AMAC has revised its health care proposal based on the feedback and suggestions of its members
We’re listening, and we hear you loud and clear!
Because of the overwhelming response to the release of AMAC’s Health Care proposal and the many suggestions received, AMAC has removed the requirements that coverage would be mandated.
In the original proposal, coverage would have been required for individuals who have no coverage and for employee’s eligible for group coverage but were not in the plan. Under the revised proposal, both individuals and employees may elect to opt out of the offered coverage.
According to Dan Weber, president of AMAC,” The reason the coverage would have been mandated was to assure preexisting illnesses would not be excluded.”
He said, “It won’t work if people choose not to pay a premium and when they get sick, buy insurance-and then go to the Hospital and expect insurance to cover their bill. That would be unfair to those who were paying into the plan all along.”
The new proposal would allow a person to sign off agreeing that they are not going to be covered for injuries or illness that occurred prior to the purchase of the policy. A waiting period would be put in place before illness is covered and the rates paid by someone who opted out of joining the plan when eligible would be increased for a period of 10 years after they join the plan.
Weber said, “The final details would have to be worked out with the actuaries but we feel over 95% of those eligible would want to participate. If that happens, we have got a plan that is feasible.”
AMAC also announced that insurance coverage would be allowed to be purchased across state lines, pending the agreement of the various states. Tort reform would be expanded under the new proposal with Attorney’s fees being capped at 15% of any settlement payments.
Click on the chart below to take a look at a comparison between AMAC’s original plan, and the Senate and House bills. The chart does not yet reflect the changes to AMAC’s plan mentioned above.
Click on the chart to see a side-by-side comparison of the various healthcare proposals. Please note that the chart does not yet reflect any of the recent changes made to the AMAC plan.
Auto Insurance 
CD Alternative 
AMAC FREE Shop Online 
Are you planning on medicare gap insurance like AARP’s? I would make a change if that were true. But can’t do that and lose my insurance. Could you make this clearer?
I like the fact that AMAC will actually consider the requests submitted by its members. My thought: Keep Obama and Government Control out of my health care, period.
My wife & I have been a member of AARP for 15 yrs…I always thought that if anyone would have an affordable health insurance program for the elderly, as us, AARP would be the one to have it…Not True…I called and asked why are they so much higher then other insurance supplements for the elderly…I also told them with with so many millions of members, if anyone today could present a low income 100% covered, both pre existing and new medical problems, supplement plan , with the money AARP takes from us it should be AARP…I am very dissapointed with AARP and their management of the situation today…Am a disabled vet from the 60′s, and I also use the VA, but fortunately we fall below the threshold, where all my services are provided at no cost, but each year have to take a means test at the VA, to determine with your income what you will pay for services and prescriptions if you make more then $15,000.00 a year…We just barely make ends meet now with what we get, and it’s a shame that the government when you fill out this means test, looks at your savings, if your fortunate to have savings as a yearly income…That counts toward the total gross income threshold and if you go over, like we did before my wife retired, I use to have to pay $8.00 for each prescription…Now x that buy the 15 different prescriptions I take, and it was killing us…When I came out of the service in 69, everything from the V.A. was provided free gratis for serving honorably…10 years later they changed all that with what they use today to charge Vets depending on their annual income and savings…We are quickly loosing so many of our freedoms, that I fear one day there will be a coup in D.C. It’s about time the Senators, and congressmen we vote in start doing their jobs of representing us and not the political machine and lobbyists, that line their pockets now…That cost of living raise they took from us this year, went as a raise to the politicians…Go Figure!!!!!
Obama health care if passed will put our Government is the same state as Greece. Please Pray that it will not be passed.
Stop Obama Care now before it gets voted in otherwise it will be almost impossible to reverse it.
Good to see people wakening to the danger in allowing government to legislate itself power and a class of people allowed to vote themselves money. Ben Franklin would be proud. Government should never be trusted with your life, they would budgetize it and just like the post office grew competitors, you would look elsewhere to live better.
