SB 107-02: Hospitals Act (Rejected)

[Schiff for Senate]

This is the Hospitals Act as currently stands:

Hospitals Act

1. All hospitals, clinics, hospice facilities, and nursing homes within the boundaries and under the legal jurisdiction of the Republic of Atlasia shall become property of the Republic of Atlasia effective January 1, 2023.
    1a. The owners of said properties shall be fairly compensated under all relevant law concerning the purchase of said properties.
2. All persons currently employed in the facilities mentioned in Section 1 shall become employees of the Republic of Atlasia effective January 1, 2023.
    2a. Employees covered by this Act shall elect a works council tasked with the day to day operations of the firm in question.
3. $1,000,000,000,000 will be allocated toward the construction of new hospitals, clinics, hospice facilities, and nursing homes over a period of five years, effective January 1, 2023.
4. Upon the passage of this legislation, no privately owned hospital, clinic, hospice facility, or nursing home may be built or opened in the Republic of Atlasia or in any area subject to its jurisdiction.
5. The AtlasCare program shall end on January 1, 2023.
6. Effective January 1, 2023, private hospital companies, insurance agencies, hospice care companies, and nursing home companies shall be placed under public ownership.
    5a. The owners of said properties shall be fairly compensated for any losses incurred as a result of said purchase of facilities.

This is the Hospitals act including the amendment I propose:

Hospitals Act

1. All hospitals, clinics, hospice facilities, and nursing homes within the boundaries and under the legal jurisdiction of the Republic of Atlasia shall become property of the Republic of Atlasia effective January 1, 2023, with the exception of 20% of hospitals/clinics/hospice facilities/nursing homes, which are of the highest quality, as determined by governmental authorities and senators.
    1a. The owners of said properties shall be fairly compensated under all relevant law concerning the purchase of said properties.
2. All persons currently employed in the facilities mentioned in Section 1 shall become employees of the Republic of Atlasia effective January 1, 2023 (with the exception of those employed by the aforementioned 20%).
2a. Employees covered by this Act shall elect a works council tasked with the day to day operations of the firm in question.
3. $1,000,000,000,000 will be allocated toward the construction of new hospitals, clinics, hospice facilities, and nursing homes over a period of five years, effective January 1, 2023.
4. Upon the passage of this legislation, no privately owned hospital, clinic, hospice facility, or nursing home may be built or opened in the Republic of Atlasia or in any area subject to its jurisdiction, unless they have been approved through due process by appropriate governmental authorities and are authorized to proceed. The 20% already existing shall be allowed to remain and function independently.
5. The AtlasCare program shall end on January 1, 2023.
6. Effective January 1, 2023, private hospital companies, insurance agencies, hospice care companies, and nursing home companies shall be placed under public ownership, with exception to the aforementioned 20% of facilities.
    65a. The owners of said properties shall be fairly compensated for any losses incurred as a result of said purchase of facilities.
7. Hereafter, healthcare, health services, etcetra, in the 80% of hospitals and medical facilities owned by the government, shall be the responsibility of the government. The other 20% that are independent of the government will provide care at a cost at their discretion entirely. Anyone who chooses to seek medical treatment from one of these facilities shall be entitled to do so at terms set between them and the facility. The government shall not intervene whatsoever in this, nor set any regulations or restrictions on it, and their ability to intervene shall be restrained to the 80% of hospitals and medical facilities they own.

[West_Midlander]

Setting the threshold at 20% seems arbitrary. How is this an acceptable or appropriate percentage and how does one justify relegating the private sector for this industry to just 20% of the market?

[WD]

24 hours to object

[West_Midlander]

I object.

[Continential]

I puked earlier today so my response to Yankee's post will be posted tonight.

I suppose I'd vote Aye, but if I am going to compromise on this bill, I plan on introducing a big amendment this weekend.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

What problem does this bill actually solve better than the existing AtlasCare program does?

[Schiff for Senate]

I object.

Frankly, all you are doing is either delaying things further (basically fillibustering) or you are actually opposing something that will allow for a public option of sorts. I'd advise you vote for this amendment when it comes for a vote; because with the amendment, even if the bill passes, the effect won't be as bad (and I'd argue it would actually be positive at that point, but that point is up for debate). The bill might pass anyway, and if it does without my amendment, it will be thanks to this objection. I have been an ally of yours in the past (i.e., the last 2 days, when I began politicking), and have supported your objections when they are reasonable and relevant, and I'd like to continue supporting you...I would honestly advise you join me in supporting this amendment, for the reasons above described. We agree on this issue, I'd remind you.

[WD]

With an objection being raised, a vote on the amendment is open.

