It started before the bill even came out. Chicken Littles of all shapes and sizes trying to tell us that this was a "government takeover", or that the public option was too wimpy, or that we were all going to be sent to jail if we didn't buy insurance.
There is, as I speak, a rec list diary from a respected activist and NN-scholarship-winning blogger who is telling us that the Opt-Out provision is "bad". I've read the opt-out provision, and while I agree that there are some risks, I think the opt-out is so well-written that it doesn't allow much wiggle room for the states.
My proposal is relatively simple, and not unlike what you'd do with a law school or med school group project.
I'm just asking for folks to take portions of the bill and read them, then summarize.
TITLE I—QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
AMERICANS
Subtitle A—Immediate Improvements in Health Care Coverage for All
Americans
PART A—INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MARKET REFORMS
SUBPART II—IMPROVING COVERAGE
Subtitle B—Immediate Actions to Preserve and Expand Coverage
Subtitle C—Quality Health Insurance Coverage for All Americans
PART I—HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET REFORMS
SUBPART I—GENERAL REFORM
PART II—OTHER PROVISIONS
Subtitle D—Available Coverage Choices for All Americans
PART I—ESTABLISHMENT OF QUALIFIED HEALTH PLANS
PART II—CONSUMER CHOICES AND INSURANCE COMPETITION THROUGH
HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGES
PART III—STATE FLEXIBILITY RELATING TO EXCHANGES
PART IV—STATE FLEXIBILITY TO ESTABLISH ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS
PART V—REINSURANCE AND RISK ADJUSTMENT
Subtitle E—Affordable Coverage Choices for All Americans
PART I—PREMIUM TAX CREDITS AND COST-SHARING REDUCTIONS
SUBPART A—PREMIUM TAX CREDITS AND COST-SHARING REDUCTIONS
SUBPART B—ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS
PART II—SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDIT
Subtitle F—Shared Responsibility for Health Care
PART I—INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
PART II—EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES
Subtitle G—Miscellaneous Provisions
TITLE II—ROLE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Subtitle A—Improved Access to Medicaid
Subtitle B—Enhanced Support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program
Subtitle C—Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Simplification
Subtitle D—Improvements to Medicaid Services
Subtitle E—New Options for States to Provide Long-Term Services and
Supports
Subtitle F—Medicaid Prescription Drug Coverage
Subtitle G—Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments
Subtitle H—Improved Coordination for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries
Subtitle I—Improving the Quality of Medicaid for Patients and Providers
Subtitle J—Improvements to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access
Commission (MACPAC)
Subtitle K—Protections for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Subtitle L—Maternal and Child Health Services
TITLE III—IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF
HEALTH CARE
Subtitle A—Transforming the Health Care Delivery System
PART I—LINKING PAYMENT TO QUALITY OUTCOMES UNDER THE
MEDICARE PROGRAM
PART II—NATIONAL STRATEGY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE QUALITY
PART III—ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PATIENT CARE MODELS
Subtitle B—Improving Medicare for Patients and Providers
PART I—ENSURING BENEFICIARY ACCESS TO PHYSICIAN CARE AND OTHER
SERVICES
PART II—RURAL PROTECTIONS
PART III—IMPROVING PAYMENT ACCURACY
Subtitle C—Provisions Relating to Part C
Subtitle D—Medicare Part D Improvements for Prescription Drug Plans and
MA–PD Plans
Subtitle E—Ensuring Medicare Sustainability
Subtitle F—Health Care Quality Improvements
TITLE IV—PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASE AND IMPROVING
PUBLIC HEALTH
Subtitle A—Modernizing Disease Prevention and Public Health Systems
Subtitle B—Increasing Access to Clinical Preventive Services
Subtitle C—Creating Healthier Communities
Subtitle D—Support for Prevention and Public Health Innovation
Subtitle E—Miscellaneous Provisions
TITLE V—HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE
Subtitle A—Purpose and Definitions
Subtitle B—Innovations in the Health Care Workforce
Subtitle C—Increasing the Supply of the Health Care Workforce
Subtitle D—Enhancing Health Care Workforce Education and Training
Subtitle E—Supporting the Existing Health Care Workforce
Subtitle F—Strengthening Primary Care and Other Workforce Improvements
Subtitle G—Improving Access to Health Care Services
Subtitle H—General Provisions
TITLE VI—TRANSPARENCY AND PROGRAM INTEGRITY
Subtitle A—Physician Ownership and Other Transparency
Subtitle B—Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement
PART I—IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY OF INFORMATION
PART II—TARGETING ENFORCEMENT
PART III—IMPROVING STAFF TRAINING
Subtitle C—Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks
on Direct Patient Access Employees of Long-term Care Facilities and Providers
Subtitle D—Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Subtitle E—Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP Program Integrity Provisions
Subtitle F—Additional Medicaid Program Integrity Provisions
Subtitle G—Additional Program Integrity Provisions
Subtitle H—Elder Justice Act
Subtitle I—Sense of the Senate Regarding Medical Malpractice
TITLE VII—IMPROVING ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE MEDICAL
THERAPIES
Subtitle A—Biologics Price Competition and Innovation
Subtitle B—More Affordable Medicines for Children and Underserved
Communities
TITLE VIII—CLASS ACT
TITLE IX—REVENUE PROVISIONS
Subtitle A—Revenue Offset Provisions
Subtitle B—Other Provisions
As you can see, the overall architecture of the bill has nine Titles.
I propose that we have individuals or groups of Kossacks who take the time to read one of the Titles, summarize the provisions, and share knowledge.
This is a 2,074 page bill. It's enormous. I started reading it at about 8:15 last night, took some time to put the baby to bed, and read until about 10:30. I got to around page 450.