Where are we headed with health care? Here is a small sample of the language contained in the draft House bill that is 852 pages long. For those of you who have operated a health benefits plan the following easily indicates that added costs are on the way. The goals are noble in health care reform, especially those to raise the quality of health care and to remove the incentive to provide more sometimes unnecessary care. However, the health care legislation as drafted will increase costs even excluding the cost of adding coverage for the currently uninsured. The question then becomes can we afford the time it will take (assume it works) to change the fundamental delivery system.
Some required covered services:
7 (10) Well baby and well child care and oral
8 health, vision, and hearing services, equipment, and
9 supplies at least for children under 21 years of age.
10 (c) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO COST-SHARING
11 AND MINIMUM ACTUARIAL VALUE.—
12 (1) NO COST-SHARING FOR PREVENTIVE SERVICES.—
13 There shall be no cost-sharing under the
14 essential benefits package for preventive items and
15 services (as specified under the benefit standards),
16 including well baby and well child care.
7 (C) USE OF COPAYMENTS.—In establishing
8 cost-sharing levels for basic, enhanced, and pre
9 mium plans under this subsection, the Commis
10 sioner shall, to the maximum extent possible,
11 use only copayments and not coinsurance.
Note the request to use only co-payments and not coinsurance. Here is another prescription for growing costs.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 