The Baucus Plan: The Status Quo on Steroids
Nina Owcharenko Schaefer /
Senator Baucus’ latest attempt to reach a bi-partisan agreement still misses the mark. While there may be a few elements that may be worth discussing, the vast majority of the proposal continues to take the discussion over reform in the wrong direction.
Many of the same fundamental problems plague this proposal as the other proposals in Congress.
- Centralizes power in Washington and adds new layers of federal bureaucracy. The entire bill is based on creating new federal authority over the regulation and delivery of health care. This not only pre-empts existing state authority, but it replaces it with a massive, mind-numbing new federal bureaucracy. It seems impossible to imagine the federal government doing a good job running 1/6 of the economy.
- Establishes a pseudo-public plan through the creation of a federal co-op. The Baucus co-op would set up congressionally approved co-ops with federal funds to support it. It would also disallow existing institutions from participating. What’s wrong with trusted groups and organizations offering health care to their members? This is not a consumer-based co-op, but rather another attempt to create a new government-run plan.
- Fails to protect the coverage people have today, especially benefits for seniors. While formula changes may be needed, changes to MedicareAdvantage would put the benefits millions of seniors, especially lower-income, have today at risk and the “savings” will be used to partly finance a new entitlement rather than to shore up the finances of Medicare. (more…)