An inkling of RomneyCare II

Thanks to Trip Gabriel and Robert Pear, writing for the New York Times, we have at least an initial peek into what presumed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has in mind for healthcare reform if elected. In short: All of the worst ultra right-wing ideas going (also known as the “Republican consensus;” tax breaks, competition, and pushing the problem off on the states).

Romney pledges to repeal the Affordable Care Act — in its entirety — if elected and here’s his replacement:

1. Focus on controlling costs as opposed to reducing the number of uninsured citizens
2. Provide a tax break to individuals who buy health insurance on the open market instead of getting it from their employers
3. No guarantee of coverage (“guaranteed issue”) for pre-existing conditions (although Romney says he’ll come up with something for those with pre-existing conditions that were previously insured)
4. High-risk pools at the state level for those with pre-existing conditions
5. Subsidies for the poor to purchase insurance through an exchange
6. Convert Medicaid into a block grant program, providing lump-sum payments to the states capped at the consumer price index plus one percent each year
7. No kids on parents insurance until age 26
8. Silence on coverage limits
9. Silence on insurance recision
10. Silence on the doughnut hole in Medicare prescription drug coverage
11. Silence on preventive care benefits for Medicare beneficiaries
12. Silence on regulation of insurer overhead expenses

It’s important to note that Romney would roll these initiatives out, individually, in a piecemeal fashion and is adamant about not coming forward with an all-encompassing proposal.

Every single item in Romney’s laundry list is a mean, cruel disaster. While Romney’s correct about severing the tie between employment and health insurance coverage, he’s talking nonsense about any sort of tax break. My wife/business partner and I will pay US$15,706.32 this year for health insurance. Plus a US$8,000 out-of-pocket cap (US$4,000 for in-network; US$4,000 for out-of-network). That will likely increase significantly next year. And that’s for coverage through the University of Minnesota’s group plan with no subsidy.

While I’m no fan of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act — I actively support a Medicare+ (100 percent coverage) for all plan — I’ll gladly take what it offers over RomneyCare II:

1. No annual or lifetime health insurance coverage limits
2. No preexisting condition exclusion for children (permanently) and adults (expires in 2014 when insurance exchanges become available)
3. No health insurance coverage rescissions (the dropping of the insured when they get sick)
4. The youngs can stay on their parents insurance until they’re 26
5. An eventual closing of the doughnut hole in Medicare prescription drug coverage (initially, the ACA provides only US$250 toward the doughnut hole that exists between US$2,700 and US$6,200 in Medicare prescription drug expenses)
6. Preventive care benefits for Medicare beneficiaries
7. Up to 50 precent tax credits for small businesses that offer health insurance to employees
8. Insurers are required to reveal overhead expenses and rebate unusually high administrative costs to policy holders

As I wrote earlier, I remain fully and alarmingly convinced the American citizenry is in deep, deep trouble when a right-wing healthcare plan in 1989 — the Heritage Foundation’s “Assuring Affordable Health Care for All Americans;” a plan formulated as a reaction to the near-left’s single-payer, universal coverage with employer mandate offering — is now seen as “socialism.”

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An inkling of RomneyCare II was originally published by ARTS & FARCES internet on Saturday, 30 June 2012 at 11:25 AM CDT. Copyright © ARTS & FARCES LLC. All rights reserved. | ISSN: 1535-8119 | OCLC: 48219498 | Digital fingerprint: 974a89ee1284e6e92dd256bbfbef3751 (64.237.45.114)