Time for action! New U.S. House Health Reform Bill Released

[misparas]

http://capwiz.com/asa/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13737681

"H.R. 3200 creates a new government-sponsored insurance option tied to Medicare called the "public health insurance option." Payments to providers under this plan would be based on Medicare rates. Payments for anesthesia services would be based upon Medicare's unacceptably low anesthesia conversion factor - a payment level calculated to be only 33% percent of commercial/private insurance levels."

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[racerx]

I made the call. It took a mere 3 minutes of my time.

If a lowly MS4 like myself can do it, so can all of you. Apathy gets you nowhere.

 

[Consigliere]

We WILL be making a lot less money gang......

 

[ProRealDoc]

We WILL be making a lot less money gang......

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. I wonder whether the salaries will prevail more in the academic vs PP world. Time to wait and see. I've always said politics is where's at and our lack of involvement is coming back to bite us.

 

[DrRobert]

We WILL be making a lot less money gang......

How can you be so sure? The Senate seems to be leaning against a government insurance option. It also seems a Senate bill is more likely to be the one that makes it to the President's desk. As long as the government insurance plan doesn't materialize salaries won't change.

Not to mention that participation in this plan is not mandatory, so your group can elect to not take care of these patients, just like many providers elect not to accept medicare/medicaid patients.

 

[ProRealDoc]

How can you be so sure? The Senate seems to be leaning against a government insurance option. It also seems a Senate bill is more likely to be the one that makes it to the President's desk. As long as the government insurance plan doesn't materialize salaries won't change.

Not to mention that participation in this plan is not mandatory, so your group can elect to not take care of these patients, just like many providers elect not to accept medicare/medicaid patients.

Assuming a public option is pushed through, how do you propose to stop the public from buying into this cheaper option and therefore increasing the number of patients with insurance reimbursing only 110% of current medicare rates?

 

[DrRobert]

Assuming a public option is pushed through, how do you propose to stop the public from buying into this cheaper option and therefore increasing the number of patients with insurance reimbursing only 110% of current medicare rates?

I agree that if this option is pushed through it would be a worst-case scenario.

But I do think all the possibilities need to be discussed. Like I said, your group could play hardball and refuse to accept these patients. If the hospital really wanted you to provide anesthesia for these patients, then your group could demand a subsidy to cover the difference between the public insurance rate and private insurance rates.

Also, there is a lot of opposition to a public plan, not only from Republicans but also from some Democrats. Even if this bill passes on partisan grounds, it would unlikely be sustainable. Once a Republican majority is regained, the public plan could be dismantled. Orrin Hatch has already eluded to this issue of sustainability.

 

[titanjones]

i called my US rep today...it took 5 min. Its time for action.

 

[gclax30]

I agree that if this option is pushed through it would be a worst-case scenario.

But I do think all the possibilities need to be discussed. Like I said, your group could play hardball and refuse to accept these patients. If the hospital really wanted you to provide anesthesia for these patients, then your group could demand a subsidy to cover the difference between the public insurance rate and private insurance rates.

Also, there is a lot of opposition to a public plan, not only from Republicans but also from some Democrats. Even if this bill passes on partisan grounds, it would unlikely be sustainable. Once a Republican majority is regained, the public plan could be dismantled. Orrin Hatch has already eluded to this issue of sustainability.

Playing "hardball" like this might work for a little while... until the public option eventually drives out all private insurance because they can't compete with "free" (i.e. the Wal Mart effect) and everyone is then forced under the umbrella of the public plan. You won't be able to refuse these patients then or else you won't have a job.

And I can't possibly fathom in my wildest dream this system being dismantled once it is up and running, even if there were GOP majorities in Congress and a Republican president. No politician would be re-elected if they supported a policy that would "take grandma's healthcare away". It just won't happen. The only way to stop this is to keep it from coming to be in the first place.

 

[Gimlet]

i called my US rep today...it took 5 min. Its time for action.

When you call, are you speaking with a real live person, or leaving a voice message? Obviously I'm not expecting to get ahold of my congressman, but I don't know if I'm up for extemporizing if I have to speak with someone who will be making counterpoints...I guess what I'm saying is that I like e-mail better.

 

[racerx]

I don't know if it is the same with every congress member's office, but I spoke with a live person. At the end of the conversation, she took my name, address, phone number, and email.

Now I'll probably get every junk mail, phone solicitation, and spam known to mankind.

 

[Gimlet]

Alright, done. Made the call. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

 

[Stank811]

Made the call and staff answered the phone and just listened to me talk and then stated he would pass it on to the congressman, real simple