The Monday Nut

It’s been a long time since I last wrote; but the Health Care Dilemma has me very concerned and I’ve been taking some time to actually read through the current legislation brought forward by the House of Representatives and entitled “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.”  I’m going to cover different parts of the legislation as often as I can in the hopes that you will learn what is happening and hopefully can make your own informed decisions.  I cannot claim absolute journalistic integrity, but I will not lie about what I find.  So, let’s get started.

If you want to see (and save) a copy of the bill, you can find it here.

On page 30 of the document, in Sec. 123, the bill outlines the Health Benefits Advisory Committee. This “private-public” committee is charged with creating the baseline health standards for Americans and passing these standards on to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Here’s how the membership breaks down.

1. Surgeon General of the United States (Chairperson)
   1. Nominated by the President of the United States (President Obama nominated Regina Benjamin on July 13, 2009)
2. Nine (9) members who are not Federal employees or officers and are appointed by the President
3. Nine (9) members who are not Federal employees or officers and are appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States.  The Comptroller General is the head of the Government Accounting Office, which is charged with keeping Government in check. Comptroller Generals serve a 15 year term and are nominated by the President.  Our current Comptroller General is an “interim” fill-in for a recently resigned CG and will continue to serve until President Obama nominates someone else to the post.
4. An even number (not to exceed eight) of Federal employees or officers which the President will appoint.

Is anyone seeing a trend here?

The makeup of the committee (Page 32 – Line 25)  is interesting.  It includes all the people you would expect to serve in such a post…experts in health care financing, labor reps (unions), health insurance providers, etc.  Two things caught my eye though… First,  ”experts in racial and ethnic disparities” and second, “at least one practicing physician or other health professional.”  If we are to provide health care for all Americans, why the ethnic and racial disparity people.  And for that matter, why do unions have to be involved?  And why in the world would you write “at least one practicing physician?”  Wouldn’t it make much more sense for a panel deciding medical benefits to be stacked with practicing physicians?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH
President Obama, through this legislation, is given the ability to completely control who will sit on this panel.  He will succeed in this through a combination of straight appointments, and his ability to nominate and push through a majority Congress the Surgeon General and Comptroller Generals of his choice.  There is too much power in his hands to stack the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to his liking, and too much power granted to the Committee itself to decide the baseline of standards.  And as if we aren’t moving a little too fast for comfort right now, once the legislation is passed into law, this committee will be completely staffed in less than 60 days and has 12 months to establish all the baselines for care.

Read it.  Understand it.  Make your decision, do something about it.

Oh, and please comment on what you see here.