WSJ -

The Obama administration is loosening health-law rules so employers can switch insurance carriers without having to abide by new coverage requirements.

The law requires most insurance plans to provide free preventive care and give enrollees new powers to appeal coverage denials. However employers can shield themselves from those requirements if they don't make significant changes to their policy.

Some employers said the law presented them with a dilemma: keep their current plan and swallow sharply rising premiums, or switch plans and be forced to add all the new benefits.

In the new guidance released Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services said employers can keep their grandfathered status even if they switch plans, as long as they don't significantly cut benefits or increase costs for enrollees.

The change gets to the larger issue of whether employers can keep their existing plans if they like them—a central promise of Democrats when they crafted the law President Barack Obama signed in March. HHS officials said Monday that the previous system gave insurance companies unfair leverage in negotiating the price of coverage renewals.

The biggest beneficiaries will be small employers, which were among the hardest hit during a round of double-digit rate increases by insurance carriers this fall. Many small businesses fretted whether it would be more expensive to absorb the rate increases, or to beef up their plans so that they complied with all of the law's new requirements.

The change doesn't affect large employers that pay out their own insurance claims and use an insurer only to administer the coverage, since the previous rules already allowed those employers to switch carriers.

HHS officials said the change will result in a small increase in the number of plans that retain their grandfathered status. The agency projects that about 66% of small employer plans and 45% of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfathered status by the end of 2013.

Others have given higher figures. The consultancy Towers Watson estimates that 85% of employers will lose their plan's grandfathered status by 2013, according to a survey released in September.

Under the new guidance as well as the old, several changes could cause an employer to lose the protection. An employer can't increase co-payments by more than $5, raise deductibles more than 15%, decrease the percentage of premiums the employer pays by more than five percentage points or increase the proportion of care paid for by the enrollee. The rules do allow increases for medical inflation.

___________________________________________________________________

For more information on your group or to get an individual quote, go to www.floridainsurancequoter.com

Why Is Health Insurance So Expensive?

Reading Cafe: Why Is Health Insurance So Expensive?

Who pays for COBRA coverage?

Beneficiaries may be required to pay for COBRA coverage. The premium cannot exceed 102 percent of the cost to the plan for similarly situated individuals who have not incurred a qualifying event, including both the portion paid by employees and any portion paid by the employer before the qualifying event, plus 2 percent for administrative costs.

For qualified beneficiaries receiving the 11 month disability extension of coverage, the premium for those additional months may be increased to 150 percent of the plan's total cost of coverage.

COBRA premiums may be increased if the costs to the plan increase but generally must be fixed in advance of each 12-month premium cycle. The plan must allow you to pay premiums on a monthly basis if you ask to do so, and the plan may allow you to make payments at other intervals (weekly or quarterly).

The initial premium payment must be made within 45 days after the date of the COBRA election by the qualified beneficiary. Payment generally must cover the period of coverage from the date of COBRA election retroactive to the date of the loss of coverage due to the qualifying event. Premiums for successive periods of coverage are due on the date stated in the plan with a minimum 30-day grace period for payments. Payment is considered to be made on the date it is sent to the plan.

If premiums are not paid by the first day of the period of coverage, the plan has the option to cancel coverage until payment is received and then reinstate coverage retroactively to the beginning of the period of coverage.

If the amount of the payment made to the plan is made in error but is not significantly less than the amount due, the plan is required to notify you of the deficiency and grant a reasonable period (for this purpose, 30 days is considered reasonable) to pay the difference. The plan is not obligated to send monthly premium notices.

COBRA beneficiaries remain subject to the rules of the plan and therefore must satisfy all costs related to co-payments and deductibles, and are subject to catastrophic and other benefit limits.

To go over your COBRA coverage or to see if you can save money by going to an individually underwritten medical insurance policy by Blue Cross and Blue Shield as well as other carriersor , please contact us at quotes@floridainsurancequoter.com or apply online at http://www.floridainsuracequoter.com

Under COBRA, what benefits must be covered?

Qualified beneficiaries must be offered coverage identical to that available to similarly situated beneficiaries who are not receiving COBRA coverage under the plan (generally, the same coverage that the qualified beneficiary had immediately before qualifying for continuation coverage). A change in the benefits under the plan for the active employees will also apply to qualified beneficiaries. Qualified beneficiaries must be allowed to make the same choices given to non-COBRA beneficiaries under the plan, such as during periods of open enrollment by the plan.
For more information or to see how if you can move your COBRA coverage to a more affordable option, visit www.floridainsurancequoter.com

Can individuals qualify for longer periods of COBRA continuation coverage?

