Posted by
im2byteme on Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:06:31 AM
The following excerpts from the latest installment of the House bill, which will join the Senate bill, are slow reading and an entanglement of legalistic jargon, but clear enough to understand the mindset of the Legislative branch of our government. There is an agenda to reshape America and the current administration is the focal point. Those in Congress that are in line with the current administration will be driven to produce sweeping legislation, but understand that even in the Democratic party concessions will have to be made to get a foot in the door. It doesn’t take over 2,000 pages of either House or Senate bills to legislate fixes for what ails our current health care system. It does take 2,000 pages or more though to hide the ominous threat this takeover of our current system will entail.
To give instant credibility to my interjected commentary I provided some examples verbatim from the House bill. This was done to illustrate a point of how far-reaching and complex the lawmakers will go to create a maze to confound the masses. Keep in mind the following is just a grain of sand from the vast expanse on a beach of sand.
TITLE I—IMMEDIATE REFORMS
SEC. 101. NATIONAL HIGH-RISK POOL PROGRAM.
IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall establish a temporary national high-risk pool program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘program’’) to provide health benefits to eligible individuals during the period beginning on January 1, 2010, and, subject to subsection (h)(3)(B), ending on the date on which the Health Insurance Exchange is established.
(b) A
DMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may carry out this section directly or, pursuant to agreements, grants, or contracts with States, through State high-risk pool pro-
grams provided that the requirements of this section are met.
Hope you have been brushing up on your understanding of ERISA Employer Retirement Income Security Act, Social Security Act, Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and Public Health Service Act because they will be referred to many times throughout this behemoth bill.
How is this High-Risk Pool that starts up (a bit presumptuous) only a week after Christmas 2009 going to be funded you ask? It’s crystal clear right here!
(h) F
UNDING; TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—
(1) I
N GENERAL.—There is appropriated to the Secretary, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated (since we are already operating at a deficit I’m not quite sure how that works?), $5,000,000,000 to pay claims against (and administrative costs of) the high-risk pool under this section in excess of the premiums collected with respect to eligible individuals enrolled in the high-risk pool. Such funds shall be available without fiscal year limitation. (Excuse me?)
(2) INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.—If the Secretary estimates for any fiscal year that the aggregate amounts available for payment of expenses of the high-risk pool will be less than the amount of the expenses, the Secretary shall make such adjustments as are necessary to eliminate such deficit, including reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists. I’m sorry I could have sworn I just read eliminate deficit by reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists?
SEC. 1122. MISVALUED CODES UNDER THE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE.
- I
N GENERAL.—Section 1848(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs
They change the scope of the Social Security Act in order to increase spending by $20M for something that is already funded with no reports from the GAO of benefit received. It appears there is a black hole for appropriation of funds with no true accountability. In the back-swing they take out parts of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and CMS oversight that was an advisory council which evaluates government health services. How convenient!
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—
(1) FUNDING.—For purposes of carrying out the provisions of subparagraphs (K) and (L) of 1848(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a), in addition to funds otherwise available, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management Account $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and each subsequent fiscal year. Amounts appropriated under this paragraph for a fiscal year shall be available until expended.
Wait that’s not enough let’s make this section as nefarious as possible and allow sweeping powers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in order to fly under the radar.
(2) A
DMINISTRATION.—
(A) Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code and the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to this section or the amendment made by this section.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may implement subparagraphs (K) and (L) of 1848(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a), by program instruction or otherwise.
You have heard it mentioned before I’m sure, but if this or any similar bill passes we will begin paying for it and being taxed immediately, and we will receive no benefit from it until as late as the year 2014. That means the government intends to fund this monstrosity and begin the infrastructure to support it. Most Americans can’t even phantom how big our government currently is and this bill will grow it to a staggering workforce beyond anything we have ever seen. Actually it makes Obama prophetic even though he has been a little slow at the trigger and chronically deceitful, but he may just create the
2.5 million jobs he promised. Unfortunately, they will all be government jobs because private sector jobs would violate his and the administrations ideology for redistribution of wealth.
This administration has been hell on words as we comprehend them. Besides a sea of rhetoric unlike any we have ever heard, we are now faced with a mid-stream change in terminology, and just flat out documented lies. Two of the biggest bombs to me were changing "terrorism" to "man caused disasters" because apparently what it really is may be too scary, and; when "Global Warming" became too dicey, it was then referred to as "Climate Change". It makes one wonder just what this administration means, exactly, by "Healthcare Reform"? Occasionally I have even heard Obama say "Overhaul" which takes on a completely different meaning, and would truly limit what we are seeing the Democrats doing. This administration as early as during Obama’s campaigning has tagged "Healthcare Reform" as near sacred an undertaking that no one from either party could possibly be against it. In talking points an opening phrase in any argument is often started with "surely you’re not against Healthcare Reform, are you?" Automatically putting any opposition on the defensive in spite of the credibility of their argument. You can pass some pretty ominous legislation with the perception you would be terrorizing a bunny rabbit if you didn’t buy everything the left was selling. I better qualify my accusation of lying, by mentioning that candidate Obama promised transparency to the degree of showing the Healthcare Reform debates in Congress on C-span. Lockheed could learn something about stealth from the Democratic Congress. The word game I am mentioning here is important because there has been a horrific spin on every piece of legislation we have had thrown at us since Obama took office. The Healthcare Reform bills in Congress are trickery to a criminal extent. If this alleged Healthcare Reform was wholesome in the slightest extent it would not have to be designed in secrecy with the opposition by a majority of voters.
There are two elements of the Healthcare reform that scare me, and I do not scare easily. Besides the many highly publicized threats to freedoms that are cleverly masked by legalese and ambiguity, the two elements I speak of have received very little attention. The first is any degree of language within the legislation which prevents the potential of any future repeal in whole or in part once the legislation is passed. No bill that passes through Congress and is signed by the President should prevent future repeal. My final concern will be in bold upper case, not because I’m angry, but because no one should allow this or any Healthcare bill to pass Congress with open-ended legislation. History is on our side with Social Security and Medicare rich with underestimates in costs and lack of fiscal responsibility by Congress. Keep in mind that Healthcare Reform is being funded by revenue from taxpayers for as long as four years before any benefit from the legislation is recognized. WE CAN NOT ALLOW TAX REVENUE INTENDED TO SET UP A FUND FOR THIS NEW HEALTHCARE TO GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND IN SPITE OF ANY GOOD INTENTIONS. The government has been robbing Peter to pay Paul ever since Social Security began. We currently have two entitlement programs that actually, on the books, ran at a surplus all but one year since their inception. Now we sit with worthless IOU’s, on the books, to make up for the loans from the funds Congress should never have touched for any reason. Do you really think the Treasury can be trusted to handle the funds for Healthcare Reform? Don’t you think it would be prudent if there was ironclad legislation with an investment plan for any funds collected by the Treasury between now and 2014?
We should have learned something from Social Security! Sure we can look into the future and forecast that it will be bankrupt under the current plan. Did it have to be that way? If there was any fiscal responsibility, oh yes and consequences, in Washington D.C., and they could invest money, as well as they spend it, our entitlement funds would be flush. WE CAN NOT ALLOW ANY TAX DOLLARS OR FEES TO GO INTO THE TREASURY GENERAL FUND FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM!