Originally posted by Jenna
PG 30 Line 123 THERE WILL BE A Government COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
SEC. 123. HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
13 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the
Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans.
(2) CHAIR.—The Surgeon General shall be a member and the chair of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee.
(3) MEMBERSHIP.—The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following members, in addition to the Surgeon General:
(A) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the President.
(B) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States in a manner similar to
the manner in which the Comptroller General appoints members to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission under section 1805(c) of the Social Security
Act.
(C) Such even number of members (not to exceed 8) who are Federal employees and officers, as the President may appoint.
So the President will be appointing up to 17 people to this committee and the Comptroller General will be appointing 9.
(b) DUTIES.—
(1) RECOMMENDATIONS ON BENEFIT STANDARDS.—The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this subtitle referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) benefit standards (as defined in paragraph (4)), and periodic updates to such standards. In
developing such recommendations, the Committee shall take into account innovation in health care and consider how such standards could reduce health
disparities.
This committee will be recommending benefit standards.
(4) BENEFIT STANDARDS DEFINED.—In this subtitle, the term ‘‘benefit standards’’ means standards respecting—
(A) the essential benefits package described in section 122, including categories of covered treatments, items and services within benefit classes,
and cost-sharing; and
(B) the cost-sharing levels for enhanced plans and premium plans (as provided under section 203(c)) consistent with paragraph (5).
And those standards they recommend will be for the categories of covered treatments, items and services within "benefit classes".
Looks like we can mark this one down as true. The government committee will be deciding what benefits and treatments we can have.
Edit: fixed external tags
[edit on 8-8-2009 by Jenna]
Jenna, first let me thank you for the invite.
Secondly, as you quoted from the bill this isn't a "government comittee" in that elected representatives are on the comittee, or even general
goverment workers.
You will have the Surgeon General, who although is a political appointment almost was Sanjay Gupta who seems to be a reasonable medical
professional.
Then we have 9 members who are not government.
(A) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the President.
Then we have another 9 members who are also not government
(B) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States in a manner similar
to the manner in which the Comptroller General appoints members to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission under section 1805(c) of the Social
Security Act.
So these members are not government people either. The are private members. However I don't have any data yet on how the Medicare Payment Advisory
Commission works.
Finally we have no more than 8 Federal Employees
(C) Such even number of members (not to exceed 8) who are Federal employees and officers, as the President may appoint.
This seems reasonable to me for liasons. Although I'd like to know if they share equal power or where they are placed in the group.
