[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by geetrue

Here's someone who read the bill page by page.

The comments are his not mine ...

My only comment is My God how can any american vote for this?

Peter Fleckenstein, a blogger and former Marine from Phoenix, Arizona, is going through the ObamaCare bill page by page and highlighting the provisions he finds there.

Fleckenstein's blog is here < http://blog.flecksoflife.com/<http://blog.flecksoflife.com/> > .

You believe all that crap?

Since the analysis was done by an opponent of the plan, it contains many half-truths, distortions, and outright lies about the actual bill (shocking, huh?) Some of these I found at open salon, and some I looked up myself. First the ones from salon:

"Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!

...the wording on P22 has to do with establishing premium rates by conducting a study of current employer-provided health insurance. There's nothing on that page about employer mandates, either through self-insurance or any other kind of insurance.

Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!

What's on P29 is a proposed formula for determining cost-sharing & co-payments. There's nothing about "health care rationing."

Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)

The committee proposed is not a government committee; it's a public advisory committee chaired by the Surgeon General & with the following membership: 18 members, as worded in the bill, "who are not Federal employees or officers" and up to 8 members "who are Federal employees or officers". So two-thirds of the committee are explicitly not govt, but private sector.

Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.

There is no such statement, here on P50, or anywhere else in the bill. In fact, there is a completely opposite proposal: Section 246, on page 143, which explicitly excludes "Undocumented Aliens" --- "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States."

Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.

well, yes ... to show you have coverage of some sort. We also have to show a driver's license, registration and an auto insurance card to drive in this country.

Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.

well, yes ... to allow us to pay for coverage if we choose the new public plan. It's called EFT. You use it to pay bills. Welcome to the 21st century.

Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.

Yes, there will be rules. That's what bills that became law is --- rules.”

Here are a few of the further fallacies I discovered:

Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)

Not there. Page 84 deals with the different levels of plans to be offered; basic, premium, and enhanced, and the benefit levels each plan must meet.

Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.

It says use “appropriate entities” to “inform and educate individuals and employers about...participating health benefits plan options.” Specifically, outreach to “children” and individuals with “disabilities, mental illness, and other cognitive impairments.” No mention of ACORN or Americorps.

Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.

Wrong. People will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid—only if they have not elected to enroll in another participating plan.

Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.

The page says the employer “provides” auto-enrollment for employees. Provide, meaning to make available, not make mandatory.

Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll.

No mention of the $400,000 figure on page 149. The “employer contribution in lieu of coverage” is “8% of the average wages paid by the employer...taking into account all employees of the employer.”

Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.

This page deals with determining eligibility for “affordability credits.” The information required is “filing status, modified adjusted gross income, and number of dependents,” not ALL financial and personal records. Information the IRS already has, by the way.

Page 253: Government sets value of doctors’ time, their professional judgment, etc.

This page does not set the value of the doctor’s time, it requires “validation” of the doctor’s time, to prevent the government being billed for time not spent with the patient and services not rendered, I would assume.

Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.

This section deals with analyzing special needs PLANS with regard to “cost, quality of care, and patient satisfaction.” It has nothing to do with special needs PEOPLE.

Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory.

This section provides for “consultation” and “explanation” of such things as advanced care planning and advanced directives, and a “list of...resources to assist consumers and their families.” This is available to people who have not had such a consultation within the last 5 years.