B’nai B’rith: Senate health-care reform bill not good enough

B’nai B’rith International says the health-care legilslation that came out of the Senate today "falls short on some elements vital to comprehensive health care reform."

B’nai B’rith has some major concerns about the Senate Finance bill, which would still allow charging older people significantly more for coverage," says its release. "The bill also lacks a workable mechanism – such as a public option – that would force insurance companies to compete for our business, even in traditionally monopolistic markets like rural areas. The weakness of incentives for employers to have and maintain coverage for their workers is also an issue. And we are also concerned about the failure to include the CLASS ACT (from the Senate HELP bill), which would encourage long-term coverage in a revenue-neutral way.

"The current age rating has older Americans paying too much for health insurance," continued the release. "The Baucus bill would barely limit that discrimination, forcing older adults to pay five times more than younger people simply for being older. This is a problem because it means that too many pre-Medicare adults will still not be able to afford coverage – one of the very serious problems in the current system."

“Health insurance reform is finally an opportunity to make lifelong access to affordable healthcare a reality in America,” B’nai B’rith Director of Aging Policy Rachel Goldberg said. “A good bill has to be politically feasible and financially fair. We can’t expend too much energy on idyllic systems that would never be approved by Congress and signed by the president, and we can’t make choices that continue to put too heavy a burden on those who can afford it the least, including low-income people and pre-Medicare older adults. So far, the Senate Finance plan meets neither criterion.”

The full release is after the jump:[[READMORE]]

The healthcare reform bill put forth by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Montana) and the Senate Finance Committee today falls short on some elements vital to comprehensive healthcare reform. Though it does achieve some important minimums, it does not meet the standards of comprehensive healthcare reform this nation desperately needs.

B’nai B’rith International has been a forceful advocate for comprehensive healthcare reform that would provide coverage every citizen can afford to have, use, and keep, even if they change jobs. With nearly 47 million Americans uninsured, millions underinsured, and still more with insurance tied to their jobs in an unstable job market, the time for change is now.

“Health insurance reform is finally an opportunity to make lifelong access to affordable healthcare a reality in America,” B’nai B’rith Director of Aging Policy Rachel Goldberg, Ph.D., said. “A good bill has to be politically feasible and financially fair. We can’t expend too much energy on idyllic systems that would never be approved by Congress and signed by the president, and we can’t make choices that continue to put too heavy a burden on those who can afford it the least, including low-income people and pre-Medicare older adults. So far, the Senate Finance plan meets neither criterion.”

B’nai B’rith has some major concerns about the Senate Finance bill, which would still allow charging older people significantly more for coverage. The bill also lacks a workable mechanism – such as a public option – that would force insurance companies to compete for our business, even in traditionally monopolistic markets like rural areas. The weakness of incentives for employers to have and maintain coverage for their workers is also an issue. And we are also concerned about the failure to include the CLASS ACT (from the Senate HELP bill), which would encourage long-term coverage in a revenue-neutral way.

The current age rating has older Americans paying too much for health insurance. The Baucus bill would barely limit that discrimination, forcing older adults to pay five times more than younger people simply for being older. This is a problem because it means that too many pre-Medicare adults will still not be able to afford coverage – one of the very serious problems in the current system. 

This bill would provide less comprehensive subsidies and include a “hardship” clause, as Massachusetts does.  B’nai B’rith does not want people forced to buy what they can’t afford, but we would prefer a system in which we make insurance affordable for everyone. B’nai B’rith believes we need to help the people at the bottom, not give them an exemption that allows them to stay uninsured.

“Though this bill has some fundamental weaknesses, there are some positives,” said Mark Olshan, Ph.D., associate executive vice president of B’nai B’rith International. “The plan recognizes the need to regulate the insurance industry in a variety of ways, including some rating changes, guaranteeing issue, and ending pre-existing condition exclusions. Those are major positives this version shares with the other bills we have seen so far.”

B’nai B’rith is not looking for healthcare reform that mimics what is available in other nations. We need a uniquely American system, which means allowing and encouraging fair competition for each person’s health insurance, which cannot be solely about covering only the healthiest Americans.

The Senate and the House, and Democrats and Republicans, have a lot of work ahead to achieve a single bill that includes the best of all the proposals. B’nai B’rith will continue to work with all sides to establish comprehensive healthcare reform for all Americans.