CA Legislature votes to keep ACA money to contractors secret.

[Ratters]

http://seattletimes.com/html/health/2020949312_apushealthoverhaulhiddencontracts.html

A California law that created an agency to oversee national health care reforms granted it sweeping authority to conceal spending on the contractors that will perform most of its functions, creating a barrier from public disclosure that stands out nationwide.

The degree of secrecy afforded Covered California appears unique among states attempting to establish their own health insurance exchanges under President Barack Obama's signature health law.

It's routine in government to keep bids secret until contracts are awarded, so one vendor does not get an unfair advantage over others. After a bid is awarded, contracts generally become fully public.

In setting up the California exchange, lawmakers gave it the authority to keep all contracts private for a year and the amounts paid secret indefinitely. "Except for the portion of a contract that contains the rates of payment, contracts entered into pursuant to this title shall be open to inspection one year after their effective dates," reads the code specifying what exchange records are exempt from public disclosure.

So basically, these scumbags get to make payoffs to their friends and they will never see the light of day. Obamacare sucks, but leave it to California to take it to another level.

 

[Dr. Evil]

1. Wow. :|

2. Obamacare isn't *that* bad. It's an (extremely ) imperfect solution to a serious problem that nobody was doing anything about.

3. Wow. :|

 

[RRR70]

So awesome! Go Kalifornia!

 

[Asphaultnaut]

oh the excuses we and other agencies are using (successfully) to get our chunk of the pie...

the databases we're building, linking medical records to social services records to law enforcement... a one stop shop for almost everything on everyone.

(the law enforcement part comes from tying in social services or CWP incidents to LIHP and others who are part of the new health care mandate. As well as the whole "doctor asking if there's a gun in the house" thing-when the back end is all done a doctor can more easily be the sole determining factor of an "unsafe" allegation. "Click here to send the troops" easy.

Racial data of course important because we need to make sure money designated for such causes is only spent on them. We had that data though, and so did HHS, but anyone subpoena'ing or running reports off that data needed to get access at two points before.

Everyone who was afraid of the Federal TIA program, well, it's almost ready. Only thing keeping abuse from happening? Government promising it won't abuse the information.

there were better solutions on the table. But they didn't involve the Fed and everyone got a bug up their kiesters saying only the overbearing Fed in control could "save" us. When all that was needed were State programs and financial incentive from the Feds for programs that meet simple guidelines of effectiveness. Would've cost a lot less overall and avoided almost all of the political problems.

 

[afm199]

The good thing about Obamacare is that thirty million people will get healthcare who do not have it.

The bad thing is that you and I will pay for that. The bad thing is the IRS is overseeing the process. The bad thing is ever more gubmint databases with private and personal info open to gubmint bureaucrats. The bad thing is most Americans were dumb enough to approve this. Congress gets the best health care in the world, and it's not Obamacare. Nor does Obama get Obamacare. Or his family. But it's good enough for the rest of us.

 

[Asphaultnaut]

The good thing about Obamacare is that thirty million people will get healthcare who do not have it.

The bad thing is that you and I will pay for that. The bad thing is the IRS is overseeing the process. The bad thing is ever more gubmint databases with private and personal info open to gubmint bureaucrats. The bad thing is most Americans were dumb enough to approve this. Congress gets the best health care in the world, and it's not Obamacare. Nor does Obama get Obamacare. Or his family. But it's good enough for the rest of us.

one thing I've already encountered, and mentioned previously, is that those of us who have earned our healthcare benefits are already finding problems with getting appointments as there was barely enough doctors in the system as it was. Now we, in this county alone, will add over 20K new patients to VMC. In the first year. I'm on three weeks now trying to both get an appointment for physical therapy, and two weeks of trying to get my health insurance provider to respond and reassign me somewhere that's actually got room for patients.

Bad enough my retirement is under attack as a reservoir to draw for more entitlement spending, but now my health care bennie is getting diluted while my "contribution" increases. So much for "taking a lower wage in the private sector in exchange for the benefits". I got the lower wage, and now losing the benefits.

Once again proving the current Administration and Congress is just as, or more, completely unconcerned with and "middle class" and will sacrifice them in a heartbeat for their "poor" power base.