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.
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The AMAC health plan makes much more sense than anything coming out of the Senate or House. The AMAC plan is a sensible plan in line with the wishes of the American public regarding reforms versus destruction of our health system!
You folks have really hit the mark with this plan. Full of practical solutions! Now will they Listen in Washington?
Wow, It’s refreshing to see an organization such as AMAC actually listen to its members and come up with practical solutions that make sense. You can count on my support.
End Obama Heath Care takeover now. Move on to addressing jobs and spending and getting the economy moving again
I really like the opt out addition to the plan. There is an incentive to join so I would suppose most people will buy in. This is America and each should take responsibility for their own actions.
Needs litigation reform and some way to address problem of providers being forced out of practice due to unrealistic compensation per Medicare. How to do this without wage controls, I’m not sure but health coverage worthless without competent physicians.
AMAC plan sounds better than ever. Now if Washington would listen and scrape the present plan to take over our healthcare and work on this one.
I would like to know if I can keep the doctors I now use?
Including low cost, high deductible plans and HSAs is very important to younger, healthier folks. HSAs also help drive costs down, and reinforce individual responsibility for and good choices about our health . After all, it is about good health, not just medical insurance.
Employer mandates either for providing or paying for insurance coverage are not acceptable. Such mandates would be very detrimental to small businesses.
Limitation on litigation needs to be much stronger including looser pays all court costs and attorney fees. Limit punitive damages to a fixed amount or no more than 2 x actual damages.
Why did everything get so bad so fast ? After the democrats got their dihonest hands on them.
Makes more sense than anything Washington can come up with!
Health care needs fixed, not re-invented. Don’t talk in circles, address the problems. Medicare fraud, tort reform, etc.etc..
Very good!!!!
At least someone has the right idea,
The AMAC plane is so much better than what the Demorcats are coming out with.
AMAC is clearly fighting for tort reform, fighting medicare fraud, your right to choose your own doctors, and keeping it all simple. No need to reinvent the wheel, just time for some new tires. I love it.
HERE WE STILL FACE GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF OUR HEALTH CARE. FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH OUR CURRENT SYSTEM AND LEAVE GOVERNMENT CONTROL OUT.
charge $250 / person / year and give them a pictured medical card which allows them to go to a doctor or emergency room for any medical reason. $250 x population = $$$$$$$ . That should cover it.
Socialized med is not a bad idea if run by the states and not the fed gov. All below add massive costs to haelthcare w/o improving quality.
1. What is the demand for insurance coverage about? It is something that adds costs and corp profits. It is also a new phenomenon created in the media and by politicians.
2. Tort reform needed. Insurance creates a cache of funds for law suits. This now applies to patient, doctor, hospital and staff.
3. For profit corps taking over mgt. of facilities paid for by tax dollars. In every case I know of it resulted in added costs and reduced quality. They require un-needed tests for added revenue and legal defense in order for the doctor to have hospital privileges.
4. Outlaw referal fees and fees for ordering tests.
5. Get big pharma out of teaching hospitals and NIH/FDA.
6. Get corp money out of politics.
7. Eleminate illegal entry into USA by passing strong punitve laws for those who assist them and protecting our borders.
The above would have far less cost for a complete health system than the partial coverage under Obama plan because it would end corporate communism in health services delivery. People choosing to do so would still have personal choices that might not be available under the state plan as long as they were willing to pay for them and certainly, certain procedures such as unnecessary cosmetic surgeries and the like would not be covered. End of life would be covered.
I am very upset with AARP and would like to discontinue my membership with them, however I have my health insurance thru them which has been very good. except for the high premium and have not found a way to get the same coverage. Please let me know whether you provide Insurance for members
Any mandate requireing people to buy a policy, is unconstitutional, I heard a constititional lawyer say. I agree with Earl Duncan above. Tort reform, Sell across state lines, fix a few other problems.
