Sunday, August 23, 2009

National ID & Health Care Rhetoric

For those who are, and have been concerned, about the truth about a National ID and healthcare, CQ Politics has gone to ask the tough questions about what's REALLY in the bill.

Vetting the Health Care Rhetoric

Claim: The government would have "real-time access" to individual bank accounts and create a "national ID health card."

Source: Conservative groups opposed to the Democrats' health care overhaul have asserted this in chain e-mails and at rallies across the country. Many claims emanate from the Family Security Matters Web publication.

FALSE. A section of the bill would require insurers to make it easier for patients to calculate the cost of their care by providing information about the prices of treatments in the doctor's office. The House bill also would allow — but not require — insurers to issue patients a "machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card," similar to the insurance cards most people with coverage already carry. The card would not be issued by the government.



1 comment:

Crispy said...

The Family Matters site you referenced does not mention any national ID card, but it does mention electronic access to bank accounts. The bill has this on page 59 in the section SEC. 1173A. STANDARDIZE ELECTRONIC ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS.

(C) enable electronic funds transfers, in
order to allow automated reconciliation with the
related health care payment and remittance advice;


"Payment and remittance" sounds like money into and out of your bank account.