AHIP Statement on House Passage of H.R. 3962
Posted on: Saturday, 7 November 2009, 22:19 CST
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), released the following statement today on House passage of H.R. 3962.
"Health plans strongly support comprehensive health care reform, and we have contributed to this discussion by proposing a complete overhaul of how health insurance is provided. Earlier this year, we proposed guaranteed coverage, elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions, no longer basing premiums on a person's health status or gender, and an effective personal coverage requirement to get everyone covered. We also have proposed far-reaching administrative simplification reforms that will improve efficiency, reduce costs, and free up time for physicians to focus on patient care.
"The current House legislation fails to bend the health care cost curve and breaks the promise that those who like their current coverage can keep it. A new government-run plan will cause millions to lose their existing coverage and draconian Medicare Advantage cuts will force millions of seniors out of the program entirely.
"This bill imposes inflexible mandates before getting everyone covered and new regulations that duplicate what is already in place at the state level. Many of these reforms begin in 2010 after employees have already chosen their plans and contracts have been negotiated. The result will be increased costs and massive disruptions in the quality coverage individuals and families rely on today.
"Recent polls have shown that Americans are increasingly concerned about the impact of rising health care costs. Yet the current health care reform discussion has, until recently, ignored the cost issue. Without real and effective measures to bend the cost curve, families and employers will not be able to afford coverage and health care costs will rise at a rate much faster than the overall economy is able to sustain.
"Health plans will continue to advocate for bipartisan reforms that cover everyone, improve quality, and make health care coverage more affordable."
America's Health Insurance Plans -- Providing Health Benefits to More Than 200 Million Americans
SOURCE America's Health Insurance Plans
Source: PR Newswire
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User Comments (3)
| 3. |
Posted by Joe Sutton on 11/09/2009, 22:59 You only have to look at the source of this opinion to know where they\'re coming from. Of course they don\'t like the bill, it means money out of their pocket. Even with the compromises done to weaken it to get it out of the House, the status quo, represented by Big Insurance still won\'t be happy until it\'s so watered down as to represent no change to the present system. And Mr. Woods, you acknowledge that, you\'re ALREADY paying for universal healthcare by your apparent recognition that anybody without insurance can walk into an ER and get treatment. If those same folks could go to a clinic under normal circumstances with insurance, the cost to the country would be immensely less than it is now. You seem to know that hospitals & doctors charge the rest of us higher fees to recoup the money they lose on those indiginent families that can\'t qualify now. Given some means to pay their bills normally, the rest of us won\'t have to subsidize them. And by the way, you\'d be surprised that most of the people in those ERs without insurance are not illegals, but poor working stiffs whose jobs don\'t offer health plans, or are just out of work. |
| 2. |
Posted by j mogren on 11/09/2009, 21:20 you're little bit late in the game says it all, I have been party to being dropped from coverage because of a health condition that insurance companies like YOU do not want to cover because it is not profitable, peddle your BS somewhere else |
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Posted by Gordon A. Woods on 11/09/2009, 20:30 I must not understand what Congress is doing. They are creating Health Care for all? Right now, if you go to the Emergency Room, you cannot be turned away and most people know this, especially the illegal aliens. This cost is currently being absorbed into Hospital fees, Doctor and Insurance fees. Basically we are already paying for everybody. There are some inequities, but the Insurers now appear ready to adjust their business to accommodate change. Lets try this first. I wish the Democrats would be more hesitant to indebt our great,great grandchildren with something that they and we know is going to become an unending money pit. They want me to keep my health insurance along with the annual increases and to tax me more heavily thru Federal, Social Securiy, State and Local TAXES. It will drive many more people into bankruptcy because we are barely managing now. How much more can Congress spend before we are a Third World Country? Looking at our History for the past 50 years this has been the plan all along. Medicare waste has been going on for 50 years, how do you stop it? This is the major income to pay for Health Care... A JOKE. |
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