How can anyone with any integrity vote on a piece of legislature that they haven’t read. I would be surprised if any of our senators or congressmen have read the entire health care bill.
When are the Politicians and everybody realize that we don’t want our Health Care played with. We don’t want 540 Billion dollars taken form Medicare and give Health care to Illegal Aliens. I don’t want to pay for Abortions. I want the Gov out of my life with Obama Commi care.
I have never in all my 68 years witnessed the absolute brazen attempts by this administration to thwart the will of the people,”we do not want health care now”!!. This is nothing more than a Socialist power grab and they lie , cheat and make thier own rules to accomplish whatever it is they want. Obama said “see who I surround myself with”, well if that’s not enough to send you into orbit, nothing will. They are nothing but Chicago mobsters under a new name and think they can Hijack our country.
We need to make serious noise and back it up with serious People and,”right now”…
Douglas J Ossentjuk
I just joined because you are the completely he opposite of the other major senior organization. If you keep your promises I will contnue to support you.
Obamacare is too expensive,its only being brought up for us American people to pay for Illegals,Im not going to.My insurance is high as far as Im concerned,since I hardly ever get sick and need a dr,Obamacare if passed puts the security of this country at risk,because we cannot afford a trillion plus deficet of more boworrowed money. from china,japan,russia.Obama and the dems need to be thrown out of office before this country is bankrupt.
Obama care will devastate our country. This sounds great but what chance do we have??
I saw AMAC at the CPAC convention in Washington last week, and they are working very hard on trying to get the word out. Seems like it’s falling on deaf ears in Washington. A copy of their last magazine including the proposal was given to most, if not all, politicians. They also told me they’ve been trying to get on FOX news, but so far have had no luck getting through the doorkeepers. There have been some criticisms of AMAC’s proposal above, which is fine, because not all of us are going to agree on everything. I for one applaud their efforts. AMAC reads every single comment that is left on this website, and they actually are listening to our concerns. From what I saw of them at CPAC, they are true conservatives that I am proud to stand with.
This is the only plan I’ve seen that makes fiscal and moral sense. There also are low cost clinics set up in about 1,200 locations that can handle births, setting bones, etc. and should also be a big part of this program but were not even invited to the table when the idiots Pelosi and Reid were crafting their Plan. Their plan isn’t about health care; it’s about power.
But why haven’t I heard about this plan on the news? Apparently it wasn’t even a part of today’s stupid Obama meeting with both parties. What are the Republican leaders saying about it, if anything? Thank you for this. Now let’s get it on the table. The Tea Partiers will go for it.
Benaiah,
The present system is controlled by the states now. That would not change under the Amac Plan.
As you noticed, the Amac Plan includes tort reform and buying across state lines. In order to permit buying across state lines there is a choice. We could have the feds get involved which this plan does not have, or we could have the states come to agreements among themselves. The mechanism to do this would be the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
If you go to their website, you’ll notice they are already organized to do things such as this. Thus no new bureaucracy would be created. No additional people would have to be hired as the NAIC is already staffed.
The NAIC would also provide an outside 3rd party to mediate between the insurance company.
I came to the website to join. But after seeing your position on healthcare “reform” there’s no way I would even think about joining. You’re part of the problem. Not the solution!!!1 I don’t want the Federal government OR state government taking over my healthcare insurance!!!!!! Get govt. out of our lives! Just tort reform and buying across state lines. Otherwise keep everything the way it is.
Why cant it be written that “preexisting illnesses would not be excluded” without a mandate.
If one has a preexisting they are not going to opt out or let expire unless they have no money. But under no circumstance should one ever be threatened with fines, jail, or accused of breaking the law.
Do you carry automobile and homeowners insurance?
