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How is the current health care reform legislation socialist?

And, also, I assume you would like to see Medicare done away with?

Funny, I don't think it is all socialist, just certain aspects of the bill currently are filled with solutions that will take down the quaility of care across the board for the US. Medicare and Medicaid will be done away with. They will fall under their own bloat.

Well, there's more bad news on the health care front. The latest survey from Buck Consultants projects that costs for the most popular health care coverage is expected to increase at least 10 percent this year.

Meanwhile, Congress seems stalled on the issue of health care reform. Where is this headed?

While many U.S. companies initially hoped they could preserve much of their existing group health plans under the new grandfather provision, a new survey by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, shows that almost all now believe they will not. Ninety percent of companies said they anticipate losing grandfathered status by 2014, with the majority expecting to do so in the next two years.

Under the "grandfather" provision of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, companies can maintain many of their current health care coverage provisions and are required to make fewer changes to plan documents and administrative procedures in order to comply with the new law. Companies can lose their grandfather status if they take certain steps such as reducing benefits, significantly raising co-payment charges, significantly raising deductibles or changing insurance carriers.

According to Hewitt's survey of 466 companies—representing 6.9 million employees—most companies expect to lose grandfather status because of health plan design changes (72 percent) and/or changes to company subsidy levels (39 percent). Employers also cited consolidation of health plans (16 percent), changes to insurance carriers (16 percent) and union negotiations (15 percent) as additional reasons. More than three-quarters of companies (77 percent) said that recently released guidance on preventive care did not impact their decision to maintain grandfathered status.

Hewitt's survey found that of those companies with self-insured plans, most (51 percent) expect to first lose grandfather status in 2011 and another 21 percent plan to lose status in 2012. This timing is similar for companies with fully insured medical plans, with the vast majority expecting to lose status in 2011 (46 percent) or 2012 (18 percent).

"Employers reviewing their existing health care strategies in light of reform are focused on answering two questions: what changes do I need or want to make to my health care plans; and how can I make them without significantly increasing costs?" said Ken Sperling, leader of Hewitt's Health Management practice.

"After assessing the grandfather provision, large companies realize they already comply with many of the requirements of non-grandfathered plans, so the changes they'll need to make aren't likely to add a significant cost or administrative burden. Most large employers would rather have the flexibility to change their benefit programs than be tied down to the limited modifications allowed under the new law."

If this is true--After assessing the grandfather provision, large companies realize they already comply with many of the requirements of non-grandfathered plans, so the changes they'll need to make aren't likely to add a significant cost or administrative burden--then health care reform isn't going to add much to overall costs. Am I interpreting this correctly?

An excellent example of what the GOPs massive effort through radical radio and TV talk show hosts generated over the past 20 months. It is unlikely no more than 1 in 25,000 people read any portion of the Health Care law but rather developed their dislikes by listening to GOP hype. Now they are learning the law will be good for America. Maybe they will also learn to do their own research rather then let radical radio and TV talk show hosts make their decisions for them!