Republicans and Democrats are on both sides of the debate concerning the health care reform bill. However a sub-proposal has been introduced to the Senate Finance Committee in Washington that some fear will bring more harm than good.
Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has introduced an added proposal that would not only make health insurance mandatory much like car insurance but would also penalize Americans for not having health insurance within a specified time frame.
According to the proposal, titled America’s Healthy Future Act, the fines range from $750 to $3,800 for not obtaining government approved health insurance. The fines are dependent upon what an individual’s income is as compared to the federal poverty level of $14,400. Anyone making more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or $43,200 a year, can be fined up to the full $3,800 which is an annual fine that is to be taken from IRS tax refunds. The fine would continue to be imposed until the individual or family purchased an approved insurance plan.
Senators and House representatives however are balking at the new proposal and are refusing to vote in favor of the Act until several changes are made.
Congressman Kevin McCarthy made his position very clear regarding health care fines.
“At a time when medical costs are out of control, penalizing Americans is the wrong medicine to lower health care costs and to expand access, especially for young Americans working hard to pay for college costs,” said McCarthy.
State representatives are also speaking out against the proposal even though they’re unable to vote on the measure.
California Assemblywoman Jean Fuller from Bakersfield said, “I believe a bill that punishes Americans with higher costs and fines, particularly at a time in which they are struggling to put food on the table, is the wrong prescription for health care reform.”
Despite the apparent lack of support however, Sen. Baucus is pushing ahead with putting the addendum before Senate committees and eventually hopes the measure will see the House floor.
In a press release Baucus states, “We worked hard to build a balanced, common-sense package that ensures quality, affordable coverage and doesn’t add a dime to the deficit.”
Health care employees across the country, however, have started their own movement against the submitted health care proposal with the slogan “Health care not warfare.”
DeAnn McEwen, a registered nurse from Long Beach, is one of the “Baucus 13” that were arrested at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington during a demonstration against the addendum proposal.
“This health care industry is against the interests of patients who need medically necessary healthcare,” McEwen said as she was being arrested. Her trial has been set for later this fall on the charge of “disruption of Congress.”
Bakersfield College professors are taking notice of the new addendum as well. Professor Stephen Smith, chairman of the Social Sciences department, offered his views on the subject.
“I think we should only have a health insurance for catastrophic care, and this would work well for low income individuals which would be funded by the government,” Smith said. “A lot of what’s going on right now are just Band-Aids to the system, they’re not fixes.”
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a vote for this week and if the proposal passes, it will be assigned a bill number and will move to the first of several sessions in the U.S. Senate before moving on to the House floor.