Much thanks,
ARV
Want to see, LINE BY LINE, what the House bill says??? HB3200. Check out the following website….It’s hard to believe. stunning actually. copy and paste
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBaSP31Be8
The health care issue is a myth framed by the Democrats to secure 40 million votes. The debate is framed around the uninsured which is NOT true. All people, even illegals, in America have healthcare. Walk into any emergency room and everyone receives treatment, that is the law. The real issue is who will pay for it. The government want the working people to pay MORE for others healthcare. The whole argument is a myth. Have you seen anyone in America dead in the street because of lack of care??? Come on people, it’s not about coverage, it’s about MONEY and who pays….
TORT REFORM (subject a few of those liberal lawyers to the social services they advocate) and FREE ENTERPRISE……open competition by & between ALL insurance companies in ALL states! (natures way of balancing the books while reducing expense).
With all due respect AMAC, compromise with ANY PART of the progressive agenda is DANGEROUS capitulation to individuals who interpret compromise as weakness subsequently tantamount to acceptance of the possibility that there IS such a thing as “half pregnant”……This is why I am commenting here rather than wasting time with AARP!
Co-pays should also be included. Especially when people crowd the ER for minor things. Co-pays would discouorage this. Also, promote the med services being offered through Pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and Walmart. Treat immigrants, but not for free. Tort reform is absolutely needed, yet not even mentioned in ObamaCare.
Far superior to either chamber’s bill; however, I was disappointed to see the emphasis on assuming that employers will provide insurance. Also, where is tort reform?
Not having read the article in the AMAC magazine, I am somewhat at a disdvantage.
First, let’s look at the whole picture. The whole subject has nothing to do with “Health Care”. It is “The Obama’s” (singular) plan to take over every aspect of our lives starting with “Health Control”.
However, reading other responses, I am concerned about the policy of upcharges to those just purchasing a policy and having pre-exsisting conditions. There are cases where a person may have the applicant may have lost their insurance through no fault of thiers. It’s fair to have an upcharge, but to withhold benefits on pre-existing conditions could be very serious to some people. Maybe thier co-pays should be higher also.
I believe the 15% attorney cap may be a bit high. Maybe arbitartion should be done for some less serious cases and court procedings on more serious cases and under strict guidelines. To frequently, the jury feels obligated to punish the drug company or anyone else deemed to be the offender because they have deep pockets. From what I read in the media, no body seems to understand that these huge awards are recovered in the products we buy or services we recieve. By the time the injured party, in many cases spurred on by some low life attorney recieve the money, there is not much left. Many of these people take what is left and blow it leaving them in worse shape than when they started.
The pharmacy costs are a product of government involvement. The drug company lobbyists have been successful in protecting the profit margins. I am in favor of capitalism and feel the drug companies are entitled to fair profits.
This one area where tort reform is very necessary, the drug companies pay out huge court settlements, that expense is factored in to the cost of doing business. We the consumer now pay for those frivious lawsuits. There ain’t no free lunch folks.
It is interesting that drugs made in the U.S. by U.S. drug manufacters are less expensive in Canada. There have been moves to allow re-importations. If the drugs can be sold in Canada for less and the drug companies still make aprofit, why can’t these same drugs be sold for the same price in the U.S.
It is interesting that a good portion of our drugs are manufactured overseas and imported products are usally less expensive before the tariffs are applied. The protective tariffs need to be re visited which is part of the protecion of the drug company lobbyists activities.
Sounds to me as something is rotten in the government.
Having been a user of the VA for medical needs, I have seen the centralized computerized medical records in use. In a twenty minute appointment, the doctor spent fifteen minutes entering the requisite data into the computer. Any need to compare data from previous visits are very cumbersome.
I am very concerned about my personal medical records being very easy for easy and widespread access. I have no faith in the government not to use this information for any purpose they chose, especaily with this administratation. Is’nt government control we are against.
