Some of the HR 3200 bureaucracy

Page 30 and Page 31 the Bill states

(1) IN GENERAL.-There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans.

(2) CHAIR.-The Surgeon General shall be a member and the chair of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee.

(3) MEMBERSHIP.-The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following members, in addition to the Surgeon General:

(A) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the President.

(B) 9 members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States in a manner similar to the manner in which the Comptroller General appoints members to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission under section 1805(c) of the Social Security Act.

(C) Such even number of members (not to exceed 8) who are Federal employees and officers, as the President may appoint.

O.K. So we're going to have a committee of up to 26 members all appointed either by the president or the comptroller. No bureaucracy here.


(5) PARTICIPATION.-The membership of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall at least reflect providers, consumer representatives, employers, labor, health insurance issuers, experts in health care financing and delivery, experts in racial and ethnic disparities, experts in care for those with disabilities, representatives of relevant governmental agencies. and at least one practicing physician or other health professional and an expert on children's health and shall represent a balance among various sectors of the health care system so that no single sector unduly influences the recommendations of such Committee.

Excuse me, why do we need "experts in racial and ethnic disparities" and "labor" and yet we only have "at least one practicing physician or other health professional and an expert on children's health"? Shouldn't it be mostly doctors who know how to practice medicine that should be on this committee!?


Middle of page 32 the bill states

"The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services benefit standards."


So this new bureaucracy of mostly non-medical members will be recommending what our benefits will be. Not us!

Page 35 and 36

DETERMINATION TO ADOPT STANDARDS.-
If the Secretary determines-

(A) to propose adoption of benefit standards so recommended as a package, the Secretary shall, by regulation under section 553 of title 5, United States Code, propose adoption such standards; or

(B) not to propose adoption of such standards as a package, the Secretary shall notify the Health Benefits Advisory Committee in writing of such determination and the reasons for not proposing the adoption of such recommendation and provide the Committee with a further opportunity to modify its previous recommendations and submit new recommendations to the Secretary on a timely basis.

So the Secretary will "provide the Committee with a further opportunity to modify its previous recommendations and submit new recommendations to the Secretary on a timely basis." What's the reason for a committee if the Secretary can overwrite the committee!? Can he just keep sending their recommendations back to the committee until they make, "the right decision?"