Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Health Insurance & Capitol Hill, Pt.3 – Sen. Wyden’s 'Healthy Americans Act'.

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That’s not all…in another vein; Congress is busy pounding out its own health insurance/care rendition. Adding to all this, special expert organizations like the Commonwealth Fund, are continually running studies and from those, are also introducing their own health insurance/care proposals. Mr. Goldstein provides a Democratic quote that the party is “united around a commitment to provide every American access to affordable, comprehensive health care.” He then shares with us the results of his Health Blogs field trip and consequent interview with Oregon Senator, Ron Wyden. Democratic Senator Wyden is making news with a radical approach to a new health insurance/care reform proposal.

Wyden’s new plan, called the Healthy Americans Act, contains a mandate would force everyone in the country (at least people with a paycheck) to pay for health insurance. It would not be an option and collecting premium payments shouldn’t be much of a problem because our citizens won’t even see the money. It will simply be withheld from their federal taxes. We’ll all be stuck with private health insurance plans. Comprehensive benefit options, of course, will be offered as well, but the rates will jump. Of course the plan is popular with the Congressional Budget Office. It didn’t take them long to realize that it was “essentially self financing” from the get go. Possibilities are even favorable for a ‘few bucks on the side’ as well. Beyond the ‘rose-colored glasses’, however, one might note that this can only work provided costs don’t rise any quicker than the economy recovers. Any takers, here? Well, “yes” and “no”.

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