What Was That GOP Shit About Letting States Decide Things?

It seems Bush and his henchmen are really not for states rights if they see a way to grease the palms of insurance companies. Colour me amazed.

Senate legislation aimed at reducing health insurance expenses for small businesses carries with it what government watchdogs say is a poison pill for patients’ rights provisions passed by various states in recent years.

Sponsored by Senator Michael Enzi (R-Wyoming), the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, permits small businesses and trade associations to pool resources with which to purchase employee health coverage. The bill would create a uniform national standard for group insurance purchasing. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would oversee the standards and coordinate state cooperation.

Sounds benign enough so far, but those in the know don't like it. Many of the rest of us just don't like it because we know Bush and are sure something is fishy.

According to FTCR [Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights] President Jamie Court, in creating a single standard, the measure "threatens the gains of the HMO patients' rights movement, which established standards such as requiring HMOs to provide patients access to second opinions, give women direct access to OBGYNs without having to go through HMO gatekeepers, and ensure patients have access to medically necessary care."

FTCR contends that Enzi’s bill would undermine "Patients’ Bill of Rights" laws enacted by 41 states. The laws carry varying provisions but generally include patient access to review boards, limits on out-of-pocket payments, state oversight of complaints against insurers, and medical-record protections, FTCR said.

Yep. Something is fishy.

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