Thread: Supporters add hidden nuggets to health care bills

Supporters add hidden nuggets to health care bills

Updated 52m ago
By John Fritze, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The health care bills moving through Congress would do a lot more than revamp the nation's $2.6 trillion health care system.

Buried among proposed programs for the uninsured are dozens of lesser-known provisions — from work breaks for breastfeeding moms to a requirement that chain restaurants disclose how many calories are in the fries.

Many of the ideas have failed to gain traction in the past but supporters hope to better their chances this year by hitching them to President Obama's top domestic priority, which has passed in the House and is being debated in the Senate.

"This is the kitchen sink train leaving the station," said Neil Trautwein of the National Retail Federation. "Every idea, good, bad or otherwise, that has ever been out there has to find its way in."

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Among the ideas:

• Companies with 50 or more employees would have to set aside "reasonable" break times for nursing mothers and create a private space for breastfeeding. "There's no question that this is a smart health care practice," said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who fought for the provision. Trautwein said the idea smacks of "too much Uncle Sam."

• Nurse midwives would be paid the same as doctors for their services under Medicare. They now receive about 35% less. Midwives perform maternity care for about 3 million disabled women who qualify for Medicare, according to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and also provide primary care, particularly in rural areas.

• Restaurants with more than 20 locations would be required to post nutritional information.

"People are eating out more and more," said Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who supports the proposal. "If you give consumers more information, they can make more informed decisions."

Jonathan Blum with Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, said smaller chains should be covered, too. "For us, it doesn't go far enough," he said.

Included in the provision is a requirement that vending machines must include nutrition labels consumers can see before they plug in their change for candy or a bag of potato chips.

Four states — California, Maine, Massachusetts and Oregon — have passed laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie content, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. But none of those laws have tackled vending machine labels.
"I wouldn't eat any of it," Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., who supports the measure, said of vending machine fare — though he admits to being tempted on occasion. "But others will. I just want to ensure they have a better idea of what they're getting."

Ned Monroe, a lobbyist with the National Automatic Merchandising Association, said the changes could cost $56 million in labels and staff time. "That kind of an impact when our industry is already suffering is going to cost jobs," he said.

Thomas Martin, a 53-year-old diabetic, said the labeling would help him think twice before buying. "It'd be nice," he said as he pulled an ice cream sandwich out of vending machine in Maryland.

The Senate's 10-year, $848 billion version of the health care legislation requires all Americans to buy a health policy, expands Medicaid and creates a government-run insurance program to compete with private insurers.

Merkley said the breastfeeding bill, which has failed in the past, stands a better chance now as part of the massive revamp of health care. "The best odds of passing anything relative to health care," he said, "is to put it in a bill that's going to be debated and voted on."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington ... dden_N.htm

Thank you very much as we all know that "we, the people" are stupid. Like we don't konw that vending machines have junk food and that we are PROBABLY making an unhealthy choice. If we eat out that much and are not eating "healthy homemade food" we get what we pay for. Are they REALLY wasting that much time on this part of the health bill. Why don't they just teach healthy eating habits in biology classes in school or p.e. classes.

"People are eating out more and more," said Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who supports the proposal. "If you give consumers more information, they can make more informed decisions."
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HUH? no its not going to make people eat better or make better decisions. they KNOW when they go into a fast food place what the place has, whats good and whats not good and they still order the not good stuff.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

they KNOW when they go into a fast food place what the place has, whats good and whats not good and they still order the not good stuff.

Not if the fast food joint is regulated on a quota for how much junk they are allowed to sell per week. So if the government can control what they sell, it will make your choices more limited on what you order if the Mickey Ds have reached the quota of Big Macs they can sell for the week, all you are left with is the salad or what ever else they will be allowed to sell.