Keep up the good work of keeping us informed and listing to the membership Thanks
None of this will happen till Scott Brown becomes President & Sarah Palin is VP
I am fed up and totally confused by this health care issue. All I know is that since the PAAD facilitated our move into Advantage by RX America for my wife Part D benifits and me into Medco Medicare for my Part D benifits my prescription cost has been humongous. My wife has especially been affected she is 66 years of age and has suffered with COPD for ten years and also has diabetes, high colestoral and a heart ailment. She is in oxygen 24/7 and takes about seven pills a day. We have a low income (just Social Security) which is less than 1,600 a month on, we were on a New Jersey plan (PAAD) for low income seniors which allowed use to get our perscriptions for a co-pay of $6 or $7.00. We received a notice that after 12/31/2009 we would be put in a Part D plan if we didn’t select one by that time, the reason we haven’t selected one was first of all there were so many different plan and all of them were out of our price range. Now I just paid $276.00 for four of her medicines in the last week plus there are going to charge us $35.00 a month each for the Part D plan. The Big Question we have is how will AMAC, Inc help us with our prescriptions and other medical issues. I have called these companies several times and have not received any sensible explanation.
Your plan makes more sense than anything coming out of Wahington, but the seniors need to be able to purchase gap insurance at an affordable price that covers everything that Medicare does not cover including co-pay and other outof pocket expenses.
For those who opt out, the 10year higher fee when they do join is a little off kilter I think. If a person opt out and then joined a year later and had an apendex removed so for ten yrs he pay a higher premium so they can recover the total cost of the operation or what? This suggestion needs a broad sliding scale or it could be as bad a suggest as the ONE where you get fined $225,000 or something like,that for not joining the masters plan. In other words who determines and how much is premium going to be increased for those 10yrs ?????????
Thanks for listening to us AMAC about (mandatory) being unconstitutional, but the opt out can still be abused by the system, its better than the first plan, but not there just yet. This is a complicated mess, and I think our focus should be on jobs, and spending, as this is all for not if the econemy fails and we hit hyperinflation! God Bless and keep at it!!!
Washington has had their ears closed for years.What makes you think they’ll listen now..???
In 1944, the Manual of Clinical Mycology was prepared by
1.Norman F Conant, Ph.D., Assoc Prof of Bacteriology, Duke University
2.Donald Stover Martin, M.D. Assoc Prof of Bacteriology & Assoc., Duke U
3. David Tillerson Smith, M.D., Prof of Bacteriology and Assoc Prof of Medicine, Duke U
4.Roger Denio Baker, M.D., Asoc Prof of Pathology, Duke U
5. Jasper Lamar Callaway, M.D., Assoc Prof of Dermatology & Syphilology
I quote from the FOREWORD
“It is to be regretted that the practice of medicine is so far from reality. As a matter of fact, fungus infections are so prevalent that they should not be the field of interest of a few specialists, but deserve the attention of ALL PHYSICIANS.”
In the PREFACE it states, “Fungus infections are of such common occurrence that we have found it necessary to consider mycotic diseases in the differential diagnosis of practically every obscure infection.”
FACT: THE CDC does not track fungal related infections/diseases.
Continued in PREFACE
“It is obvious that knowledge concerning the clinical aspects of the mycoses can be obtained only when more cases are recognized and reported and that the diagnosis must be made by the clinical laboratory.”
BIG PHARMA AND MANY IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY HAVE KNOWN, SINCE 1944 THE CAUSE OF CANCER, DIABETES, ARTHRITIS, ASTHMA AND TOO MANY MORE TO LIST.. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE BURIED BOOKS AND JOURNALS AS THEY DO NOT WANT US TO KNOW THE CAUSE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS $$$$$.
Medical costs would drop dramatically if the REAL cause of many diseases (fungus) would be exposed and treated properly.
Very little attention is given to the study of mycology in med schools. Lab techs regularly misdiagnose as they do not know how to identify a fungus footprint.
Please AMAC, expose the truth about the Fungus Link to most diseases and demand that the medical community obtain the proper educational curriculum to treat the real cause.
health care overhall1 what needs overhauling is not healthcare, but washington d.c. i am perfectly happy with my coverage, doctor and hospital. the few items in health care that need attentions is allowing companies to cross state borders for selling; right now we have blue cross/blue shield for different states? why? let them come under one set of rules and laws agreed upon by the states. also, cut back on the law suits that help drive up premiums, and cause medical care takers to carry hight malpractice insusrance. the doctors/nurses don’t pay those premiums, we do through higher cost of medicall care. just leave “we the people alone.” pelosi, ried and obama must go. maybe the word impeachment is needed starting now.
excuse my spelling please.
