In her column today, The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus did a great job of highlighting some of the misrepresentations from Republicans during the health care reform debate Saturday. Check it out at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/10/AR2009111013406.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
It is certainly appropriate for Congress to review the anti-trust exemption enjoyed by the health insurance industry.
HR 3200 is the most recent edition of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 as adopted by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 31, 2009. Following is what one representative page (page 9) in the 1,017 page document looks like. Note there are 24 lines and about 130 words. As a comparison, four of seven Harry Potter books have more pages, and the Order of the Phoenix has nearly twice as many words.
9
1 similar charges but does not include premiums or
2 any network payment differential for covered serv-
3 ices or spending for non-covered services.
4 (5) DEPENDENT.—The term “dependent” has
5 the meaning given such term by the Commissioner
6 and includes a spouse.
7 (6) EMPLOYMENT-BASED HEALTH PLAN.—The
8 term “employment-based health plan”—
9 (A) means a group health plan (as defined
10 in section 733(a)(1) of the Employee Retire-
11 ment Income Security Act of 1974); and
12 (B) includes such a plan that is the fol-
13 lowing:
14 (i) FEDERAL, STATE, AND TRIBAL
15 GOVERNMENTAL PLANS.—A governmental
16 plan (as defined in section 3(32) of the
17 Employee Retirement Income Security Act
18 of 1974), including a health benefits plan
19 offered under chapter 89 of title 5, United
20 States Code.
21 (ii) CHURCH PLANS.—A church plan
22 (as defined in section 3(33) of the Em-
23 ployee Retirement Income Security Act of
24 1974).