Yes, disability can extend the 18 month period of continuation coverage for a qualifying event that is a termination of employment or reduction of hours. To qualify for additional months of COBRA continuation coverage, the qualified beneficiary must:

• Have a ruling from the Social Security Administration that he or she became disabled within the first 60 days of COBRA continuation coverage
• Send the plan a copy of the Social Security ruling letter within 60 days of receipt, but prior to expiration of the 18-month period of coverage

If these requirements are met, the entire family qualifies for an additional 11 months of COBRA continuation coverage. Plans can charge 150% of the premium cost for the extended period of coverage. For more information or to secure an online quote, go to www.floridainsurancequoter.com.

Is a flood covered under my homeowners policy?

No, a standard homeowners policy does not include flood coverage. Flood is an inexpensive yet separate policy that is underwritten through FEMA and the rates are standardized so no matter what company your policy is through, the premium is the same. If your property is not in a flood zone, rates are as follows:

Building/Contents Premium

$20,000/$8,000 $119
$30,000/$12,000 $150
$50,000/$20,000 $201
$75,000/$30,000 $237
$100,000/$40,000 $264
$125,000/$50,000 $284
$150,000/$60,000 $303
$200,000/$80,000 $333
$250,000/$100,000 $355

For more information, or to see if you are covered, contact us at www.floridainsurancequoter.com or 1-877-4FLA-INS

How long after a qualifying event do I have to elect COBRA coverage?

Qualified beneficiaries must be given an election period during which each qualified beneficiary may choose whether to elect COBRA coverage. Each qualified beneficiary may independently elect COBRA coverage. A covered employee or the covered employee's spouse may elect COBRA coverage on behalf of all other qualified beneficiaries. A parent or legal guardian may elect on behalf of a minor child. Qualified beneficiaries must be given at least 60 days for the election. This period is measured from the later of the coverage loss date or the date the COBRA election notice is provided by the employer or plan administrator. The election notice must be provided in person or by first class mail within 14 days after the plan administrator receives notice that a qualifying event has occurred.

Note: If your qualifying event was involuntary termination of employment that occurred on or after September 1, 2008 through February 16, 2009, you may be eligible for an additional election opportunity under ARRA. For more information see the questions below or visit www.floridainsurancequoter.com or call 1.877.4FLA.INS to speak to a Benefits Advisor.

How do I get cheaper rates in health insurance?

It's not about getting cheaper rates for your health insurance, it's about being a smarter buyer and looking at your options on what carriers are offering what.

In my case, I went to www.floridainsuarancequoter.com and received all of my options online and then contacted them with my concerns. I'm a pretty healthy guy with no major medical issues so I received comparable rates with reputable companies. Anyone with issues (medically) will sometimes throw up a red flag.

Their quoting tool is really streamlined and shows me all of the options in one place. I guess they really have gotten it down to a science! Thanks Florida Insurance Quoter!!

Why did my auto insurance rates go up after a ticket even though I went to traffic school?

The short answer to this question is that traffic school does nothing for you except remove the points from your license. It is a fallacy that your insurance company will not find out about a ticket if you go to school; school or not, your rates will increase by the same amount. Unless you are about to lose your license for too many points, don’t bother going to traffic school…and definitely don’t do it save your auto rates. For a free comparison on auto insurance or health insurance instantly, go to www.floridainsurancequoter.com

Why did my auto insurance rates go up after an accident that wasn’t even my fault?

Unfortunately, from an auto insurance perspective, an accident effects your rates regardless of fault. It doesn’t seem right, but it’s just the way it is.

For better rates on your car insurance, go to www.floridainsurancequoter.com

5 Years After Hurricane Katrina: Know the Steps Every Homeowner Should Take

Video: 5 Years After Hurricane Katrina: Know the Steps Every Homeowner Should Take

“Why is my homeowner’s insurance company requiring me to have a fence or screen enclosure around my pool when my pool complies with all county codes?”

http://bit.ly/b5XR8I

“Why is my homeowner’s insurance company requiring me to have a fence or screen enclosure around my pool when my pool complies with all county codes?”