Thank you for letting me say me say my 2 cents worth. I also am a AARP member with SS medicare A & B at a cost of $1158.00 per year, Witch I do not use anymore because Doctors do not honor SS Medicare As I am a Korean War Vet. I was not disabled in any way and was discharged with Honor I went to the VA and they exceped me under their program as they promised when I enlisted. I co-pay my appointment fees as required by their programs witch is still cheaper than medicare. But I still pay medicare their Premiums???, This $1158 SS premium should be transfered to the VETS.program.
Emergency Room service is free.
I will give you a true example what happend to myself, “I broke my hip bone I
went to the ER and they asked me what insurance I had, I told them that I had VA and Medicare, after several weeks I had in
excess of $6500.00 dollars in my Dr’s clinical account to my favor after VA Paid the bill of $8000+ to the Hospital. The hospital also billed medicare and took their share and sent the balance to the Clinic the where the Dr. worked. I called medicare and told them that VA had already paid the total bill, then the Hospital & clinic had to send the money back” TALK ABOUT DOUBBLE DIPPING NO WONDER SS MEDICARE IS BROKE. I will be signing up now. Thank You, Sig D Hopen
Thank you for letting me say me say my 2 cents worth. I also am a AARP member with SS medicare A & B at a cost of $1158.00 per year, Witch I do not use anymore because Doctors do not honor SS Medicare As I am a Korean War Vet. I was not disabled in any way and was discharged with Honor I went to the VA and they exceped me under their program as they promised when I enlisted. I co-pay my appointment fees as required by their programs witch is still cheaper than medicare. But I still pay medicare their Premiums???, This $1158 SS premium should be transfered to the VETS.program.
Emergency Room service is free.
I will give you a true example what happend to myself, “I broke my hip bone I
went to the ER and they asked me what insurance I had, I told them that I had VA and Medicare, after several weeks I had in
excess of $6500.00 dollars in my Dr’s clinical account to my favor after VA Paid the bill of $8000+ to the Hospital. The hospital also billed medicare and took their share and sent the balance to the Clinic the where the Dr. worked. I called medicare and told them that VA had already paid the total bill, then the Hospital & clinic had to send the money back” TALK ABOUT DOUBBLE DIPPING NO WONDER SS MEDICARE IS BROKE. I will be signing up now.
Thanks AMAC. There are a lot of moving parts here in this puzzle but the one that needs fundamental change is for government to leave the people alone and let the private markets fix this gradually over time. We already have a mess that is not sustainable because of past promisses that cannot be fulfilled – Soc Sec and Medicare costs rising with so many more elderly people on the roles and less younger people supporting both. The government’s Ponzi scheme is coming to an end and they know it. Everything the government touches ends up in fraud and waste because the crooks always know how to exploit the system. It’s like a blank check when the government pays. So I say leave everything exactly like it is until the government can show real tangible progress in addressing the massive fraud that is already known to exist in the current system. The only solution to that is for the government to systematically get out of health care completely over time, We need a complete mindset change in this country to get back to conservative principles that individuals will take care of themselves and their own families. Can you imagine how much less expensive heathcare would be today if there was no involvement by government paying anything to anybody? The private insurers would be competing against each other to lower premiums for those who want the insurance. For those who do not want the insurance then they of course are at risk but let them take that risk if they want to. Even if the doctors and hospitals have to take care of soemone with not enough income to pay, then OK the rest of us have to pay but that is our decision to be an American citizen living in the greatest country of the world. Let the people be free and let their brilliance and the brilliance of free markets take care of this cost problem caused by the federal government.
Someone has to start cutting the Medicare spending. We can’t keep promising “no cuts.” The plan looks great except for that.
True insurance is intended to be catastrophic protection. First step, get the government out of health care (except for licensing and fraudulent practices). Two, transition to an HSA-based system so that each person/family can make their own decisions with whichever doctor they feel most comfortable. This will also bring down health care costs due to competitive market forces. With large deductibles, insurance premiums would also be less. This approach will also free employer’s of this expensive burden and bring down the general cost of goods and services in the marketplace. It’s time to reinstitute personal responsibility and accountability into our American culture.
The AMAC plan shown with the changes mentioned concerning mandatory participation is much better that the others. My personal opinion on the cost of Medicare etc. is the Govt’s ignorance in GIVING coverage to those who have NOT earned the right. If the Congress wants them covered let the Representatives pay for what they want to give them. Our budget would be balanced if Govt. would only spend within limits of what they take in, and taxes could even reduce.