Hospitals Act

1. All hospitals, clinics, hospice facilities, and nursing homes within the boundaries and under the legal jurisdiction of the Republic of Atlasia shall become property of the Republic of Atlasia effective January 1, 2023, with the exception of 20% of hospitals/clinics/hospice facilities/nursing homes, which are of the highest quality, as determined by governmental authorities and senators.
    1a. The owners of said properties shall be fairly compensated under all relevant law concerning the purchase of said properties.
2. All persons currently employed in the facilities mentioned in Section 1 shall become employees of the Republic of Atlasia effective January 1, 2023 (with the exception of those employed by the aforementioned 20%).
2a. Employees covered by this Act shall elect a works council tasked with the day to day operations of the firm in question.
3. $1,000,000,000,000 will be allocated toward the construction of new hospitals, clinics, hospice facilities, and nursing homes over a period of five years, effective January 1, 2023.
4. Upon the passage of this legislation, no privately owned hospital, clinic, hospice facility, or nursing home may be built or opened in the Republic of Atlasia or in any area subject to its jurisdiction, unless they have been approved through due process by appropriate governmental authorities and are authorized to proceed. The 20% already existing shall be allowed to remain and function independently.
5. The AtlasCare program shall end on January 1, 2023.
6. Effective January 1, 2023, private hospital companies, insurance agencies, hospice care companies, and nursing home companies shall be placed under public ownership, with exception to the aforementioned 20% of facilities.
    65a. The owners of said properties shall be fairly compensated for any losses incurred as a result of said purchase of facilities.
7. Hereafter, healthcare, health services, etcetra, in the 80% of hospitals and medical facilities owned by the government, shall be the responsibility of the government. The other 20% that are independent of the government will provide care at a cost at their discretion entirely. Anyone who chooses to seek medical treatment from one of these facilities shall be entitled to do so at terms set between them and the facility. The government shall not intervene whatsoever in this, nor set any regulations or restrictions on it, and their ability to intervene shall be restrained to the 80% of hospitals and medical facilities they own.

Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[Schiff for Senate]

Setting the threshold at 20% seems arbitrary. How is this an acceptable or appropriate percentage and how does one justify relegating the private sector for this industry to just 20% of the market?

I will logically attempt to answer this. The exact amount is arbitary; theoretically, 20% could be 15% or 25%. The point is, this allows for everyone to have access to the basic right to healthcare, while allowing those who can afford better treatment, to have it (at those 20% of facilities). So the exact number doesn't matter as long as private-owned facilities exist and there are at least a handful of them. Also keep in mind I can't make this number too high, like 30% or 40%, because I fear some left-leaning senators who might be willing to support this amendment would give up support if the number was that high, and above all this amendment must be passed, for this bill to be acceptable in any way (in fact, if you still oppose the final bill, vote against it - but don't vote against this amendment because if the bill becomes law without it, we are done for and all your grandstanding will have had an adverse effect).









EDIT: My amendment is up for a vote, so with that, I vote AYE on it.

[If my soul was made of stone]

NAY

[WD]

Nay

[S019]

AYE, I guess?

[Kuumo]

Nay

[Schiff for Senate]

I hope all conservatives join me in supporting this amendment, which functions as a last resort to make this bill at least bearable; if the bill somehow passes without the amendment (though I trust all conservatives would join me in voting against it in that case), then everyone will be forced into the same healthcare, even if they want and can afford better healthcare. This functions as a way to limit that, and I urge all conservatives to vote for this amendment even if they intend to vote against this bill at a final vote to limit the damage it would potentially cause, if it passed.

[West_Midlander]

Nay on the amendment. I hope the President vetoes this bill as unnecessary if it passes on a final vote. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Former President tack50]

Nay on the amendment. I hope the President vetoes signs this bill as unnecessary necessary if it passes on a final vote. If it ain't is broke, don't fix it.

Ftfy

[DabbingSanta]

Nay

[Schiff for Senate]

Nay

I truly don't know why you'd vote down a provision that would help this bill so that even if it passed its effects wouldn't be as bad... I understand liberals opposing this bill, but conservatives (like you) should support it... I hope true conservatives like Yankee and many others will join me in supporting this amendment, even if they plan to vote against the bill at a final vote.

[OBD]

Nay!

[Schiff for Senate]

It is my belief that liberals who vote nay on this amendment but intend to support the bill later are communists - since they want the government to completely and totally take over this industry, subject everyone to the same treatment and destroy and disallow private industry completely. Truly shameful.

[Former President tack50]

It is my belief that liberals who vote nay on this amendment but intend to support the bill later are communists - since they want the government to completely and totally take over this industry, subject everyone to the same treatment and destroy and disallow private industry completely. Truly shameful.

Tbh I am open to private participation in healthcare, but hospitals should be primarily government owned

[Schiff for Senate]

It is my belief that liberals who vote nay on this amendment but intend to support the bill later are communists - since they want the government to completely and totally take over this industry, subject everyone to the same treatment and destroy and disallow private industry completely. Truly shameful.

Tbh I am open to private participation in healthcare, but hospitals should be primarily government owned

This amendment did exactly that. Just 20% would be private owned, and 80% would be government owned, so while government would still dominate the industry, there'd be enough room for private practice as well.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

What problem does this bill actually solve better than the existing AtlasCare program does?

Until somebody answers this question, I'm vetoing the bill whether this amendment passes or not.

[Schiff for Senate]

I suppose I'd vote Aye,

This is your chance to do so.

[Schiff for Senate]

What problem does this bill actually solve better than the existing AtlasCare program does?

Until somebody answers this question, I'm vetoing the bill whether this amendment passes or not.

Talk to Ishan about this; he's the one who wrote the bill. My amendment is good because it stops the government from resorting to literal communism, but very honestly, I don't know very much about AtlasCare, so I can't answer your question.