LC 2.5 The Lincoln Single Payer Healthcare Act (General debate)

[S019]

I propose an amendment to this bill

Healthcare shall be controlled by insurance companies, and the only government interference is to protection from discrimination against pre-existing conditions

If this amendment is not added, I will vote NAY

[S019]

I propose another amendment.

Lincoln taxpayer money should not be used to fund abortions or abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood

This amendment must also be added, otherwise I will vote NAY

[S019]

Lincoln should leave AtlasCare, but the rest of this bill is beyond horrible, add my proposed amendments and it will be much better

[S019]

Mr. Speaker, I propose the following amendment

The Lincoln Single Payer Healthcare Act

An act to establish a regional single payer healthcare system in the region of Lincoln

Section I: Elegibility and benefits
1. A new government program, named the Lincoln Healthcare System, or LHS, shall be created
2. All residents of Lincoln shall be entitled to benefits under this Act
3. No person shall be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the program or be subject to any reduction of benefits established under this Act for discriminatory reasons. These include, but are not limited to age, race, gender, pre-existing medical conditions, etc
4. The enrollment of new individuals in this program shall be automatic upon adquiring the condition of legal resident of Lincoln. The government shall issue a card to all individuals enrolled in this program
5. From the moment this bill is enacted, it shall be unlawful for private insurers and employers to provide or sell benefits that duplicate those of this act. However extra benefits not covered by this act may still be provided by private insurers and employers

Section II: Coverage
1. The government of Lincoln shall pay on behalf of the individuals covered by this program for the following items and services if they are medically appropiate for the maintenance of health or for the diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation of a health condition:

a) Hospital services, including inpatient and outpatient hospital care, including 24-hour-a-day emergency services and inpatient prescription drugs.
b) Ambulatory patient services.
c) Primary and preventive services, including chronic disease management.
d) Prescription drugs and medical devices, including outpatient prescription drugs, medical devices, and biological products.
e) Mental health and substance abuse treatment services, including inpatient care.
f) Laboratory and diagnostic services.
g) Comprehensive reproductive, maternity, and newborn care, however this shall not include funding for abortions or abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.
h) Pediatrics.
i) Oral health, audiology, and vision services.
j) Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices.
k) Emergency services and transportation.
l) Early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services
m) Long-term care services and support

2. No cost-sharing measures shall be imposed on individuals for the services covered by this Act

Section III: On Healthcare Providers
1. Each health care provider has a duty to act in the exclusive interest of each individual under the care of such provider according to the applicable legal standard of care, such that no financial interest or relationship impairs any health care provider’s ability to furnish necessary and appropriate care to such individual.
2. A health care provider is considered to be qualified to furnish covered items and services under this Act if the provider is licensed or certified to furnish such items and services in the region of Lincoln
3. The government of Lincoln shall establish minimum standards for institutional providers of services and individual health care practitioners.
4. An institutional, individual or privately owned provider may not bill or enter into any private contract with any individual eligible for benefits under the Act for any item or service that is a benefit under this Act.
5. All healthcare providers by the start of the year 2030 shall be public or non-profit providers. The government of Lincoln will work for a smooth transition. The year of application of this section may be extended by the governor.
6. Individuals covered by this act shall be free to choose among all providers and institutions that participate in this Act

Section IV: Payments to Providers
1. Not later than the beginning of each fiscal quarter during which an institutional provider of care (including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, Federally qualified health centers, home health agencies, and independent dialysis facilities) is to furnish items and services under this Act, the government of Lincoln shall pay to such institutional provider a lump sum.
2. The amount of each payment to a provider described in Section IV.1 shall be determined before the start of each fiscal year through negotiations between the provider and the state director with jurisdiction over such provider.
3. Payments to providers under this Act may not take into account:
a) The provider's marketing
b) The profit or net revenue of the provider
c) Political contributions
4. Providers receiving payment under this Section shall be prohibited from using funds designated for operating expenditures for capital expenditures or profit; and viceversa
5. The prices to be paid for covered pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, medical technologies, and medically necessary equipment covered under this Act shall be negotiated annually

Section V: Relation with the federal Reforming and Regionalizing Public Healthcare Act of 2017
1. The region of Lincoln hereby opts out of the AtlasCare program, as established in Part II, Section 1 of that bill.
This bill shall also allow insurance companies to choose, what types of insurance that they wish to offer

Section VI: Enactment
1. This bill shall be enacted on the 1st of October, 2019

[S019]

I support lfromnj’s amendment added to this bill

So, I vote AYE on the amendment, but not the bill

[S019]

I will vote AYE on the S019/Suburban NJ Conservative Amendment

[S019]

As for my opposition to the ammendment, it is very simple. If S019's ammendment is passed at that point we might as well throw the bill into the garbage. It nullifies all the aims the bill was trying to achieve.

I stand in agreement with the Speaker. I wholeheartedly oppose this amendment.

My amendment is designed to give people and their insurers control pf their healthcare, rather than the government

I do not think it is a bad amendment, but the bill introduced by the Speaker was flawed and my amendment fixes those flaws

[S019]

As for my opposition to the ammendment, it is very simple. If S019's ammendment is passed at that point we might as well throw the bill into the garbage. It nullifies all the aims the bill was trying to achieve.

I stand in agreement with the Speaker. I wholeheartedly oppose this amendment.

My amendment is designed to give people and their insurers control pf their healthcare, rather than the government

I do not think it is a bad amendment, but the bill introduced by the Speaker was flawed and my amendment fixes those flaws

Insurance companies having control over healthcare is the problem.
That's not something we need to add, it's something that needs to end.

The bill without my amendment basically transfers control of healthcare to the government, even if people like their doctor, they will not be able to keep their doctor, if people liek their plan they will not be able to keep it. Plus, how exactly are we supposed to pay for this government takeover pf healthcare? I think people not the government, should decide their healthcare plan.

[S019]

AYE

[S019]

NAY!!!!!

This is stunning, coming from a moderate like you, however, I do hope you remain involved in the game, your moderation, independence, and bipartisanship, is something that we can all learn from and admire

[S019]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to propose an amendment

Ammendment L 2:11 by thr33

Section I: Elegibility and benefits
1. A new government program, named the Lincoln Healthcare System, or LHS, shall be created
2. All legal permanent residents as well as those on visas with 5 years of residence of Lincoln, only shall be entitled to benefits under this Act
3. No person shall be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the program or be subject to any reduction of benefits established under this Act for discriminatory reasons. These include, but are not limited to age, race, gender, pre-existing medical conditions, etc
4. The enrollment of new individuals in this program shall be automatic manual and require registration, and is only open to permanent residents of Lincoln upon adquiring the condition of legal permanent resident of Lincoln or surpassing the five year residency threshold for visas holders. The government shall issue a card to all individuals enrolled in this program
5. From the moment this bill is enacted, it shall be unlawful for private insurers and employers to provide or sell benefits that duplicate those of this act. However extra benefits not covered by this act may still be provided by private insurers and employers

[S019]

AYE

[S019]

What exactly are the inactivity consequences

[S019]

This is going to be the first bill that the majority passes, if the 10 day time limit on the filibuster is not blocked

[S019]

My opinion is that we should table this, there is no way, that we are going to find the money to pay for this, when we are in a massive deficit. If anything, we might need to cut healthcare spending, spending more on healthcare and having our region pay for the entire thing, is he definition of fiscal irresponsibility