Heller’s Helpers: Ralph Reed’s Ruminations

The latest flyer in my mail box encourages me to vote for Senator By Appointment Only® Dean Heller in the Nevada senate race because he opposes Obamacare.  The Faith and Freedom Coalition of Duluth, GA assures me that Senator Heller would “repeal Obamacare.”  I’m not surprised, after all this is Jack Abramoff’s former buddy Ralph Reed’s outfit — he, the refuge from the defunct Christian Coalition, would like me to believe that his Koch Brothers financed FFC has my lily-white interests at heart.

So, let me review, it’s supposed to be in my interest to repeal provisions which:

1. Require the posting of health insurance policy information online for easier access by customers?
2. Prohibit health insurance corporations from denying health insurance policy coverage for children with pre-existing medical conditions?
3. Prohibit health insurance corporations from abusing rescission clauses to deny claims for medical treatment?
4. Eliminate those junk insurance policies sold with defined life time benefit limits?
5. Restrict health insurance corporations’ use of annual limits on health insurance coverage?
6. Allow a policy holder to appeal health care insurance corporation decisions in an external review process?
7. Establish consumer assistance services to help people select from a variety of health insurance plans in their area?
8. Provide tax breaks for small businesses which offer health care insurance as part of their employee benefits?
9. Offer relief for about 4 million senior citizens threatened by the infamous Medicare Part D “donut hole?”
10. Provide that cancer screenings, like mammograms or prostate exams, be offered without charging a co-pay or deductible?
11. Fund programs which seek to promote anti-obesity, and anti-smoking campaigns?
12. Fund efforts to crack down on, and prosecute, instances of Medicare fraud?
13. Provides access for individuals to purchase affordable health care insurance policies even if they have pre-existing medical conditions?
14. Extend health insurance policy coverage for young adults?
15. Expand health insurance coverage for early retirees?
16. Fund training programs for primary care physicians, physicians assistants, and nurses?
17. Require that health insurance corporations justify their policy premium increases?
18. Help states offer extended Medicaid coverage for low income, blind, aged, or disabled persons?
19. Fund increased health care resources for rural areas?
20. Funds to construct and maintain community health care centers in under-served areas?
21. Offer prescription drug discounts for senior citizens?
22. Provide wellness visits for elderly Americans?
23. Improve health care services for senior citizens after hospitalization?
24. Assist states toward providing more independent living and assisted care for disabled persons?
25. Require corporations selling health care insurance policies to use at least 80% to 85% of the premiums they collect on — health care?
26. Cut over-payments to health insurance corporations offering Medicare Advantage policies?
27. Offer financial incentives to hospitals that improve the care they provide to their patients?
28. Encourage integrated health care delivery to reduce the need for re-admission to a hospital?
29. Reduce paperwork and administrative costs in health care services?
30. Expand preventative health care services.
31. Initiate pilot programs which bundle health care service billing, to replace the current fragmented billing systems?
32. Increase Medicaid payments to physicians?
33. Provide funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program?
34. Prohibit the sale of health insurance policies which discriminate on the basis of gender?
35. Eliminate the annual limits on insurance coverage?
36. Provide for health insurance coverage for individuals who are participating in clinical trials?
37. Establish affordable health insurance exchanges in all states?
38. Increase the Small Business Tax Credit for employers who offer health insurance coverage.
39. Promote individual responsibility for health insurance coverage?
40. Increase access to Medicaid services for newly eligible individuals?

I don’t think so.

Senator Heller would probably like to generalize his opposition to Obamacare, it makes for nice soundbites  — but how many of its individual provisions would he really like to repeal?  Perhaps we can guess they’d be the ones putting a crimp in the health insurance corporations’ style — and bottom lines?