Emerson: Pelosi Health Care Bill “Incomprehensible” – October 30, 2009
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today criticized H.R. 3962, the closed-door version of health care reform under consideration in the House of Representatives, saying it is too difficult for most Americans to understand the changes being proposed to the health care system.“Even things which should be simple to define and understand are completely incomprehensible in this bill,” Emerson said. “I don’t know how anyone in the country, except for maybe a handful of lawyers, can tell the American people what effect this legislation would ultimately have on our nation’s healthcare system if it is passed and signed into law.”
Emerson cited the bill’s definition of the term “Primary Care Service” as one example:
The term ‘primary care services’ means evaluation and management services, without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing the services, that are procedure codes (for services covered under title XVIII) for services in the category designated Evaluation and Management in the Health Care Common Procedure Coding System (established by the Secretary under section 1848(c)(5) as of December 31, 2009, and as subsequently modified by the Secretary). (p. 1056)
“Basically, that’s how this bill defines a check-up. No wonder it’s 1,990 pages long” Emerson said. “Furthermore, this is typical of language throughout the bill that confuses American citizens, the media, and even members of Congress about what this proposal will do to our health care system and how much it will expand our federal bureaucracy and administrative power to define the doctor-patient relationship.”
She also found irony in the bill’s section on interpreting which reads:
The terms “interpreting” and “interpretation” mean the transmission of a spoken message from one language into another, faithfully, accurately, and objectively. (p. 634)
Emerson said, “If only it were possible to interpret this legislation faithfully, accurately, and objectively for the American people – then we would be able to have a productive debate about the need to lower the costs of health care and improve access. That ought to be the goal, and this bill falls far short of it.”
A longtime proponent of measures to save American taxpayers and patients billions on their health care costs, especially the high prices of name-brand prescription drugs, Emerson has denounced the behind-the-scenes deals struck by Democratic leaders with special interests and the exclusion of Democrats and Republicans alike from the process of writing the bill.