There has been considerable discussion about being able to buy insurance across state lines. Each state has regulatory agencies that regulate the insurance companies under the laws of that state. With this scheme we lose local control. Who is going to regulate the insurance companies in this situation, the federal government? I thought this is what we are trying to stop.
Lets go. I doubt if people who should represnt will. Its the best so far.
You have done a wonderful job:
1. Creating a fantastic thoughtful plan
2. Comparing plans side by side
The government will subsidize families up to $88,000 for health insurance. A retired person gets about $16,000 and the rates went up $36 a month. This subsidize part has to be taken out of the health care bill. It is all being done at the expense of the retired and given to Medicaid. Democrats always want to keep spending for those too lazy to work for a living and I am tired of it.
My 2 cents’ worth:
Additional savings to help fund improvement efforts could be gained from having an independent committee review the cost/benefits provided to Congress, Government personnel, State & Local personnel, and Prisoners and adjust the benefits to a more reasonable/appropriate level/time frame.
Government and public entity’s purchasing habits historically, due to how they “manage” a budget, have entities finding ways to spend surplus dollars so they don’t lose them in their budget for the next year. Instead, available Budget dollars in excess of the absolutely necessary expenses (i.e. police/fire/teachers/national defense) should be divvied out first to those who are effectively managing their costs and have the surplus from the prior year and have a valid need for it.
The senior market options should include an HSA Qualified design for those who don’t want to stop contributing when they become eligible for Medicare.
Another reform need is to simplify the diagnostic/procedure codes. This would significantly reduce administrative costs not only in the private sector (insurance companies, providers’ offices, etc.) but also with Medicare/Medicaid.
Any “national” plan introduced should only be done so in a phase approach with testing of the program in a few states before rolling a “one size fits all” to every state.
Credible Cost/Quality information of hospitals, providers, and prescriptions, incorporating carriers’ negotiated discounts, needs to be readily available for consumers.
Any reform effort discussed must include the individual’s responsibility in whatever is designed. Nothing will successfully reduce healthcare spending until each individual becomes involved again in his or her healthcare and accepts the responsibility he/she has in minimizing costs.
Mrs. Ward, I couldn’t agree more with your assertions. The fact that AMAC is even trying to come up with a counter offer to GOVERNMENT MANDATED health care does tend to reveal the communazi skirts that lie underneath. I, like you, am on an anti-AARP quest and I don’t like the alternatives being offered either. Any organization that proposes government mandated anything is SOCIALIST!
Doris Hunsaker, again, I couldn’t agree more. Why is the medical community so frightened by alternative health care? I remember my Papaw using a homemade concoction that worked better than any cough remedies on the market today. Unfortunately the recipe died with him. The point is, alternative health care is far better for maintaining good health than all the pills they want us taking every day. If we are mandated to buy communazi mandated health care, we won’t be able to afford what keeps us healthy. So, good question, way to expose the hypocrisy of the socialists who would ruin our health care system.
If they would just start enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books, that alone would ease the pressure and costs in ERs across the country. But, how racist of me to want my fellow law abiding citizens to have access to the ERs we pay for with our tax dollars before illegals do. How come they don’t address this in the debate?
Why is everone so willing to sell their soul to the government? Especially this administration. Hasn’t the failure of the Congress to oversee the Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae corruption presented enough evidence that they cannot be trusted with something as valuable as our health? They have already contributed to the deaths of 54 + million babies. HELLO!
Mrs. Ward, I couldn’t agree more with your assertions. The fact that AMAC is even trying to come up with a counter offer to GOVERNMENT MANDATED health care does tend to reveal the communazi skirts that lie underneath. I, like you, am on an anti-AARP quest and I don’t like the alternatives being offered either. Any organization that proposes government mandated anything is SOCIALIST!
