What's in Health Care Reform Bill H.R. 3200 and H.R. 3400?

"Take this pill, it'll cure what ails you." Many Americans have heard that the major bill providing health care reform, H.R. 3200, was the latest major bill being rushed through Congress with few members having taken the time to read it or ask what it really contains, following party instructions instead. During the August recess, word is circulating not just in rumors as the White House has been suggesting, but as actual page numbers from the bill.

One page that has been popular in Google searches today is page 838, where "home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children" are discussed. Although this sounds very much like social work programs already in existence, some are raising alarm at the prospect of government entering their homes to supervise their child raising. If you are concerned about the rumors, page 838 is available online in black and white.

At over 1,000 pages, H.R. 3200 rivals recent 'stimulus' legislation as a black hole in which anything could be hidden, and as Americans step forward to do the reading their representatives have avoided, rumors are likely to continue to fly. Added to the mess is H.R. 3400, which appears to address issues such as small business health plans, excessive lawsuits against medical providers, and other problems with the current system. In light of the health care reform bill, it becomes unclear whether passage of these two bills would overhaul the current system and then fix problems that no longer existed.

One supposed letter from a medical doctor , Stephen Frasier MD, to member congress Evan Bayh has been circulated, posted, supposedly verified and then questioned, but contains a number of citations which can be read and evaluated for one's self. As an exercise in civics, comparing the concerns of looming government control on the one hand and malicious misinformation on the other, these citations and others on the web provide a great basis for individuals to step in and read actual legislation, then write to their representatives and encourage them to become fully informed as well, citing their concerns and agreement by page number.

If you're curious about H.R. 3200 and H.R. 3400, they can be checked out online through the Library of Congress, which also offers features such as a search for references to the bills in the Congressional Record which documents actions and statements made by members of Congress. You can then quote "chapter and verse" and help craft legislation that Americans both understand and support.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/facts-are-stubborn-things/

http://thomas.loc.gov/ (Library of Congress archive of legislation, direct link not available - search for 'HR 3200' and 'HR 3400')

"Stephen Fraser Letter to Evan Bayh", , http://www.u4prez.com/Blogs/friday/Stephen-Fraser-Letter-to-Evan-Bayh.html