Health Care (the last) Week In Preview

I am listening to the House Budget Committee hearing on the Health Care reconciliation bill. A few interesting amendments were offered:

Motion to do nothing on Health Care until the US pays off it's debt; FAIL.
Note to self: Shouldn't this have been brought up 15 years ago?

Motion to close "the doughnut hole" and save seniors on drug costs: PASS
Note to self: Duh.

Motion to direct savings from Medicare cuts to pay only for Medicare: FAIL
Note to self: You will never get a penny out of Medicare, even though you paid all your life.

Motion to eliminate annual/lifetime caps on heath benefits from a plan: PASS
Note to self: DUH! No brainer... McHenry (R-NC) waffled, but went NO. Republicans want you to go bankrupt if you get sick!

Motion to let states structure their own health plans (no standards): FAIL
Note to self: States can't determine the best plans any better than HHS, and would just leave a gaping opening for states to fuck their citizens. The blue states would too.

Motion to include creation of an "insurance rate authority" in package: PASS
Note to self: This should lead to a single payer system within ten years, so I back this 200%. We will joining the rest of the developed world and they will applaud us.

Motion to not use federal funds on abortion: FAIL (17 to 19, very close)
Note to self: Unneeded, this is already settled law (Hyde), so don't push it DUH or that might go away! I hate abortions, so get off your unattentive asses and tell your little girls to stop getting pregnant.