mean that my current employer, who now provides me a QHBP as part of my benefits package, can exchange their QHBP for the public health insurance option with or without my input? And, why wouldn't the employer do that to cut costs? Consequently, what happens to private health insurance companies whose clients chose the government plan over the private plan? (Answer: They go out of business.)
Question 8: According to Section 204(b)(7), entitled Culturally And Linguistically Appropriate Services and Communications:"The [QHBP] entity shall provide for culturally and linguistically appropriate communication and health services."
SO, can you give me two specific examples of a "culturally appropriate" communication and/or health service?
Question 9: Section 205 is entitled Outreach And Enrollment Of Exchange - Eligible Individuals And Employers In Exchange - Participating Health Benefits Plan. In part, it reads "(1) Outreach. - The Commissioner shall conduct outreach activities...to inform and educate individuals and employers about the Health Insurance Exchange and Exchange-participating health benefits plan options. Such outreach shall include outreach specific to vulnerable populations, such as children, individuals with disabilities, individuals with mental illness, and individuals and individuals with other cognitive impairments."
SO, are A.C.O.R.N. and AmeriCorps possible contractors that could be paid by the federal government to sign-up people for Obamacare? And, will stimulus money be used to pay for their services?
You pay your congressperson's salary. You deserve answers.
Watch this space for more of "What To Ask Your Congressperson About Obamacare."