Doris Hunsaker, again, I couldn’t agree more. Why is the medical community so frightened by alternative health care? I remember my Papaw using a homemade concoction that worked better than any cough remedies on the market today. Unfortunately the recipe died with him. The point is, alternative health care is far better for maintaining good health than all the pills they want us taking every day. If we are mandated to buy communazi mandated health care, we won’t be able to afford what keeps us healthy. So, good question, way to expose the hypocrisy of the socialists who would ruin our health care system.
If they would just start enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books, that alone would ease the pressure and costs in ERs across the country. But, how racist of me to want my fellow law abiding citizens to have access to the ERs we pay for with our tax dollars before illegals do. How come they don’t address this in the debate?
Why is everone so willing to sell their soul to the government? Especially this administration. Hasn’t the failure of the Congress to oversee the Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae corruption presented enough evidence that they cannot be trusted with something as valuable as our health? They have alreqady contributed to the deaths of 54 + million babies. HELLO!
One issue I haven’t heard addressed is what about we who prefer to spend our money on alternative health care in order to MAINTAIN health rather than treat the symptoms after becoming ill? If I am forced to pay a $1200 or even $300 a month insurance premium I could not afford the alternative treatments, supplement and wholesome foods that have kept me well and out of the doctor’s offices for nearly 30 years. Insurance won’t cover the kind of health care I want.
And in defense of AMAC: 1. Their plan never involved the federal goverment mandating anything. 2. They’re actually listening to their members, which says a lot. 3. Their plan is a heck of a lot better than anything that’s come from our politicians.
Mrs. Ward – I respectfully disagree. Health care costs are skyrocketing. Insurance companies won’t lose money, they’ll just increase your rates, and you can’t fault them for that. They too have costs to cover just like any business. I’m sick and tired of hearing Obama tell the American people that insurance companies are out to “cheat” people. Health care reform must address fraud, tort reform, and encourage competition. People also have to be held accountable. Realeyes, I wonder why the young man who broke his arm didn’t buy health insurance before he broke it? If he couldn’t afford it, it only proves my point.
This is the right direction. Over time I should like to see the Federal Government completely out of health care. Medicare and Medicaid would be phased out over time to plans run or organized by the States. The Fed is too big and too cumbersome to undertake acrivities at the local level. Also competition is an essential element in the affairs of man.
Generally, very good, and certainly better than anything Congress has come up with. I’m glad you included tax deduction for individuals buying health insurance, but I do not believe employers should be mandated to purchase health insurance for their employees. Individuals should be responsible for purchasing their own health insurance. This would make individuals aware of costs–the most important factor in increasing competition and decreasing costs.
So basically from what is being said above is if someone gets seriously ill, They have no way of covering their health care costs. Right now the government will cover the cost for those who can’t. If people are going to be forced to buy health insurance, than there can be no waiting periods. The new health care reform has nothing to do with making health care affordable for the American people. It just changes the direction from where the money comes from for who can’t afford it to directly out of the pockets of employed Americans. (Hence the insurance policy.) The only ones bennefitting from this are the hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, and the US treasury. See it, understand it, and order your representatives and senators to “Say No To Health Care Reform.”
My mom is a member of AMAC and wanted me to join, so she gave me her monthly magazine after she read it. I got to the part about mandatory and knew I could never be a member here. The fact that you think the federal government has the power to force me to buy a product–sofa, insurance, or loaf of bread–tells me that you guys are just as socialist as AARP. Just because you update your plan does not change your underlying idea that it was okay to begin with. My search for anti-AARP will continue.
And by the way, there is no problem with health care in this country; it doesn’t need to be reformed. It would have been refreshing to read an article in your magazine explaining that the problem isn’t health care or even health insurance, it’s people preferring to buy Christmas presents instead of paying a doctor bill; and no amount of government intervention can fix that. People happily buy dvds, new clothes, and potato chips yet cannot be bothered to think long-term. If they wish to live in the moment, then they’ll have to live in that future moment of not being able to afford a surgery because they *refused* to save anything for a rainy day.
