Republicans in the state legislature have proposed LD 1333, which would completely rewrite the state’s health care laws. Despite the complexity of the bill only a few hours were allowed for debate in the committee. They felt debate just wasn’t necessary.
Some are questioning whether this new law would allow insurance companies to deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Representative Jon McKane says:
LD 1333 bill does nothing to Maine’s pre-existing exclusion clause and Maine will continue to have guaranteed renewability.
Here is what the amended bill does. It takes the Maine law that currently says:
“Coverage must be guaranteed to all residents of this state other than those eligible without paying a premium for Medicare Part A.”
And changes it to read:
“Coverage issued through the Maine Guaranteed Access Plan Association established pursuant to Chapter 54-A must be guaranteed to all residents of this state other than those eligible without paying a premium for Medicare Part A.”
See the change? Under current law coverage is guaranteed. Period. But under the new law, the only thing guaranteed is something called the “Maine Guaranteed Access Plan.”
This means that you are not guaranteed to qualify for a health care plan other than a special new plan being set up by Republicans known as the “Maine Guaranteed Access Plan.” Under the proposed new law you CAN be denied coverage to any other plan in the state!
There will be a new board set up by this law to create and manage the “Maine Guaranteed Access Plan.” Republicans would usually call such a board a “death panel,” but for some reason that name didn’t make it into a bill. Do you think the “Maine Guaranteed Access Plan” will cover as much as the private insurance plan you were denied? Somehow, I doubt it.
So everyone in Maine will be guaranteed access to some sort of health care plan, but it won’t be the same one the healthy people get. There will first-class health citizens and second-class health citizens. People will go from first class to second class if, for some reason, a health insurance company doesn’t want to offer you new coverage.
Oh, and the government-run plan for all those sick people who are no longer guaranteed eligibility will be financed by a maximum 4% tax on everyone else’s private premiums. So Republicans are raising taxes. But probably not enough, because if an extra 4% was all that was required to take care of the high-risk folks I doubt our premiums would be going up 15-20% each year. So the government-run plan Republicans are inventing could run out of money pretty quickly.
Sounds like a mess.
But that is what happens when you only get a few hours to debate a 29-page bill completely rewriting the state’s insurance law. Way to go!
Nuh uh, Naran posted a sticky (she’s so adorable!) that says bad people are spreading misinformation. Have no fear, the GOP is going to ‘splain it all to us so we can understand the brilliance of it:
http://www.asmainegoes.com/content/action-alert-gop-combat-misinformation-ld-1333
Odds are she hasn’t even looked at the bill. I had trouble finding it. They’re moving it along so fast the amended version isn’t even up on the legislature’s website.
Oh I don’t really think she, or any of the AMG faithful for that matter, will actually look at the bill. They will just await their ill informed sound bites and start prattling on command.
Shameless hussy. Fish used to pretend that it was an all-inclusive political website. But this Naran Schmaran has dropped all pretense.
It’s not enuff that she kicks people off the site for offending her by holding opinions that differ from hers.
It’s not enuff that she chastises those who don’t agree with her.
It’s not enuff that she deletes threads which might bring up questions about the Exalted Paul LePage.
Now she’s making SURE that people know she and her site are bought and paid for “by the Maine Republican Party | William P. Logan, Treasurer | 9 Higgins St. | Augusta | ME | 04330.”
The bill changed again. It went from 29 to 45 pages. The Republicans ruled that a quick vote was allowed because these were not “substantive” changes.
The Republican party platform asks for the legislature to pass a “read the bill act” to prevent laws being passed in this manner.
But I have yet to see Tea Party activists complaining.
First vote passes on party lines.
Prediction: there will be a successful people’s veto of this bill.
what is this bill about
What is this new health care plan about and how did it get voted on without the people of Maine hearing anything about it except though the editoral in the Morning Sentinel. I am appalled at this idea
It was in the news for a short time. Republicans introduced a much smaller bill, then amended it by adding dozens of new pages and not letting the public comment on the new parts. Then they excepted it from the regular financial committee processes and rammed it through.
There is an excellent run down of the ram job on this bill in the June 3-9 Phoenix