Affordable Health Care???

10/30/09

Three things to know about the 'Affordable Health Care for America Act'

By Bryan Riley

Although Nancy Pelosi’s health care bill is over 1,900 pages long, there are only three things Members of Congress need to understand before they vote on it:

1. Americans would no longer be able to choose their own health insurance:

The bill would create a “Health Benefits Advisory Commission” to help the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) determine an “essential benefits package.” (Page 105.) Families would no longer be able to choose their own insurance benefits. Instead, they would be stuck with whatever the HHS Secretary decided to offer them.

2. The proposed tax subsidy for the federal “public option” would eliminate private health insurance options.

The bill would create a “public health insurance option” run by the government to compete with private insurance companies. (Page 211.) Unlike the public plan, private insurance companies pay corporate income taxes, which according to the Tax Foundation, average 39.1 percent. There is no way private companies could compete in this environment, and the only health insurance “option” remaining would be the one run by the federal government.

3. At least 86 percent of businesses would no longer have any reason to offer health insurance to their employees.

Businesses with payrolls below $500,000 would not be required to offer health insurance. (Page 276.) As a result, the logical business decision would be for these firms to quit offering health insurance and instead allow their employees to get coverage through the new federal Health Insurance Exchange. According to the bill’s proponents, 86 percent of businesses would not be required to offer health insurance or contribute to employee premiums.

The proposed legislation would empower the federal government at the expense of American families. A legitimate solution to our country’s health care problems would do the opposite.