Obama’s health care plan
The Obama health care plan, in its most recent incarnation, is now available for all to see on the White House web site. Obviously the document is long, and can be hard to understand, so this is a summary of the changes since the last version of the health care bill was made available.
Obama’s health care plan contains elements from both the House and Senate versions of the bill, but the White House site says it more closely resembles the senate version. The first part that is on people’s minds is how the Obama health care plan will be paid for. People don’t want to see the feds take out another cash loan and incur more national debt.
Paying for the Obama health care plan
The White House site says the bill will make health care more affordable:
The House and Senate health insurance bills lower premiums through increased competition, oversight, and new accountability standards set by insurance exchanges. The bills also provide tax credits and reduced cost sharing for families with modest income. The President’s Proposal improves the affordability of health care by increasing the tax credits for families.
Middle class and low income families can receive tax breaks for paying for health insurance. Here is a table of tax breaks and applicable income levels.
Here comes the heat
Part of Obama’s health care plan focuses on cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse. The bill creates a comprehensive sanctions database and calls for registration and background checks of billing agencies and individuals. It makes the health care integrity and protection data bank more accessible.
The proposal tendered by the President looks to make sure mental health care is available. It makes real time data review possible and enhances sanctions for fraud of Medicare or Medicaid. Read a full list of crackdown measures.
Looking at the long term
As far as making sure the cost of Obama’s health care plan can continue to be sustainable, the web site says:
President’s Proposal creates a set of benchmark payments at different percentages of the current average fee-for-service costs in an area.It phases these benchmarks in gradually in order to avoid disruption to beneficiaries, taking into account the relative payments to fee-for-service costs in an area.
The plan also will delay and reform the high-cost plan excise tax, broaden Medicare hospital insurance, increase fees on brand-name prescriptions and close tax loopholes to prevent unjustified tax shelters. There is a searchable copy of the bill available at WhiteHouse.gov.
