Health Care Reform Act

[StevenNick]

The Health Care Reform Act of 2004

Article 1

Upon the passage of this bill, all citizens of the United States will have the right to purchase insurance coverage from an out of state provider.

Article 2

Every citizen may open a Health Savings Account.  Citizens may deposit a maximum of $5000 dollars per year tax free into the Health Savings Account.  Savings Accounts may be spent on medical insurance premiums as well as direct payments to doctors.

Article 3

Upon the passage of this bill, punitive damages awarded in civil courts may not exceed $250,000.  In class action lawsuits, punitive damages may not exceed $150,000 per plaintiff.

[StevenNick]

Please feel free to make any statements or critiques in regards to this bill at this time.

[JohnFKennedy]

I have a question regarding Article 3.

Does that extend to mass-claiments where a group of people are filing a case against a doctor who repeatedly made mistakes?

[StevenNick]

I have a question regarding Article 3.

Does that extend to mass-claiments where a group of people are filing a case against a doctor who repeatedly made mistakes?

No.  This isn't meant to apply to class action lawsuits.  I should clarify that.

[Nym90]

I strongly oppose article 3, as I feel that it is an attempt by the Legislature to meddle into matters of which they have no knowledge. The government should not be in the business of setting arbitrary limits on lawsuits. I feel that we should trust the legal system to sort out these matters and not put such silly restrictions on them. Who are we to judge what the proper amount is in ANY possible conceiveable case? The circumstances of each individual case should be considered in determing how much wrongdoing has been done. I trust judges and juries to make these decisions much more than I do legislators who have no knowledge of the particulars of the case.

[StevenNick]

I strongly oppose article 3, as I feel that it is an attempt by the Legislature to meddle into matters of which they have no knowledge. The government should not be in the business of setting arbitrary limits on lawsuits. I feel that we should trust the legal system to sort out these matters and not put such silly restrictions on them. Who are we to judge what the proper amount is in ANY possible conceiveable case? The circumstances of each individual case should be considered in determing how much wrongdoing has been done. I trust judges and juries to make these decisions much more than I do legislators who have no knowledge of the particulars of the case.

But this isn't setting limits on how much a person can win in a lawsuit.  That all depends on the amount of damages.  What this does is limit punitive damages, nothing else.

[JohnFKennedy]

huge apology to stevennick for letting this lag to the bottom and not calling a vote on it at the time required (I was away on a drama course), I will now call for a Senate vote upon this act unless there is an injunction filed by five senators to extend debating.

All in favour vote yea, all opposed vote nay.

[12th Doctor]

I support this proposal.  I just didn't know about it until today.

[StevenNick]

I vote yea.  What a shocker, huh?

[JohnFKennedy]

I vote yea.

[7,052,770]

I actually support clause 3 and the bill.
Yea!

[??????????]

Yea

[Demrepdan]

Yea

[Akno21]

Yea

[Platypus]

aye

[7,052,770]

Thats 7!

[Nation]

I vote aye, though I completely forgot about this -- I would have provided some extra debate!

[JohnFKennedy]

With eight votes in favour of the motion, the Health Care Reform Act proposed by Sen. Stevennick has passed.

[Gustaf]

I sign this.

- President Gustaf

[Bono]

aye

This was your big "debate on education reform" you bragged about earlier? JUST SAYING "aye"

I believe this is helth care, not education...