Obama Care- Baucus Markup- existing coverage eliminated clauses http://bit.ly/X3Qp4 #obama #care #tcot #tlot #sgp #hhrs
age 17:
The States “should” (no requirement, though) seek participation by multiple providers of “plans” so that “eligible participants,” (Those between 133 and 200% of FPL 1 ), may choose from “two or more” plans that provide “Basic Health Plan services.”
States entering into “health care choice compacts” would be eligible to form multi-state risk pools for the purposes of negotiating with health care systems.
(I think allowing this risk pooling to provide a vehicle for the uninsured to purchase individual coverage is a good thing, not as part of THIS Bill, but as a part of Real Health Care Reform.)
Opportunity for Cost Savings
The Bill anticipates a saving from the negotiations by the State of “at least 25%” based on “(e)vidence from similar programs on the state level” which are NOT cited.
“(S)tates choosing to create Basic Health Plans” would receive 85% of the funds provided for “individual tax credit subsidies.” “Tax credit subsidies would be available to citizens of states that have chosen not to create Basic Health Plans.”
So, if your State participates, no tax credit subsidy is available to individuals otherwise eligible to participate in the State plan. If you are eligible, you either participate or lose your “tax credit.”
The above is all part of the amendments to the original Bill
Now we move to:
STATE EXCHANGES AND CONSUMER ASSISTANCE
This is apparently part of the original Bill as it is labeled “Current Law” HA!
Tells us that there is no provision in Federal law for a health insurance exchange, but at least one State does.
The remainder of page 17 is a description of the Massachusetts “Health Insurance Connector Authority” system for “illustrative purposes.”