Latest on late-night ram-through of healthcare bill

November 7, 10:33 PMColumbia Conservative ExaminerAnthony G. Martin

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Columbia Conservative Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Even as 54% of Americans oppose the present proposals in the House and Senate on healthcare, the U.S. House of Representatives continues in a late-night ram-through session in an effort to bully the legislation into law.

UPDATE.  At approximately 11:10 PM Saturday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 220-215 to approve the socialistic government takeover of healthcare.

(AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)

In all likelihood the vote will be delayed until after midnight, primarily due to the fact that the Democrats do not have the votes within their own ranks to pass the bill.

Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama both have been engaged in a high-pressure tactic to strong-arm moderate and conservative Democrats who sit on the fence to jump over onto the side of the government takeover of healthcare.

The grassroots citizens have been engaged in their own form of pressure, storming the steps of the Capitol today, shouting, 'Kill the Bil!.'  Citizens also showed up en mass, at least 10,000 strong on Thursday at high noon to seek out and confront their representatives about the healthcare bill.

In addition, the AMA has been under intense pressure from its members, and from the 83% of America's doctors who do NOT belong to the organization, to withdraw its endorsement of ObamaCare/PelosiCare.

From the steps of the Capitol building just a bit ago, the following video was made and posted by U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, who describes what is happening tonight in the House as an attack on liberty and an affirmation of big government, nanny-state socialism.

And then, there is THIS excerpt from the bill itself via Tania Ashe of Obama Lied, Capitalism Died. This should send chills up the spine of any freedom-loving American:

END OF LIFE CARE AND IN-FACILITY CARE


(DEATH PANELS)

Assisted Suicide (Pages 129-131) (Section 240) While page 129,
lines 21-26 state, “(b) Construction – Nothing in this section shall be
construed – (1) to require an individual to complete and advance
directive or a physician’s order for life sustaining treatment or other
end of life planning document”, this section DOES require insurance
companies to provide information related to "end-of-life planning" to
individuals seeking enrollment in insurance offered on the health
insurance exchange.  Additionally, there is concern that because key
terminology is not provided and because broader protective language
adopted earlier in the Energy and Commerce Committee version no longer
exists in this version of legislation, that awareness of current law in
the states of Oregon and Washington regarding assisted suicide may
become cause for information purposes for patients.

*Government Panel for Senior Care Decisions (Pages 649-661): The
Secretary has the right to waive requirements of the Social Security
Act Titles XI & XVIII.  These providers will put together patient
decisions aids and share in seniors’ decisions regarding their health
care.  Seniors will attend counseling provided by said panel.
Compensation will be granted to providers who generate less cost for
care with regards to Parts A and B of Medicare.

Government Regulation of Staffing in Nursing Facilities (Pages
822-826): In a specific motion to alter state authority of nursing
facilities and to provide the Secretary and consumer advocacy groups
with overreaching authority, this section of the bill calls for an
amendment to the Social Security Act "(C) Submission of Staffing
Information Based on Payroll Data in a Uniform Format."  The Secretary
of Health and Human Services shall require a skilled nursing facility
to electronically submit to the Secretary direct care staffing
information including agency and contract staff, based on payroll and
other verifiable and auditable data in a uniform format as established
by the Secretary in consultation with among others, consumer advocacy
groups. 

Government Authority in Determining Medical Home Models (Pages
680-690):  Secretary is provided wide latitude to fund and create both
independent and community-based medical home models in order to reward
physicians and others to coordinate treatment for chronically ill
patients in underserved (rural) areas.  Patient need not designate a
doctor as their caregiver.

Regulation of Services (Page 383) Lines 11-16 allot for using
appropriate indicators for non-therapy ancillary services
classification, which may include age, physical and mental status,
ability to perform activities of daily living, etc.  The concern is
over the method of deciding care delivery, placing key decision-making
elements in the hands of politicians and other non-medical staff as
opposed to the hands of patients’ doctors and families.

Regulation on Patient Stay (Page 385) Establishes payment based on
total costs during stay in a skilled nursing facility as opposed to the
number of days in such stay.

“CLASS” Program for Assisted Living – National Voluntary Insurance Program

SEC. 3204 .  Enrollment and Disenrollment Requirements
Automatic Enrollment (Page 1575) Line 3 – Individuals are automatically
enrolled by their employer if they meet the following description in
subsection (c) (Page 1568) - unable to perform 2-3 daily living
activities, pose a threat due to cognitive impairment, or have a
functional limitation “as determined under regulations prescribed by
the Secretary”.
Opt-Out Option (Page 1576) – Individuals may waive enrollment “in such form and manger as the Secretary shall prescribe”.
Inability to Disenroll (Page 1579) Line 16 –Individuals may only be
permitted to disenroll during an annual disenrollment period
established by the Secretary.
Life Independence Account (Page 1583) Line 20 – Account established by
Secretary on behalf of each eligible beneficiary for nonmedical
services and supports.  (Page 1584) Line 9 – “Nothing in the preceding
sentence shall prevent an eligible beneficiary from using cash benefits
from the (LIA) for obtaining assistance with decision-making concerning
medical care, including the right to accept or refuse medical or
surgical treatment and the right to formulate advance
directives….living will”.
Access to Cash Benefits (Page 1589) Lines 15-19 – Secretary will allow
authorized persons to receive the beneficiary’s cash benefits if the
individual is considered an “institutionalized beneficiary under clause
(i)”.
SEC. 3207.  “CLASS Indpendence Advisory Council – Council established to advise the Secretary.

Michelle Malkin's blog continues to provide the continually-breaking liveblogging from the debate itself on the House floor.

For commentary on other issues, visit my blog at The Liberty Sphere.