House Democrats prepare to unveil health bill

[Alpha Mare]

House Democrats to unveil health bill with government-run insurance, hefty sign-up requirement

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Democrats reached agreement Wednesday on key elements of a health care bill that would vastly alter America's medical landscape, requiring virtually universal sign-ups and establishing a new government-run insurance option for millions.

The final product in the House, reflecting many of President Barack Obama's priorities, includes new requirements for employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties, fines on Americans who don't purchase coverage and subsidies to help lower-income people do so. Insurance companies would face new prohibitions against charging much more to older people or denying coverage to people with health conditions.

The price tag, topping $1 trillion over 10 years, would be paid for by taxing high-income people and cutting some $500 billion in payments to Medicare providers. The legislation would extend health coverage to around 95 percent of Americans.

Republicans criticized the bill even before it was unveiled.

"Americans' health care is too important to risk on one gigantic bill that was negotiated behind closed doors," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. "The Medicare cuts will hurt seniors, the tax increases will kill jobs and the government takeover of health care will increase premium costs."

One change expected to be revealed Thursday is that some of the provisions of the bill, which were set to take effect mostly in 2013, have been moved up so Americans would see the benefits of the legislation more quickly, according to Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/House-Democrats-prepare-to-apf-3280879951.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode

[RobJohnson]

The final product in the House, reflecting many of President Barack Obama's priorities, includes new requirements for employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties, fines on Americans who don't purchase coverage and subsidies to help lower-income people do so. Insurance companies would face new prohibitions against charging much more to older people or denying coverage to people with health conditions.

What a load of shit.

government-run insurance

We need to call this "public option."   

[Carl]

It is simply a bill designed to stick it to political opponents and nothing more.
Our economy will be decimated and anyone now in the middle class will be reduced to lower class by the overall impact of such a communist piece of crap bill.

Then again that is what always happens isn`t it.

[NHSparky]

Everybody hold your noses, here comes another pile of crap from San Fran Nan.