What is in Section 123 of the Government Health Care Bill?
I’ve been spending some time reviewing the ObamaCare bill HR. 3200 that is currently in the House of Representatives. As I originally thought, the deeper I looked the scarier it became for the freedoms of all Americans…
This week, I reviewed section 123 of the government health care bill, and found that it advertently strips the ‘freedom of choice’ in health care directly out of the citizens hands and into a hands of political bureaucrats in Washington.
This part of the bill is particularly troubling to me because it creates a government committee that will decide what benefits the American citizen will receive, after they have already been taxed for the plan that they may or may not desire. It essentially leaves the citizen with no choice what-so-ever on what level of health care coverage they deem necessary, but decides their health care coverage 100% for them. (Unlike a private plan, where the citizen can decide what level of health care they desire to purchase)
The scary part, is that this committee may not even be made up by Doctors, and will be mainly appointed by the President and the Comptroller General. If you examine the section closely below, you will also find that the only Doctor required to be on the committee is the Surgeon General, who is also named by the President.
A portion of Section 123 in HR3200 is below…
SEC. 123. 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.
To me this is another example of unprecedented power. One committee with potentially only one medical doctor will decide what level of health care coverage & benefits the entire country of citizens will receive? (since it is a given that this will turn into a single payer system, as Obama clearly desires) Just think of the unchecked power the President and Comptroller General will have in naming these positions… Is there any doubt political payback will be involved ahead of qualifications and expertise?
I also find it troubling that the experts on this committee will not be scrutinized at all by Congress or the American people. With such a large amount of responsibility being handed to these individuals, shouldn’t Congress be required to confirm these appointments, or at least have a hand in who is appointed?
This bill smells of more corruption and waste within our federal government today. What this section essentially adds up to is nothing more than ‘loss of freedom’ in health care. If this bill passes, Americans will no longer be deciding what level of coverage and benefits they will have in health care, but the government will be deciding it for them by committee.
It is clear by the outrage in America that a line has been drawn in the sand. Those who desire the government to run every aspect of their lives support Obama and the liberal Democrats in power. Those who desire limited Constitutional government, and are deeply apposed to socialist policies of those in power, support health care reform that increases our individual liberty and freedom.
Looks like a very bad bill. Do everything you can to see that it is NOT passed. Where are our Republican legislators? They should be raising a very large & loud noise about this bill!
When health coverage becomes mandatory:
If one does not have coverage and enters a hospital for treatment of any normal emergency condition such as apendicitis, being unable to produce a gubmint issued dictatorship health/ID card will guarantee the police are called and the act would be called a serious crime.
Thus, the non-insured (read “refuse-nicks” or “free men” or just plain old honest yet unemployed but self-reliant) become instant criminals and are culled from the population. To be re-educated perhaps? No matter what happens to their economic status after that, the unlawful stigma of so-called “criminal” remains.