FROM PAGES 15-16
Obama said that nobody’s existing coverage would be effected.
THIS IS A LIE:
First, the “grandfathered plans”, those that are not subject to the “ratings board”, which is itself simply government bureaucrats deciding what is “best”, I see NOTHING to define “what is best”, would NOT qualify for ANY tax credits! This language is vague, but if by “no tax credits” we mean NO TAX CREDITS that would include the Employer and the Employee, effectively making the “grandfathered plans” financially less attractive by legislative fiat.
Second is THIS: ALL grandfathered plans are to be PHASED OUT beginning in 2013:
from the Mark-Up
Beginning January 1, 2013, Federal rating rules would be phased in for grandfathered policies in the small group market, over a period of up to five years, as determined by the state with approval from the Secretary. These plans could continue to exist after the transition period, but would be subject to the new rating rules.
The approved “national plans”, according to Page 1 Para 2 would, “pre-empt” state benefits requirements, in essence ending State authority over health insurance.
Also from Paragraph 2, the role of this new Federal authority will be to “develop standards as to how benefit categories should be implemented (e.g., what constitute prescription drug coverage)”, which means, basically, ANYTHING these “regulators” might want it to mean.
This is akin to passing a law and saying “the un-elected regulators can set law and policy for this as they see fit.”
In blatant slap in the face to any PRETENSE that States have ANY sovereignty, the last paragraph says in part “the NAIC will also develop harmonization standards for processes of state insurance regulation that pertain to form filing and rate filing.