the daily constitution how much does it take to buy a health care factoringbusinesssite com
So you are a member of Congress and you want to know how much your vote is worth for health care reform. Looks like you can start at a cool billion and work you way up from there.factoring business
Senate Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi don't see all of this as buying votes, but just as a means of coming to a compromise. Merry Christmas to all the lawmakers who received these wonderful Christmas presents from the Congressional leaders and a big lump of coal in the stockings of the American taxpayer.
Over 10 states have received special deals in the health care bill so far,factoring business and surely a few more will as well as the Democrats look for the votes they need. Republican and Democrat Senators that can not be bribed should stand up and defeat this government takeover of the health care system. Taxpayers in the other states will be forced to pay for these ¡°sweetheart deals¡±, which will result in higher costs for their already-strapped Medicaid programs.
Here are the deals that have been made so far.factoring business Just how much and where the money is going may just shock you.
The bill contains unfunded mandates to states through the expansion of Medicaid but this time with new special treatment for the states of Nebraska, Vermont, and Massachusetts.factoring business These states will receive Federal Matching Assistance Percentages (FMAP) bonuses such that:
1. Nebraska will receive 100% FMAP for newly eligibles indefinitely,making it the only state where the federal government will pay for all new enrollees. CBO estimated the cost to the federal government (additional funds to Nebraska) would be 0 million, which may look small compared to the other deals negotiated,factoring business yet over the long-term will cost far more, since funding continues indefinitely.
2. Vermont will receive a 2.2% FMAP increase for 6 years for their entire program,factoring business thus receiving an additional 0 million over ten years.
3. Massachusetts will receive a 0.5% FMAP increase for three years for the entire program, thus receiving an additional 0 million over ten years.factoring business
Despite 0 billion in Medicare Advantage cuts, the Manager¡¯s Amendment found a way for Florida residents, as well as some individuals in Pennsylvania and New York, and potentially Oregon,factoring business to be grandfathered out of receiving the cuts.
Dorgan and Conrad¡¯s ¡°protections for frontier states¡± provision would, starting in 2011, establish a 1.factoring business 0 hospital wage index and geographic practice expense floors for hospitals and physicians located in states where at least 50% of the counties in the state are ¡°frontier¡±. Not surprisingly, states that qualify and benefit from the provision are Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah,factoring business and Wyoming.
Changes for Sen. Ben Nelson (Nebraska)
1.factoring business Nelson secured more than just 100% federal funding for Nebraska¡¯s Medicaid expansion, the list of ¡°sweeteners¡± (also called the ¡°Cornhusker kickback¡± by Senate Republicans) includes:
2. An exemption from the insurance tax for Nebraska non-profit insurers, with language written in a way that only applies to Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company and Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans (BCBS) of Nebraska (and Michigan). According to news reports,factoring business Nelson¡¯s office states that BCBS ¡°would pay between million and million less in fees under the Senate bill than it would have without a change.¡±
3. An exemption from taxes for Medicare supplemental (¡°Medigap¡±) insurance providers. Specifically, Mutual of Omaha,factoring business will not have to pay taxes on Medigap insurance, while reports also indicate that this tax break will be extended to other companies.
4. Some changes requested by Nelson would benefit people across the country, such as the inflation adjustment to the ,factoring business 500 cap on tax-exempt contributions to Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs) and exemptions for nearly 55 physician-owned hospitals that have a provider agreement to participate in Medicare by August 1, 2010 (pushed back from February 1, 2010).
Changes for Sen.factoring business Levin (Michigan)
1. According to reports, like Nelson, Levin sought an exemption from the billion annual fee for non-profits, as non-profit insurers make up 76% of industry profits,factoring business but drew opposition from liberals. Ultimately, Levin got an exemption from the insurance tax for Michigan non-profit insurers, with language written in a way that applies to Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans (BCBS) of Michigan (and Nebraska).
2.factoring business Furthermore, the amendment changes the extension of section 508 hospital provisions so that hospitals in Michigan (as well as Connecticut) have the option to benefit under them if it means higher payments.
Changes for Sen. Landrieu (Louisiana):
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Landrieu was one of the first Senators to secure a sweetheart deal, aptly nicknamed the ¡°Louisiana Purchase¡±; she traded her support for bringing the bill to the floor for a 0 million increase in Medicaid funding for Louisiana. The underlying bill was cryptically written to increase federal Medicaid subsidies for ¡°certain states recovering from a major disaster¡± during the past 7 years that have been declared a ¡°major disaster area¡± ¡ª and is meant to replenish the decrease in federal money resulting from an ¡°abnormally inflated¡± per capita income in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. This was due to an influx of insurance dollars, federal grants and increased labor wages.
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Changes for Sen. Sanders (Vermont):
In addition to the Vermont FMAP increase, the amendment includes a provision pushed by Sanders to provide an additional billion in funding for community health centers and the National Health Services Corps which he argues would provide primary care to 25 million more people.
