Big Winners on Healthcare: Nebraska, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Insurance Companies
Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by James Devere in American Politics
If you are not sure what is in the healthcare bill, just ask Wall Street. Following news that the Senate had passed its 2700 page health bill, insurance industry stocks shot up. By 11AM the morning after Harry Reid’s middle of the night vote, the big board showed United Health up 4.31%, Aetna up 5.63% CIGNA up 5.89%, Humana up 4.00%, WellPoint up 3.79%, and Coventry Health up 3.91%. (Information taken from www.fivethirtyeight.com)
The healthcare system is badly in need of competition between insurance providers and directly amongst medical service providers. Yet the current system was bolstered today by a complex bill, changing very little, but adding hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. America may not yet know what the new bill contains, but rest assured that Wall Street sees it as a win for Big Insurance, Big Pharma, and Big Government.
Aside from the bolstering of a dysfunctional insurance system, this bill serves to bolster a dysfunctional Congress. Under the reign of the Obama Administration, where we were promised a new era of openness and transparency in Washington, Senate Democrats and Administration officials retreated behind closed doors to wheel and deal with our tax dollars. Somewhere early in the process, healthcare became less about patient care or reducing cost and more about Barack Obama securing a win on a campaign promise. What followed was a free-for-all with insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and “hold-out” politicians carving up the healthcare pie.
Any pretense of bipartisanship was abandoned from the start, and without support of a single Republican, the Administration and Senate leaders had to go after a few reluctant senators. Never ones to let a good vote or a pile of money go to waste, each holdout senator caved as the bill added some sort of perk for their state. The “second Louisiana purchase” has become famous, as Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu held out for a $300 million payment. But the new additions to this tarnished record are just as bad. Here is what a US Senator costs today.
From the SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER:
Interesting Provisions That Recently Appeared In Senate Health Bill
Connecticut
$100,000,000 For “Health Care Facility” “At A Public Research University In The United States That Contains A State’s Sole Public Academic Medical And Dental School.” “(a) APPROPRIATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, to remain available for obligation until September 30, 2011, to be used for debt service on, or direct construction or renovation of, a health care facility that provides research, inpatient tertiary care, or outpatient clinical services. Such facility shall be affiliated with an academic health center at a public research university in the United States that contains a State’s sole public academic medical and dental school.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 328)
NEBRASKA
“As Part Of The Deal To Win Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson’s Support, The Federal Government Will Fund Nebraska’s New Medicaid Recipients.” (“Ben Nelson’s Medicaid Deal,” Politico, 12/19/09)
“In Addition To The Medicaid Carve Out, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) Negotiated An Exemption From The Insurance Tax For Non-Profit Insurers Based In His State. The Language Was Written In A Way That Only Mutual Of Omaha Insurance Company, As Well As Blue Cross Blue Shield Nonprofit Plans In Nebraska and Michigan, would qualify, according to a Democratic Senate aide.” (“Nelson Wins Insurance Tax Exemption, Too,” Politico, 12/19/09)
VERMONT
“The Health Care Overhaul Taking Shape In Congress Includes A Provision Pushed By Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy To Increase The State’s Medicaid Payments By $250 Million Over Six Years. The Provision, Also Supported By Sen. Bernie Sanders, Is Included In An Amendment Of Negotiated Provisions Offered By Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid On Saturday. The bill would require all states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more low-income individuals and would increase Medicaid payments to cover the expansion. Leahy, Sanders and others have argued that Vermont would have been penalized because it already has expanded its coverage.” (“Health Bill Boosts Vt. Medicaid Payments,” The Associated Press, 12/19/09)
FLORIDA
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) Negotiated A Deal To Grandfather Medicare Advantage Enrollees In Florida. “A fiery John McCain took to the Senate floor to offer a health care amendment — and tweaked Bill Nelson in the process. The Arizona Republican said his amendment would send the Senate health care bill back to committee to grandfather in all enrollees in the Medicare Advantage programs — Nelson and a number of Democrats successfully negotiated grandfather clauses for seniors in their states in exchange for supporting the bill.” (“John McCain Takes On Bill Nelson,” The Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” Blog, 12/7/09)
57 Democrats Vote To Defend Special Deal For Florida Medicare Advantage Program. (S.Amdt.2961 To H.R.3590, Roll Call Vote #370, Motion To Recommit Failed 42-57: R: 40-0; D 2-55; I 0-2, 12/8/09)
LOUISIANA
“And Reid Already Has Established A Dangerous Precedent, By Dangling $300 Million In Medicaid Funding For Louisiana To Win Landrieu’s Support For Bringing The Bill To The Senate Floor. Months Earlier, Reid Had Carved Out His Own Medicaid Exemption For Nevada. One addition he made to the Senate bill, an increase in the Medicare payroll tax for high earners, has raised concerns with Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine). Snowe, the only Republican who has been at least somewhat supportive of Democratic reform efforts, cited its potential to harm small businesses.” (“Reid’s Recipe For Getting Health-Care Deal Done,” The Washington Post, 12/4/09)
MONTANA
“The Secretary Shall Establish A Pilot Program In Accordance With This Subsection To Provide Innovative Approaches To Furnishing Comprehensive, Coordinated, And Cost-Effective Care Under This Title To Individuals Described In Paragraph … [An Individual] Is An Environmental Exposure Affected Individual Described In Subsection (E)(2) Who Resides In Or Around The Geographic Area Subject To An Emergency Declaration Made As Of June 17, 2009.” ‘‘(A) PRIMARY PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot program in accordance with this subsection to provide innovative approaches to furnishing comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective care under this title to individuals described in paragraph (2)(A). … ‘‘(2) INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED.—For purposes of paragraph (1), an individual described in this paragraph is an individual who enrolls in part B, submits to the Secretary an application to participate in the applicable pilot program under this subsection, and— ‘‘(A) is an environmental exposure affected individual described in subsection (e)(2) who resides in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 195-196)
Update: Senator Harkins (Iowa) on Tuesday defended payoff to Senators calling the sweetheart deals “small stuff” that distracted Americans from the primary focus of the overhaul bill. The Senator went on to describe the current healthcare bill as a first step that will ultimately lead to a public option.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/22/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6009356.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody
One Response to “Big Winners on Healthcare: Nebraska, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Insurance Companies”