This is a very good question that comes up a lot. As a general rule, all insurance companies require that a swimming pool be enclosed by a 4 foot, permanent fence or a screen enclosure, regardless of whether or not your county code requires it. And a baby fence does not qualify as it is not a permanently installed fence. This causes a problem for many homeowners and the only real option is to either purchase a homeowners policy that excludes pool liability or to bite the bullet and install a fence.

Why did my insurance company send an inspector to look at my property?

This is a common practice for all insurance companies. When a new policy is issued, and normally upon policy renewal, Insurance companies will send a representative to your property to perform an EXTERIOR inspection on your house. The purpose of this inspection is to make sure the property is in good condition and there is no existing damage or liability risks. Do not be alarmed, you have done nothing wrong, this is common industry practice. Once again, this is an EXTERIOR inspection only and no one should request to come into your house.

Why Is Healthcare Going Out Of Control?

The Obama Government mission to tackle the U.S. Healthcare system is no easy project, as there are so many components that need fixing. Do you fix the increasingly high cost of healthcare, or expand the coverage to a universal system, or try to digitalize (read “computerize” or make electronic)? The Obama Government will try to do all three and more.

The U.S. Healthcare system has the reputation of being the highest quality in the world, but is it the “best”? What does being the “best” entail? Michael Moore in his recent documentary “Sicko” compares the U.S. Healthcare system with that of Canada, France, Cuba, and the UK, and while I have not seen this movie, the U.S. Healthcare system does not come out well.

According to a New York Times article (August, 12, 2007) entitled “World's Best Healthcare?”, the World Health organization (WHO) made a first attempt back in 2000 to rank health systems in 191 nations. The U.S. ranked 37th in this study, and France and Italy ranked first and second. Yet another more recent assessment by the Commonwealth Fund ranked health systems in advanced nations, and the U.S. ranked last or next-to-last compared to 5 other countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the UK.

Stay tuned as there is more to come......

www.floridainsurancequoter.com

When is the health reform going into effect?

Just to clarify a few tidbits, Florida Insurance Quoter wanted to give you a few pieces of information below:

Within a year-

-- Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare prescription drug plan beneficiaries whose initial benefits run out.

90 days after enactment

-- Provides immediate access to high-risk pools for people who have no insurance because of preexisting conditions.

2011

-- Requires individual and small group market insurance plans to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services. Large group plans would have to spend at least 85 percent.

2013

-- Increases the Medicare payroll tax and expands it to dividend, interest and other unearned income for singles earning more than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000.

2014

-- Provides subsidies for families earning up to 400 percent of the poverty level -- or, under current guidelines, about $88,000 a year -- to purchase health insurance.

-- Requires most employers to provide coverage or face penalties.

-- Requires most people to obtain coverage or face penalties.

2018

-- Imposes a 40 percent excise tax on high-end insurance policies.

By 2019

-- Expands health insurance coverage to 32 million people.

Health News Florida

Health News Florida

Policyholders start filing insurance claims related to BP oil spill

Policyholders start filing insurance claims related to BP oil spill

Are You Ready For Hurricane Season?

Tips for Weathering Hurricane Season

Experts are predicting a 51 percent chance that a major hurricane will hit the East Coast before the hurricane season ends in December. Similarly, the chance of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast between the Florida Panhandle and Brownsville, Texas, is predicted at 50 percent. Both predictions are well above long-term averages, which signals a potentially active hurricane season.

The Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science expects ten Atlantic Ocean hurricanes this year, five of which they say will be intense, ranging from Category 3 (111 mph) to Category 5 (sustained winds of 156 mph or more).

While 2009 was a below average year, it was just a few years ago that hurricanes Katrina and Rita physically devastated the Gulf Coast. Some areas still have not fully recovered.

Imagine how you would feel realizing the day after a hurricane tears through your neighborhood that you don't have wind or flood insurance, which together provide the bulk of coverage against hurricane damage. Let the experts at Florida Insurance Quoter make sure you are ready. Call 1-877-4FLA-INS or go to www.floridainsurancequoter.com today.