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Changes for Sen. Bill Nelson (Florida)
Nelson was able to secure a deal to keep Medicare Advantage plans enrollees in Florida grandfathered in. Notably, when McCain tried to offer an amendment to allow all enrollees to be grandfathered in,factoring business 57 Democrats voted against it.
Changes for Hawaii: The Manager¡¯s Amendment singles out Hawaii as the only state to receive a Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) extension.
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Changes for Sen. Lieberman (Connecticut): It amends the extension of section 508 hospital provisions so that hospitals in Connecticut (as well as Michigan) have the option to benefit under them if it means higher payments.
Changes for Sen. Dodd (Connecticut): It was a mystery until just revealed that Chris Dodd¡¯s state will benefit from a cryptically awarded 0 million for a ¡°Health Care Facility¡± at a public research university that contains the state¡¯s sole public academic medical and dental school¡ªcriteria designed to apply to the University of Connecticut.factoring business
Changes for Sen. Baucus (Montana):
Baucus secured a pilot program in the amendment to ¡°provide innovative approaches to furnishing comprehensive, coordinated,factoring business and cost-effective care¡± to certain qualified individuals. A qualified individual ¡°is an environmental exposure affected individual¡who resides in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.¡± And who might these select few individuals be? Well, according to EPA, ¡°On June 17,factoring business 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson issued a Public Health Emergency (PHE) finding at the Libby Asbestos Superfund site in northwest Montana.¡± This provision would help residents of Libby by allowing them to sign up for Medicare benefits.
On Tuesday,factoring business the Senate Democrats voted down a motion by Mike Johanns (R-NE) to remove the vote bribes from the health care bill. Senator Johanns asked for consent to strike the special deals from the Senate health care bill, but the Democrats immediately objected.
¡°There should be no special deals, no carve-outs for anyone in this health care bill; not for states,factoring business not for insurance companies, not for individual senators. All of the special deals should be removed. If the bill cannot pass without carve-outs, what further evidence is needed that it is bad policy? No senator should vote for the final cloture vote until all of the carve-outs and special deals are removed. Nebraskans don¡¯t want a special deal,factoring business they want good policy. They don¡¯t believe the Federal Government is the answer to every problem and they don¡¯t like backroom deals,¡± Johanns said.
Here is some of the deals Senator Johanns was trying to remove from the bill:
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** Eliminating or reducing the Medicaid unfunded mandate on Nebraska, Vermont, and Massachusetts (starting on page 96, line 9)
** Exempting certain health insurance companies in Nebraska and Michigan from taxes and fees (starting on page 367, line 6)
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** Providing automatic Medicare coverage for anyone living in Libby, Montana (starting on page 194 ¨C section 10323)
** Earmarking 0 million for a ¡°Health Care Facility¡± reportedly in Connecticut (starting on page 328)
** Giving special treatment to Hawaii¡¯s Disproportionate Share Hospitals (starting on page 101, line 6)
** Boosting reimbursement rates for certain hospitals in Michigan and Connecticut (starting on page 174 ¨C section 10317)
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** Mandating special treatment for hospitals in ¡°Frontier¡± States like Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming (starting on page 208 ¡ª Sec 10324)
Another attempt was made by the Republicans on Wednesday to once again remove the vote bribes from the Senate health care bill.factoring business The Democrats once again voted the measure down by a vote of 53-46.
Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, made the following statement after the Senate defeated his amendment to prohibit the practice of trading votes for earmarks in the United States Senate:
¡°The American people are disgusted by the earmarks,factoring business kickbacks, and backroom deals that have been used to buy votes for this health care takeover. We had a chance today to put an end to this practice but Senate Democrats voted for business as usual. 53 Democrats just gave their personal seal of approval to the Louisiana Purchase, Cornhusker Kickback and other earmarks used to bribe senators into supporting this atrocious bill. Democrats have truly hit the bottom on their reckless pursuit of a government takeover of health care.factoring business The Democrat majority just voted to retain the culture of corruption in Congress. Just two years ago, Democrats bragged about draining the swamp, but now they¡¯re endorsing political bribery. This is Washington at its worst.¡±
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Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska), who secured a special earmark for his state that forces taxpayers in 49 states to fund Medicaid in Nebraska, first voted against the ban on trading earmarks for votes but switched his vote before the final tally. Senator DeMint responded:
¡°Senator Nelson, unfortunately,factoring business is trying to have it both ways, he was for trading his vote for earmarks before he was against it."
The passage of the Senate version of the health care bill on Christmas Eve is a sure bet. However, the passage of a health care bill by the entire Congressional body is far from a done deal.factoring business While there is no denying that there is a need for some sort of health care reform in the United States to bring rising costs under control, this government take over of the system is not the answer. We can only hope the Democrats continue to turn on each other and this bill never makes it to President Obama's desk.