Reading Health Care Bills

This is the current mess of health care bills:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090714/hr3200_summary.pdf
http://docs.house.gov/edlabor/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf

When I read the bills, they do worry me. I tell everyone, read the actual bills. Trust no press coverage. Anyone claiming these are an "improvement" forgets the HMO history:

In the Senate, Kennedy, author of the 1971 HMO Act: "I have strongly advocated passage of legislation to assist the development of health maintenance organizations as a viable and competitive alternative to fee-for-service practice..."

Signed in 1973. I have to ask: How did that Kennedy "improvement" work out for everyone? Senators at the time admitted, "The bill is a bit too complex to read and understand" (Senator Herman Talmadge, only "NO" vote -- and a Democrat.)

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