Flood Issues and Florida

The statutory authority to issue flood policies pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) expired at midnight, Monday May 31, 2010. This lapse in the NFIP statutory authority has an impact on the ability of companies to issue new policies, and process some renewal payments and increase in coverage endorsements. This hiatus is expected to last until at least June 8th. Until the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is renewed by Congress, each lender has the authority to determine how they will handle the hiatus. In some instances, lenders will close the loans and not require flood insurance for closing since it is currently unavailable. Other lenders will opt to close the loan with a copy of the check and the application since the policy cannot be issued. In some cases, lenders will not close a loan.

Tax Reform Plan Could Reduce Tax Bite

May 26, 2010 | CNNMoney.com

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Copyright 2010 Cable News NetworkAll Rights Reserved
CNNMoney.com
May 25, 2010 Tuesday 2:33 PM EST
SECTION: YOUR MONEY
LENGTH: 852 words
HEADLINE: Tax reform plan could reduce tax bite for many
BYLINE: By Jeanne Sahadi, senior writer

Tax reform. For years, economists, tax experts and lawmakers have pushed for it, to no avail.

But now there is a bipartisan tax reform proposal from two prominent senators that has earned praise in policy circles and may jump-start serious consideration of the idea over the next year -- a year marked by growing concern over U.S. debt.

Done right, experts say, tax reform should simplify the tax code, increase fairness and apply taxes at lower rates to a broader base of activities.

Among the goals: decrease tax avoidance and increase economic competitiveness.

The Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2010 -- put together by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., -- arguably could do much of that to some degree.

And in the process, more taxpayers than not could see their federal tax burdens fall, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

Among the changes, the Wyden-Gregg proposal would eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax and reduce the number of individual income tax rates from six to three -- 15%, 25% and 35%.

It would more than double the standard deduction to $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for joint filers.

The proposal would also change how capital gains and dividends are taxed. It calls for a capital gains exclusion: The first 35% of long-term gains and qualified dividends would be tax free and the remainder would be taxed as ordinary income.

That effectively would raise the long-term capital gains rate to 22.75%, up from 15% today (or 20% starting in 2011).

Tax-free savings would be expanded. The proposal would create a Lifetime Savings Account and it would consolidate all types of IRAs into a single Retirement Savings Account. Between the two accounts, a person could save up to $7,000 a year tax free (up to $14,000 for married couples) on top of their 401(k) savings.

It would repeal, restructure or consolidate a number of tax breaks for individuals. The plan, for instance, would kill flexible spending accounts for workers who wish to put away tax-free money to pay for health costs. That change alone would raise $567 billion over 10 years.

But to make sure the proposal remains "politically viable," Gregg said at a forum in March, it preserves the two most popular -- and expensive - tax breaks on the books: the mortgage interest deduction and the health care tax exclusion for workers whose employers subsidize their health insurance.

And the plan would permanently extend the recently expanded earned income tax credit, the dependent care credit and the child tax credit.

On the corporate income tax, the Wyden-Gregg proposal would replace today's six rates with one flat rate of 24%, well below the current top rate of 35%. Economists have long argued that a lower corporate rate would make the United States more competitive internationally, attracting more investment from companies abroad.

In exchange, the proposal repeals a number of corporate tax credits, deductions and exclusions.

The effects of change

The Wyden-Gregg proposal would increase by about $23 billion a year the amount of revenue brought in on the individual side, the Tax Policy Center estimates. At the same time, it would reduce corporate revenue collected by $22 billion.

So the net effect of the proposal is to produce roughly the same amount of revenue overall as today's system. That assumes current policies, such as the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, stay in effect over the next decade.

But that doesn't mean everyone's tax bite would be the same as it is today. The Center estimates that on average the top 20% of households would see their tax bite go up under the proposal. Within that group, the Center estimates 61% of households would see a tax increase, while 39% would likely see their federal tax burden go down.

The bottom 80% of households, meanwhile, would see their tax bite on average fall.

The Center's analysis does not factor in how people might respond to the changes proposed. Researchers said if they did such a dynamic analysis they would expect the amount of revenue collected overall to decline somewhat.

The conservative Heritage Foundation arrived at a different conclusion after conducting its own dynamic analysis, using different methodologies and assumptions than the Center. Heritage estimates that the proposal could reduce the deficit by an average of $61 billion a year; spur foreign investment in the United States and create 2.3 million jobs a year.

What's next

The Wyden-Gregg plan -- already introduced as legislation -- is just a first step in the tax-reform discussion. Chances are near nil that Congress would seriously reconfigure the tax code in a mid-term election year.