After reading your comparison of plans I have the following comments
1] Needs to be added regulation of insurance companies and the states to make sure they toe the line. Not as in the proposed plans
2]Do not like the mandates for individuals to purchase policies although I cannot see other options that must surely exist.
3] Federal Govt should not pay the States for increased Medicaid costs. Hard to define, and no incentive for States to keep costs down. Give the States power to regulate their own.
4] Needs to include incentives for keeping State costs down
5] Needs to provide for increased Federal oversight of Ins companies and States
6] Requirements for Interstate sales of Policies needs to be set by Federal Govt then let NAIC work within those parameters
6] Need much stronger fines etc. for malpractice cases LOST. and more strict standards to even begin a lawsuit.
7] Need to include significant incentives for reduction of medical costs. Not putting so much emphasis on just insurance reform.
8] The entire program needs to be one of cost reduction and efficiency.
9] Need to include incentives for cost reduction ie split cost reductions between providers making savings, and consumers who paid for inefficient care Maybe spread over a couple of years.
Some of these are repetitive and I apologize but I hope some are able to follow my lines of reasoning.
This looks like some thing that will work. It certainly makes more sense than whats in congress!
Nearly infinitely superior to either of the congressional monstrosities. Ideally, I’d like to see the federal government entirely removed from all aspects of health care. Such involvement to date has been costly, inefficient, meddlesome and, of course, unConstitutional.
I really appreciate your “AMAC Low Cost Solution,” published in the most recent AMAC magazine.
I would like to suggest some areas that your plan did not include, but I believe are very important if we are to truly improve the healthcare in the USA:
1. Fee schedules should be publicized, and the Resource Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) should be applied generally. Currently radiological studies, surgical procedures, and hospital fees are exorbitant, mostly due to “cost shifting,” which should dissolve with universal coverage.
2. In addition to tort reform, there should be caps on claims for malpractice, pain and suffering.
3. Not one plan has addressed the cost of medication. We need to understand why this nation pays the highest fees in the world for new medications. Many citizens cannot afford their medications, and pharmacy benefit plans arbitrarily deny requests for medications that are indicated.
4. The Obama regime is currently requiring a shift to Electronic Medical Records. This would provide some benefits, all of which I believe are outweighed by the cost of such programs, the possible breach of personal privacy, and impractibility (there is no reason for certain practices — say dermatology or optometry — or small practices to spend $5-10,000 to initiate a system, and 25% annual maintenance fees). EMRs may be a “backdoor” attempt to collect data for the purpose of rationing and restricting, which I oppose. Medical decisions should be made between the patient and the doctor, not by some heartless, witless bureaucrat.
5. Please state firmly that non-citizens are exempt from universal health coverage in the US. (When I travel I have to purchase my own insurance because other countries will not include me in their plans if I get sick abroad.)
6. I do not see that any plans include Health Savings Accounts, which option has benefited many individuals.
7. Although addressed obliquely, it should be understood that every US citizen must participate in the same universal healthcare plans, including federal employees, congressmen, senators, and even presidents! Only special groups should be exempted, namely the elderly (Medicare), the destitute (Medicaid), and prisoners, because of their unique situations.
Thanks,AMAC,my enrollment application is on it;s way.I have been waiting for this.I was anaarp member for many years,but now I have told them where to put it.Whenwe get the demos impeached,things will get better fast.
My thanks to the AMAC for their proposal and to the doctor who offered some sensible suggestions that also may need to be addressed. We on Medicare A/B would rejoice at something like this very sensible approach.
I don’t see how the AMAC plan will help those who can’t afford an insurance policy that would cover a pre-existing condition. We are fast approaching the time, with the retirement of the “baby boomers,” in which government through Medicare will pay the majority of health costs. The government here is you and me, the taxpayers. Don’t we want a system that is more economical than the “for profit” system we have now? We can get the profit out of health care by having the government pay hospitals and doctors a fair return and eliminate the need for the “middle man,” namely the insurance company that gets between you and your doctor.
The VA offers a streamlined, solid health care system without such interference. A “Medicare for all” system patterned after the VA would save money and deliver the best health care in the world.
Why should it even be a foregone conclusion the we even need or want a National Health care program. Why can’t Government get out of our loves and let us live them freely?? Seems to me we would all be better of that way.
