House passes health care reform bill

[Natural Elements]

The House of Representatives on Saturday night passed a sweeping health care bill by a vote of 220-215.

Earlier, the House passed an amendment to pending health care legislation that prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance "exchange" the bill would create.

The vote passed 240-194.

A second amendment considered by the House, introduced by Minority Leader John Boehner, which would have substituted several sections of the health care bill dealing with insurance, did not pass. Legislators voted against the amendment 258-176.

The first amendment, introduced by anti-abortion Democrats, bans federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance "exchange" the bill would create. Its consideration was considered a big win for them and for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which used its power -- especially with conservative Democrats in swing congressional districts -- to help force other Democratic leaders to permit a vote that most of them oppose.

The prohibition, introduced by Democratic members, including Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Indiana, and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, would exclude cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger.

Republicans strongly supported the measure.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/...are/index.html

[DomainZaar]

It has to be stressed that this was the House of Representatives in Washington DC, as all other "Western" countries already have a system of national public health care in place. Congratulations to the American People and may this Bill continue it's successful journey through the Capital.

[robjones]

It has to be stressed that this was the House of Representatives in Washington DC, as all other "Western" countries already have a system of national public health care in place.

Seriously... was that necessary?

[Natural Elements]

Here is the bill H.R. 3962, read it and comment!

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

[ScriptMan]

Originally Posted by Natural Elements

Here is the bill H.R. 3962, read it and comment!

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Why should I bother to read it when the idiots that voted for did not read it?

[webcosmo]

Currently I have to pay 22%+ income taxes; I hear this would get me pay even more taxes. Its good people gonna get health care, but instead of taxing people why dont we cut military expenses!

[Natural Elements]

Watch this: The $60 Billion Fraud

Medicare and Medicaid fraudsters are beating U.S. taxpayers out of an estimated $90 billion a year using a billing scam that is surprisingly easy to execute. Steve Kroft investigates:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?...sSidebarArea.0

And they want to build a huge health care system? I am wondering what would be the next fraud...

[Allen Farlow]

Headline from the New York Times:

Narrow Vote of 220-215 Provides Victory for Obama
By CARL HULSE and ROBERT PEAR

Handing President Obama a hard-fought victory, the House voted to approve a $1.1 trillion, 10-year plan that Democrats said could be their defining social policy achievement.

Defining social policy achievement? How's about the end of their career's for 220 Congressmen and women who voted for it?! VOTE THEM OUT!

Do you feel that? Yeah, that, that big stick in your mouth.

That's the Dems shoving this health care reform down your throat whether you want it or not.

But it's not a done deal yet. Let's see how the Senate votes and how many Senators want to lose their jobs.

I think it's disgusting to see the pictures in the news of Pelosi and the rest of the crooks standing there smiling as if they've done something good for America. $1.1 TRILLION?! They should be treated like the robbers they are and be sent to prison. They are robbing us with ink pens instead of handguns.

[Allen Farlow]

The Affordable Health Care for America Act, or H.R. 3962, restricts insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition or charging higher premiums based on gender or medical history. It also provides federal subsidies to those who cannot afford health insurance. And it guarantees coverage for 96 percent of Americans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/...are/index.html

Hey, that's great that people who can't afford health care policies can get a FEDERAL SUBSIDY to help cover the costs! Now the illegal immigrants can get the same coverage as Americans...

But wait. Who says there will be policies to pay for? Do you honestly think for a minute that insurance companies will continue to actively seek new policies when there is a clear stipulation in this bill that bans them from declining anyone based on PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS? Do you think they will continue to write policies for the aged and the infirm knowing they are banned from charging HIGHER RATES to cover the increased costs of more extensive medical care for such people?

Do you honestly think hospitals, doctors and nurses will continue providing care when they know the insurance companies won't even pay for 50% of the actual costs? How long will they remain in business as hospitals, doctors and nurses?

I don't see a lot of people rushing out to become doctors and nurses, or starting new hospitals...