But Gregg, who sits on the president's bipartisan fiscal responsibility commission, is likely to draw on the proposal as the commission considers how best to generate sufficient revenue in efforts to stabilize U.S. debt without hurting economic growth.

To the extent that fellow lawmakers on the commission support some of the Wyden-Gregg measures, the better the chance those measures will get a fuller hearing when the next Congress convenes.
LOAD-DATE: May 26, 2010

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Copyright © 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Unacceptable!

Challenging Health Care Reform: Updates from Wisconsin, Florida, and Oklahoma

Monday, April 26, 2010

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This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," April 23, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: First stop, the great state of Wisconsin. State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen wants to sue the feds but he needs approval from the Wisconsin state assembly or the Wisconsin state Senate or the Wisconsin governor. So far, well, the Wisconsin Senate, House, and governor all say no.

So, now what? Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen joins us live. Good evening, sir. So a "no" from the assembly, Senate and the governor?

J.B. VAN HOLLEN, WISCONSIN ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is. We're 0-3, Greta, but the good news is we're not out of time. As I mentioned on your show before, the part of the law that is the most egregious doesn't go into effect until 2014. And in Wisconsin, we're going to have a new governor in a few months.

So I think there is still a great possibility. But we're going to be on hold until the first of the year now here in Wisconsin.

VAN SUSTEREN: You have Democratic governor right now and the Republican governors have been more anxious to go after the health care bill. Tell me what is the race like for governor if you think you might have a new governor by November?

VAN HOLLEN: The incumbent isn't running so he won't be there. There are two Republicans and a Democrat right now, running and the polls are close.

I think with the political climate not just in Wisconsin but nationally the prognosis for one of the Republicans getting elected is high. Both of them made it very, very clear they would give me the approval to file the lawsuit, and so hopefully one of them will get elected and we'll be able to proceed after the first of the year.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is there any ability for you, and I'm going to be rather flip, to go rogue? Could you go and represent yourself? Not as the attorney general, but any other vehicle you could get Wisconsin into this litigation?

Column Archive

• Challenging Health Care Reform: Updates from Wisconsin, Florida, and Oklahoma
• Palin on Hackers and Ariz. Immigration Law Controversy
• Sen. Blanche Lincoln 'On the Record'
• Raising McCain on Finance Regulation Reform and Border Crime
• Rove's Take: Races to Watch in November, Finance Regulation Reform and Tea Party Power

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Not that it matters tremendously, because no matter what happens with the litigation, it affects you whether you're in it or not.

VAN HOLLEN: There really isn't, Greta. There are ways for individual citizens impacted by the legislation to be able to file a lawsuit. But for me to do so individually I wouldn't have standing. I could only do as attorney general.

And certainly, if I didn't do it as attorney general I wouldn't represent the state or the citizens of the state. So me individually suing would be no different than anyone, and it really wouldn't make much sense. And I think ultimately we have a good chance of being able to get in the lawsuit down the road anyway.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you agree that even if you don't get the lawsuit, should attorneys general prevail, since it's -- that would in a sense invalidate the statue and it would inure it to your position?

VAN HOLLEN: Absolutely. All we have to do is win one case and one federal district. Whether it's one of the attorney general based lawsuit or an individual who is bringing a lawsuit in the nation.

As soon as a federal district court finds that this law is unconstitutional, they will have an opportunity to enjoin the federal government from enacting whatever portion of the federal law they found unconstitutional, whether it's a small part or half of it or the entire thing.

And when that is done it will impact all of us. Once the law is enjoined from being implemented it will be enjoyed for the sake of the whole nation. So we definitely have great representation with others out this, but we want to be involved in this for important reasons as well.

VAN SUSTEREN: Attorney general, thank you, sir.

Now to the home of the NFL's number one draft choice, the state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma attorney general is not suing the federal government, but that is not stopping the speaker of Oklahoma state house. Oklahoma State House Speaker Chris Benge joins us live. Good evening, sir.

So you want to go full speed ahead, I understand, and join the lawsuit.

CHRIS BENGE, OKLAHOMA STATE HOUSE SPEAKER: Good evening, Greta. Yes, we are. We feel like the debate that went on in Washington, basically the Congress ignored the vast majority of Americans. And so we're going to take up the cause ourselves and try to add to the momentum and try to bring this thing to a critical mass so we can challenge the constitutionality of the federal law.

