Monday, 16 November 2009
Where the House Bill May Fall Short in Health Care Reform
New reports have emerged showing that the House health care bill may not provide what politicians are promising. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a report this past Friday saying that the approved House bill would raise the costs of health care by $289 billion over the next ten years.
Its findings show that the House health care bill would not curb the growth of health care spending but actually increase it.
Many lawmakers are relieved this report was released before the House voted on the bill, believing it would deter some politicians from voting for the bill. They point out the report is evidence that one of the major goals of the health care reform will not be reached by the House’s bill.
The CMS also foresees problems with the $500 billion cut from future Medicare spending that’s a part of the House bill. This cut would greatly reduce benefits and could doom the health care program for senior citizens altogether, warns the CMS. The bill could make health care services for senior citizens so costly for hospitals and nursing homes that providers may stop taking Medicare patients at all.
The CMS also believes the provisions of the bill will put added strain on already understaffed health care providers. Passage of the bill could increase the demands for services, force providers to charge more, or take patients with better-paying private insurance over insurance provided by the government.
According to the CMS, the House bill falls way short on the government’s promises of bringing health care reform in many ways.
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