According to the Wichita Eagle the Kansas House voted 103-20 to approve legislation to make health care more affordable to citizens of Kansas.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the bill would provide $4 million to fund the first year of the insurance subsidy and has a total price tag of $10 million.

Among the provisions:

• Expanded Medicaid, dental and stop-smoking programs for pregnant women with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

• A mandate on insurers offering group health insurance to offer plans in which premiums can be paid with pre-tax wages.

• Increased funding for cancer screenings.

• New initiatives to enroll eligible children in programs for low-income families.

• Increased health insurance continuation periods after changing jobs.

Sally Pipes, president and CEO of Pacific Research Institute writes in a Washington Times opinion the Five myths of health care. The "five most prominent health care myths" according to Pipes are:

"Forty-seven million Americans do not have health insurance"

The U.S. Census Bureau says that 16% of the US population, or 47 million Americans don't have health insurance. That counts "anyone who went without health insurance during any part of the previous year as 'uninsured'", "if you weren't covered for just one day in 2007, you're one of the 47 million", according to Pipes. The article also indicates that the 'uninsured' number includes 10.2 million illegal immigrants, and 14 million people who are eligible for public health-care. On top of that, Pipes writes that "nearly 10 million of the 'uninsured' have household incomes of more than $75,000 - so they can probably afford to buy health insurance but choose not to".

That brings the 47 million 'uninsured' down to 13 million or 4% of the population. I wonder how many taxpayers believe they should have their tax bill increased so the U.S. Government can provide health insurance benefits to 10 million illegal immigrants, or 14 million people they're already paying for! If you don't pony up for your neighbor he'll have to sell his Lexus at loss after he's admitted to the hospital because of a bug he got on vacation to Mexico.

"Universal health-care coverage can be achieved via 'individual mandate'."

According to Pipes, "nearly two-thirds of the uninsured are aged 18 to 34", which "makes sense - healthy people aren't going to pay for expensive insurance they'll never use". Pipes adds "as a way to enforce an individual mandate, Mrs. Clinton has suggested garnishing wages".

Thanks Hillary, garnish my wages so I can help pay for health insurance on 10 million illegal immigrants that don't pay taxes.

"Expensive prescription drugs are a big reason health-care costs increase."

Pipes writes that "the real price of prescription drugs is actually decreasing" and that drug prices increased just 1% in 2007, where inflation "rose more than 4 percent". That means "drugs were 3 percent cheaper last year than in 2006, on average".

"Drug importation will save patients a fortune."

Pipes indicates that foreign drug importation would save U.S. residents 1% "at most" over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Here we go again, another number from the U.S. Government. Come on, 1% over 10 years! Sounds like somebody has a deal with the dealer. Shop for prescriptions yourself, savings of more that 40% are common.

"The state-run health-care systems in Canada and Europe are better and cheaper than America's."

Pipes cites a study published in a British medical journal the Lancet suggesting that "America is much better at treating cancer than Europe or Canada" and that "Americans have a better survival rate for 13 of the 16 most prominent cancers", concluding "An American man has nearly a 20 percent better chance of living for five years after being diagnosed with cancer than his European counterpart".

The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority voted Thursday to approve a 10% increase in premiums for insurers participating the states Commonwealth Care plan. The insurers had asked for a 15% increase but agreed to take less after weeks of negotiations.

According to state financial officials, the subsidized health care plan will cost 'significantly' more than the $869 million Governor Deval Patrick proposed in his 2009 budget.

There are 176,000 members covered by the plan, although only members with income greater than $15,000 are required to pay premiums. Copayments will also increase, double for some members.

Business' that don't provide health insurance to their employees pay a penalty of $295 per uninsured employee per year, which has raised $6 million and is far less than originally expected.

"Healthcare reform is not sustainable financially and it's also not sustainable politically if the best we can do is more taxpayer money and shifting costs to consumers," said Nancy Turnbull, an associate dean at the Harvard School of Public Health and member of the connector board.

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