VAN SUSTEREN: So your attorney general doesn't want in. But you want in. So are you going out and looking for the lawyer?

BENGE: Well, that is correct. Our attorney general made it very plain he was, he was really not interested himself in filing suit. He did state he would if we forced him to do, so but we felt with that attitude his effort would be lackluster at best.

So we have chosen to try to go it ourselves. And we will be looking for possibly attorneys out there that they may want to assist or use their own resources.

VAN SUSTEREN: And as a practical matter, every Oklahoma lawyer who hears this for or against the suit will probably knock on the door after watching tonight and offer to do it at no charge, because this is a fascinating intellectual issue for a lawyer. And I bet you get 100 lawyers volunteering to do it at no charge.

BENGE: I would expect we'll have a lot of interest in this.

VAN SUSTEREN: What is your governor's view on this?

BENGE: I had not had a discussion with the governor about it, so I'm not sure what his position is at this point, but we will find out, because we do have a piece of legislation moving through the process that would call for opt out of the new federal healthcare law.

And then also it has a piece in there that would allow the legislature to pursue it on its own. The government will have a chance to -- go ahead. I'm sorry.

VAN SUSTEREN: Remind, is the governor Democrat or Republican in your state?

BENGE: Our governor is Democrat governor.

VAN SUSTEREN: That's why you're not speaking to him much, I guess, as I look at politics goes in this country.

BENGE: Actually, Greta, to be honest, we have a good relationship with our governor. But I don't know how he stands on this particular issue.

VAN SUSTEREN: Speaker, thank you, sir. We'll be watching.

BENGE: Thank you.

VAN SUSTEREN: Now to Florida, where Floridians are about to vote directly on health care. Not through their politicians in Washington.

The Florida State Senate and State House passed a resolution the citizens vote on in November. It's a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban the government from forcing people to buy health insurance. Florida State Senator Kerry Baker sponsored that resolution and joins us live. Good evening.

CAREY BAKER, FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: Good evening, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well now, this is an interesting new twist that you put on the November ballot. Do -- I mean even if it is actually voted in favor, do you expect it to have any sort of teeth? Or is this mostly ceremonial and to make a point?

BAKER: No, no. This is real, Greta. This is about challenging the unconstitutional healthcare act. And I think what is more important is, as the fourth largest state, we are a voice to be heard. And this was passed in the Florida house, in the Florida Senate. Of course, you know our attorney general is bringing suit.

So there is a tremendous ground swell of Floridians that are demanding health freedom. And this constitution amendment will give them a chance to speak their voice in November. And it cannot be ignored.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know, it's going to be interesting, because your attorney general is spearheading this, filed a federal district court in Florida. And it should probably be resolved in the trial court level probably by October, that portion of it.

What you have to do is whether or not the interstate commerce clause covers this or doesn't, gives authority or doesn't to do this health care regulation. And then it will go up to the court of appeals and make its way up eventually to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, how does your amendment change that? How is it different?

BAKER: It's different only in the sense it makes a huge statement about where Floridians feel on this issue, as well as it will be a November issue.

We'll pass it in November and placed in our constitution. It can't be rescinded by the legislature. It's there forever to protect Floridians not only against the unconstitutional acts by the federal government but also protects Floridians from the state government that oversteps its bounds.

And Greta, my partner in this, Representative Scott Plakon and I have been working on this issue since last June. There is overwhelming support and we think we are on tremendous sound constitutional grounds. I think this will be a game-changer.

VAN SUSTEREN: Could you have define it by statute and moved it a little faster?

BAKER: Well, actually, we're working on that as well. To support the Attorney General Bill McCollum, I am working this now, trying to add a statutory piece to give us immediate standing in court, and then we'll follow that up with our constitutional amendment in November.

VAN SUSTEREN: Does your statute mirror the statute that is in existence in state of Virginia? The state of Virginia has gone its own way and they have their own statute saying that Virginia can't compel it. Is your statute in Florida going to look like the Virginia statute?

BAKER: It will. It will -- not identical, but the general theme that Floridians have the right to not participate in some government mandated program, that they have the right to decide for themselves what healthcare plan is best for them and their families. So the intent is identical.

VAN SUSTEREN: State senator, thank you, sir. We'll be watching this as well. Thank you, sir.

BAKER: Thank you.

