Health Insurance Reform.

Healthcare Reform changes to Health Insurance Reform. Congress wants to hold insurance companies accountable. Max Baucus announced his bill for healthcare. It will cost over 800 trillion dollars over a 10 yr. period but promises that it will be paid for with $349 billion in new taxes and fees and $507 billion in cuts to government health programs. The plan would impose $93 billion in fees on insurance companies, drugmakers and other sectors of the health-care industry. And it would collect nearly $50 billion in penalties from people who do not obtain health insurance and employers who do not offer their workers affordable options for coverage. (Robbing those who have to hand to those who have not) Unfortunately, I couldn't find the actual bill to read so here are the major points being reported.

This plan promises that every American can find affordable insurance that can never be taken away. Basically, it mandates that the insurance company must offer the plan to a person regardless of pre-existing conditions and as long as the person pays the premium.

Max Baucus said, "It shifts the focus to quality of care provided not quantity of services provided." It would set up a system of non-profit Consumer-owned cooperatives to compete with insurance companies.

Is it gov't run? No. The bill allows nonprofit cooperatives to offer alternatives to insurance company plans through exchanges.

Does it have an individual mandate? Yes. Individuals must purchase insurance or pay a penalty based on income (up to $950 per year for individuals and $3,800 per year for families).

Does it have an employer mandate? Well, sort of but No, the bill would not require employers to offer health insurance. But effective Jan. 1, 2013, all employers with more than 50 employees who do not offer coverage would have to reimburse the government for each full-time employee receiving a health-care affordability tax credit in the exchange.

Is there Medicaid expansion? yes, over everyone earning under 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

Will there be an insurance subsidy? Yes but not until 2013, tax credits would be available on a sliding scale for individuals and families who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

I will keep looking for the actual bill documents to read it for myself. (For those keeping track-off work today-using home laptop-using my own time. Thanks)