This issue has nothing to do with money. Non-poor people don’t need help paying for health care. People who are so poor that they cannot afford cable, internet, Wii, tvs, and other toys already qualify for MedicAid. Anyone who can afford those toys can afford to buy his own insurance; and if he isn’t buying it, it’s because he doesn’t WANT to. Stop thinking of adults as children who have to be protected from the consequences of their own decisions.
It seems that all organizations fall into the same trap…”We can solve your problems”. Absurd!! No one and/or no group can solve problems nearly as effectively or efficiently as FREE MARKETS. Get government out of healthcare, period. Don’t look to reduce government’s role..eliminate it! No subsidies, no interference. Leave doctors and hospitals alone. Let the industry and free markets police medical field. Elitist plans are attempts to replace millions of individual decisions made by people intimately involved in the dilema by bureaucratic “group think”. Collectivism doesn’t work…no way, no time, no where.
Those of you who want to be free of federal meddling as you call it but want to keep federal medicare as it is or expand it makes no common sense. I looked at the side by side comparison and concluded that there are fine points to the third alternative, I like much of it, but I also can see the benifit of the other two.
If people want the state to run the health care but not the federal government they will have a hard time explaining that one to a lot of people. Government run is government run to me! I talked to a young man working at a restaurant the other day, he had his arm in a sling with a cast on it. He said he broke it in december playing rugby. But had to wait until he returned to school to be eligigible on his parents plan to get the arm fixed and a cast supplied. THAT IS JUST SILLY!!!! SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN THE USA!!!!
As most of you know there are more horrific stories about the lack of health care around the country. All US citizens should have the right to equal care, and there is empirical evidence that the current system is badly in need of reform.
Allow the laws of “supply and demand” to apply to the medical profession. Encourage qualified students to persue careers in medicine, offering scholarships and grants to exceptional applicants. Over time this would obviously increase competition and with the added competition, levels of health care.
Until there is real TORT reform, EVERY health care takeover attempt by ANYBODY, will be a complete total Communazi disaster.
Why are we even debating this? Get the lawyers, lapdog media, and especially the Wicked Witch Of The West and her other corrupt cronies in the Reichstag/Politburo, (which used to be Congress), out of trying to take over health care. This is like the flat tax debate. Unless the 16th Amendment is repealed, NO flat tax will work because some member of Reichstag/Politburo will come up with a reason for another tax.Same thing with health care. TORT REFORM, TORT REFORM. TORT REFORM! Get the parasites, i.e., slip-and-fall lawyers, out of the system first. But mainly get the the politicians lost in the BOZONE LAYER,(that cloud of willful STUPIDITY that prevents the addict/politician from being affected by ANYTHING even remotely resembling COMMON SENSE), from getting their hands on it.
Why would we even toy with the idea that government could do anything right concerning our health care especially when we are aging or get sick and become “useless eaters”?
Dachau anyone?
If the Gov’t is involved setting the rules for insurers the costs will escalate. Medicare is broken partly because all those government overseers and analyzers of medical charges have to be paid, and deals have to be made with different types of providers. Cut all that bureaucracy and save a lot. Insurance is also a
3rd party payment system…another bureau- cracy Called a “business”, it feeds of the patient’s desire to avoid personal responsibility.
These programs have altered the practice of medicine almost fatally. When I was young the doctors were not among the richest men in town. They gave free care not only through clinics in their practice. They saw patients after 5 PM, and did not send them to the ER because they knew the ER was way expensive. Friends
helped friends in an emergency, and when the wealthy weren’t overtaxed they contributed heavily to the care of members in their own communities. People were responsible to do what they could to make their world a better place. REMOVE all requirements and benefits
to employers for providing 3rd party “insurance”. Lets all try to become mature adults and take responsibility. We have the best care because it is still a free choice (except
for seniors who have been corralled into the
Medicare debacle). Lets let everyone be free of Federal meddling, and begin to address the picture community by community and state by state. Set them all free!