The problem your not addressing is the cost of the premium. I have a preexisting condition that will be with me the rest of my life. If I become laid off I still have the same monthly bills and unless you have had to exist on unemployment compensation you don’t understand the problem. I do everything I can to bring money into the household, but at 56, not many companies are willing to take you on. If I am going to be penalized after paying into the system since I was 12 years old, then the system has to many hands controlling it and that’s where the cuts need to be made, and that includes the illegals that put such a large strain on us in every way imaginable. Eight emergency rooms were shut down in L.A., CA just last year due to non-payment from the illegals. I have compassion for the other guy, but my family and their future comes first.
Great plan with one flaw, you opt out and sign an agreement that pre-existing illness, etc. is not covered should you opt in at a later date. All one has to do is write a Dear John letter to Obama, Redi or Pelosi and they will allow you back in with full coverage for pre-existing.
Attention Politicians!
If you want jobs in the USA you have to be competitive. In addition to lowering taxes (Poland and Ireland have prospered by lowering taxes) you have to address Health Care (HC) cost. What Obama fails to mention, is our Health Care (HC) cost precludes our being competitive in the global market, so we loose automobile manufacturing jobs (and the associated tax revenue) to countries like Canada because their health care cost is lower (I am not suggesting we incorporate their system).
A major component is administrative cost. The government should send an RPP (request for proposal) to private providers, to manage the HC system. Hypothetically, if the US has 800,000 physicians, and each physician requires 1.5 administrators, it requires 1.2 million administrators. If each is paid $ 40,000.00 the total annual cost is $48 billon. If that can be reduced by 50%, we just saved $24 billion, + the associated peripheral cost incurred by pharmacies that can’t read prescriptions, etc. Rather than paying someone to do studies (I just did it), let the private companies respond with a proposal, and pay them a % of the savings or a contingency, as one does with attorneys. The percentage of savings would decrease, as the cost of managing the HC system decreases. We must get business out of the hands of government.
Your concept is good – and it takes the thumb of the Federal Government off of healthcare. However I still prefer the recommendation I read on House Minority Leader, John Boehner’s website. It is step by step and we need to see where each of those actions leads – then we’ll know what direction we need to go to improve those parts of our healthcare delivery which are broken and not destroy the parts that work well for the people in this country.
I am very hesitant to make massive unchartered changes to our healthcare system as you have proposed – but with that being said, I think you’ve come up with a far superior proposal to either option congress has proposed -
How many of the medical
un-insured SMOKE? I have been told it cost between $2,000 to $4,000 per year to smoke per year!
What do you all think? Is Medical reform the only reform we need in America? Is it too much to ask Americans to be accountable? Should I be made to pay for a smoker’s health insurance? I did not see where this was addresses in the AMAC plan. What about the added cost for all the smoke related illness. What does that cost each of us. Some one is paying for the smokers. Is it the smokers or is this cost passed on to the insured Americans through higher medical cost and higher medical cost.
Maybe all we need to do to reform medical in America is get the non-insured Smokers to cover the extra cost. If we did this would the medical cost go down and medical insurance? What do you all think?
I do think we should help people that help them selves or do I have this all wrong.
I have a friend that like her husband is a non-smoker, but lost all their saving and could not keep up repairs on their home once he got sick. It used all their saving and now that her husband is gone she had to sell the home. These are the Americans I’m happy to help.
Thanks for reading
One provision that would encourage competition would be a yearly period of review where a person could switch to a less expensive plan.
Also there would be and advantage to have a tax free or tax credit for a medical savings plan available to everyone that could be used to help pay co-pays and other out of pocket expenses. That would help create an incentive to shop for lower costing medical services.
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
You have done a wonderful job:
1. Creating a fantastic thoughtful plan
2. Comparing plans side by side
Lets go. I doubt if people who should represnt will. Its the best so far.
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.
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?
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.
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!
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).
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….
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
Do you carry automobile and homeowners insurance?
Much thanks,
ARV
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Obama care will devastate our country. This sounds great but what chance do we have??
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Stop Obama Care now before it gets voted in otherwise it will be almost impossible to reverse it.
Obama health care if passed will put our Government is the same state as Greece. Please Pray that it will not be passed.
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!!!!!
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.
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?