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Why does is the health care bill so vague as to benefits?

According to the launguage below the benefits will be determined by one year after it passes (if it passes). Is this bill not just a pig in a poke? HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) Establishment- (1) IN GENERAL- There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans. (2) CHAIR- The Surgeon General shall be a member and the chair of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee. (3) MEMBERSHIP- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following members, in addition to the Surgeon General: (A) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the President. (B) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States in a manner similar to the manner in which the Comptroller General appoints members to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission under section 1805(c) of the Social Security Act. (C) Such even number of members (not to exceed 8) who are Federal employees and officers, as the President may appoint. Such initial appointments shall be made not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (4) TERMS- Each member of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall serve a 3-year term on the Committee, except that the terms of the initial members shall be adjusted in order to provide for a staggered term of appointment for all such members. (5) PARTICIPATION- The membership of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall at least reflect providers, consumer representatives, employers, labor, health insurance issuers, experts in health care financing and delivery, experts in racial and ethnic disparities, experts in care for those with disabilities, representatives of relevant governmental agencies. and at least one practicing physician or other health professional and an expert on children's health and shall represent a balance among various sectors of the health care system so that no single sector unduly influences the recommendations of such Committee. (b) Duties- (1) RECOMMENDATIONS ON BENEFIT STANDARDS- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subtitle referred to as the `Secretary') benefit standards (as defined in paragraph (4)), and periodic updates to such standards. In developing such recommendations, the Committee shall take into account innovation in health care and consider how such standards could reduce health disparities. (2) DEADLINE- The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend initial benefit standards to the Secretary not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Public Comments

  1. So they can give themselves as much authoritarian discretion as they can.
  2. Do any of you know anyone doing without health care when they need it in America as it is now.
  3. It is not vague it is very clear. Obama has stated that the benefits are not in any plan, but a side effect of the plan!
  4. Because you aren't going to like what you hear.
  5. We do not have a single Health Care Bill out yet. It is still being formulated. There are 3 House Bills and 2 Senate Bills. They all have to be combined into one Bill before you will have a clear idea as what the Bill actually contains. That will not happen until sometime in October.
  6. The Senate proposal I have is a little more specific than this. It details how people will qualify, what the criteria and income guidelines are, talks about some services, that kind of thing. Here is a link so you can download it, too: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/7093926/HELP-bill I suggest you read it. There are alot of things in there I have serious issues with. Then again, I'm against nationalized health care period.
  7. It is purposefully vague so they can get it passed and then interpret it however they want to later. Be sure you know this: this bill is not about healthcare. It is about taking control.
  8. that's the dirty little secret that the proponents are failing to realize...it's not what's "IN" the proposed bill(s)....it's what's "NOT" in the wording. i'm having a hard time being called "unamerican" for voicing my opposition to this sham, but i'm afraid i find it even more "unamerican" for those on the left that don't seem to have "NOT" "ONE" question or concern about the proposed 1000+ page bill(s) !!!!! the blind support by the proponents of this are not annoying, but truly scary !!!
  9. They are in a hurry to get it signed into law before the people figure out it's just a tool for the government to phase into full blown socialism. I think the conversation probably went something like this.... "Details, details.........let's just push this through and get the public under our thumb as quickly as possible. Let's use mindless liberal democrats (that only voted for me because I'm black and don't know anything about me) to vilify anyone who encourages liberty and meaningful debate, and distract everyone from the fact that we are going to plunge America into economic ruin so we can transform the nation into a socialist nation. Ok, thanks guys, I'm going out for a smoke. Oh yeah, this is on the down low bro, right? Yeah, you got it. It's all good."
  10. The benefits are not said for a reason. Because the need for different benefits change over the years, the law markers wrote in flexibility. For example, when Medicare was created in the 1960s, there was no need for a prescription drug benefit. Now, very few insurers do not provide that benefit. With this board, they recommend what should be on the standard plan or the premium plan. This is similar to boards that decide what is organic or not. This will not hinder the marketplace. It will help it by creating standards.
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