What about nursing homes? How many elderly will be kicked to the curb?

Here's what I see happening: Insurance companies, since they are in business for only one reason, to turn a huge profit, will bail on providing health care policies. (Anyone recall Allstate Insurance canceling thousands of homeowner policies after the hurricane swept through Homestead , Florida a few years ago?)

If the government told General Motors that they would have to pay a $5,000 tariff on every new Cadillac, but were BANNED from passing that cost on to the consumer/purchaser, how long do you think they'd keep cranking out Caddies?

Because of this 'wonderful' health care reform baloney Obama is jamming down our throats, we can expect it to become a lot more difficult to find an insurer willing to 'allow' you to purchase a health care policy. (They are a business and they don't have to issue you a policy of any kind if they don't want to. They can find some other excuse to not sell it to you, or they can simply go out of the health care policy business altogether.)

Simply put, this whole thing is going to screw the ordinary American, big time. To fund it, we will be placed into slavery of debt even more than we are now after the stimulus bills and the bank and insurance company bailouts.

Gee, imagine that, the taxpayer bails out insurance companies to keep them in the business of screwing us over...

[Natural Elements]

$1.1 trillion dollar for the health care system and only $169 billions to create employments?

It seems like the priority of the people and the politicians are not the same.

A simple question, why?

[FreeTheNoob]

I watched this on CNN when they were voting. I was really happy when they passed it because I have a couple good friends that have been having problems with insurance companies due to existing conditions and family history. I hope that this will clear that up for them and allow them to get affordable insurance for they don't have to worry about paying off big Medical bills for something that they couldn't have done anything to prevent.

[thegamerslink]

It really saddens me that people are so uneducated when it comes to the health insurance issue. No offense FreeTheNoob all the bill will get you or your friends at this point is a mandated insurance requirement, increased taxes to pay for it, fines and jail time if you don't pay for it, and lower quality of care. Mandating anything like this does nothing but decrease its availability its quality and increase the corruption that is within it. But go ahead and be happy, see how ya feel about it in 5- 10 years....I see a whole lot of folks saying I remember back when...

[thegamerslink]

Now this is just me, but I would think if you got rid of the red tape bs, made it illegal for companies to be in a no compete zone, meaning get rid of the legalized monopolies, opened up the competition then rates would have to start being competitive regardless where you lived, take away the breach of contract protection that the companies now enjoy and require them to follow through with the contracts that they have went into, i.e. if you pay for catastrophic health coverage it actually covers catastrophic health regardless of what or for how long, and no loophole excuses to get out of paying it. This again comes into allow competition in all states and all companies........there is a lot more but why bother going into it....needless to say the current bill doesn't have it in there, the Republican bill was a little bit close but still didn't get there....a nanny state and a state of entitlement is never the answer, remember for every entitlement you get you lose about 100 basic rights.....is it worth it? Health bill passes smoking is illegal, going to Mcdonalds and getting a Big Mac is illegal, wearing shorts in the winter is illegal, not doing 15 pushups a day and running for 20 minutes is now illegal.....think of all the other stuff on top of those I just mentioned that will be found to be unhealthy and therefore deemed illegal because it puts a strain on the health system....its already in progress, no transfats in cooking of foods in restaurants California outlawing new fastfood places in particular areas...no smoking outside, no smoking in your house because it bothers the neighbors, its all already started this new bill just gives them the added power to spread it on a broader and faster basis

[Natural Elements]

Ok let's talk a little bit about what people can do under this new health care system.

If the big pharma gives the wrong vaccinations, do you think that the governement will cover it up? or what system can prevent things when they go wrong?

How the malpractices under this huge health care system can be handled?

How to prevent the health system to add restriction on smokers, alcoholism, etc?

Are you willing to let the health care system decide on the prescriptions instead of the doctor recommendations?

Are you agree to let the health care system create a huge electronic data base about your heath history?

You can add more concerns about the health care system and let's debat.