A New Storm In Florida

Healthcare reform battle brews in Florida

Sen. Mel Martinez and two Republican colleagues addressed a healthcare forum in Hialeah while state Democratic leaders denounced a GOP TV ad.

McCain, Martinez, McConnell pitch Republican answer to healthcare reform

Republican Senators Mel Martinez of Florida, John McCain of Arizona, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky made a closed-door appearance at Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah Tuesday to pitch their party's answer to healthcare reform.

Miami Herald Staff

McCain, Martinez, McConnell pitch Republican answer to healthcare reform

Republican Senators Mel Martinez of Florida, John McCain of Arizona, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky made a closed-door appearance at Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah Tuesday to pitch their party's answer to healthcare reform.

Miami Herald Staff

• McCain, Martinez, McConnell pitch Republican answer to healthcare reform

Related Content

• Complete coverage of healthcare reform

BY BETH REINHARD

breinhard@MiamiHerald.com

Putting Florida at the forefront of the fight over healthcare reform, the national Republican Party on Tuesday dispatched two top senators to blast President Barack Obama's agenda at a Hialeah hospital and launched a television ad promising to "protect seniors."

Former presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined Florida Sen. Mel Martinez at a polite, closed-door forum with staff at Palmetto General Hospital. Following stops in Missouri and North Carolina, it was the third joint appearance by McCain and McConnell on a road trip aimed at presenting the party's closing arguments before Congress takes up sweeping healthcare legislation next week.

"We have to make sure that in doing so we do not destroy this healthcare system," Martinez said.

Outside the meeting, about 20 AFL-CIO workers rallied in favor of reform and carried signs that said, "Healthcare can't wait." Florida Democratic leaders also organized a phone call with reporters to denounce the GOP ad, which is airing on national cable stations and in the northern Florida district represented by a moderate Democrat, Allen Boyd of Monticello.

"They're trying to put fear in seniors' hearts and scare them into believing they will lose benefits they have now, and nothing could be farther from the truth," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, who said the legislation would expand coverage for prescription drugs and lower insurance costs.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed support for Obama hitting a new low in Florida amid concerns that healthcare reform will drag down the quality of care and inflate the national debt. Florida offers fertile ground for Republican attacks because of the state's large population of healthcare- dependent seniors.

"Seniors in Florida have been very vocal in their opposition to the Demo- crats' government-run healthcare experiment," said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Sara Sendek.

In contrast to the rowdy confrontations that have disrupted some public forums on healthcare, no one talked out of turn at the invitation-only event in Hialeah. Most people in the audience wore suits. McConnell's call to protect doctors from lawsuits drew steady applause.

"We're talking about a very large restructuring of one-sixth of our gross national product, and that's why we're getting a reaction the likes of which we've never seen," said McCain, who said he favors a more targeted approach that would help ill people who have been rejected by insurers.

Martinez acknowledged the event would be his last in Florida before he steps down next week. Gov. Charlie Crist has appointed his former chief of staff, George LeMieux, to serve the remaining 16 months of the term.

LeMieux was scheduled to meet with Martinez and discuss committee assignments with McCain and McConnell in Miami on Tuesday. He said last week that "there's a lot that concerns me'' in the Democrat-backed healthcare bills.

In the ad released by the Republican national party, chairman Michael Steele calls for a "seniors' bill of rights'' and suggests that Democratic reforms will "ration healthcare based on age'' and allow government to interfere in end-of-life decisions. Wasserman Schultz called it a ‘‘seniors' bill of lies."

AARP also knocked the ad in a press release that said, "We are pleased nothing in the bills that have been proposed would bring about the scenarios the RNC is con- cerned about."

In the call with reporters, Edward Coyle of the Alliance for Retired Americans, a liberal, union-affiliated group, acknowl- edged that healthcare reform supporters had been initially "outstrateg- ized," but now were com- mitted to making making sure their voices were as loud as their opponents. ‘‘The tide has turned," said Wasserman Schultz.

But the meager turnout at Tuesday's rally reflected the challenges facing supporters of the Democrat-backed legislation. Union members and Democratic activists are planning another rally at Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek's town hall meeting Thursday in Miami.

In one of the only local forums to pair up leaders from both parties, Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings of Miramar and Republican congressional candidates Allen West and Ed Lynch are participating in an event Thursday organized by the Palm Beach Republican Party.

Herald/Times writer Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report.

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