Here it comes ! House eyes new taxes as senators pare health bill

[SteamWake]

The tax options include:
- Increasing the price of soda and other sugary drinks by 10 cents a can.
- Applying a potential 2 percent income tax increase to single taxpayers earning more than $200,000 a year and households earning more than $250,000.
- A new employer payroll tax could target 3 percent of employers' health care expenditures.
- Taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits above certain levels
- a less likely option but one that still is in the running.


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090619/D98TNJC00.html

[nikimcbee]

They need to stop all of this now!:shifty: Hopefully this will be the downfall of obama, as it was HRC when she tried to change our health system.

[SteamWake]

Only one comment.

I guess Im wrong. People dont mind addittional tax burdon :yawn:

[Frame57]

What stroke of genius by the political hypocrisy....Let's see here, yes, let's tax the employers who are already providing a health care benefit in order to make it more difficult and less cost effective for them to do so. This will cause them to rely on the good ole reliable government by once again punishing the private sector. Voting the bums out will do no good because only bums will replace them. Reformation in government is well overdue.

[AVGWarhawk]

The plan is bad all the way around. The plan infringes on the free market called the insurance industry. Employers have no incentive to keep insurance on the employees. It is just stupid.

[SteamWake]

Another thing being looked into and not mentioned here because its not health care related is your tax deferrred IRA cotributions.

There looking into restructuring that so that the contributions are no longer tax deferred. So on top of ... at least in my case my IRA having shrunk by nearly 50% in the last year it will now also be taxed :oops:

[mookiemookie]

The plan is bad all the way around. The plan infringes on the free market called the insurance industry. Employers have no incentive to keep insurance on the employees. It is just stupid.

Good. It's an expensive and inefficient system.

And free market of the insurance industry? HAH! The insurance industry is one of the most governmentally regulated industries in the country. You already have government insurance whether you realize it or not.

Funny how the people who argue against a real health insurance plan are the ones who never have to worry about medical bills bankrupting them.

[SteamWake]

It's an expensive and inefficient system.

The insurance industry is one of the most governmentally regulated industries in the country.


:rotfl::rotfl:

Irony is so sweet.

[mookiemookie]

:rotfl::rotfl:

Irony is so sweet.

It is, isnt it?

http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/health/spend/cost_longlife75.gif

[AVGWarhawk]

Good. It's an expensive and inefficient system.

And free market of the insurance industry? HAH! The insurance industry is one of the most governmentally regulated industries in the country. You already have government insurance whether you realize it or not.

.


There needs to be Tort Reform. The same as what Bush was attempting to accomplish. Obama brought up the same. Do you have any idea what the average malpractice insurance is? It is over $250,000 a year for one doctor.

Take a look at medicad and medicare that are run by the government....see it failing....you bet! Enough said on a government health care plan.

As far as regulated, sure, it is regulated but it is still independent business'. No offense mookie, I pay for good health insurance. I'm taxed on my health insurance plan. There are pleny of plans out there anyone can purchase.


Funny how the people who argue against a real health insurance plan are the ones who never have to worry about medical bills bankrupting them


That is just a cop out.

[mookiemookie]

Take a look at medicad and medicare that are run by the government....see it failing....you bet! Enough said on a government health care plan.

Look at every other civilized nation in the world's universal healthcare plan where life expectancies and patient satisfaction are higher while spending less on healthcare than the U.S.

Enough said.

[SteamWake]

Look at every other civilized nation in the world's universal healthcare plan where life expectancies and patient satisfaction are higher while spending less on healthcare than the U.S.

Enough said.

:o

I guess some folks are happy to wait 3 years for necessary surgery. :rotfl:

I guess some folks are happy to be denied care due to their current health.

Meh... go watch another Michale Moore movie. :doh:

[AVGWarhawk]

Look at every other civilized nation in the world's universal healthcare plan where life expectancies and patient satisfaction are higher while spending less on healthcare than the U.S.

Enough said.

Explain to me why my parents who are in their mid-seventies, have their own medical plan plus medicare and still paid over $20,000.00 in medication and doctor visits....that was just last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Medicare is a failure. I see it first hand mookie. This government healthcare will be a failure.

So tell me, why are you so hot and bothered to get government health care? Why should others pay for every Tom, Dick and Harry to get sown up after another drunk'en brawl?

[mookiemookie]

:o

I guess some folks are happy to wait 3 years for necessary surgery. :rotfl:

I guess some folks are happy to be denied care due to their current health.

Neither of which would ever happen under our glorious HMO system, right?


Meh... go watch another Michale Moore movie. :doh:

I will so long as you keep swallowing the insurance company propaganda hook line and sinker. :yeah:

[AVGWarhawk]

Hillary attempted this when Bill was in office. It went down in a ball of flames. Currently Obama is getting serious opposition from his own crew on the Hill. He has been handed the golden key to the crapper from ABC and making an hour long info-merical...I won't be watching that. Obama's approval rating is starting to flounder and drop even more. This health care will not pass...UNLESS, Pelosi and co can get fat pork in the bill. Welcome to old school DC and no change at all. :down:

[SteamWake]

Neither of which would ever happen under our glorious HMO system, right?

Id venture to say no. Most assuredly no.

In fact even those whom cannot pay recieve care thats one of the reasons health care costs are so high.

[mookiemookie]

Id venture to say no. Most assuredly no.

In fact even those whom cannot pay recieve care thats one of the reasons health care costs are so high.

:nope: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22357873/

That was one story I remember. There's thousands more.

[Aramike]

I might surprise some people with my opinion on this, but here goes:

I am in favor on nationalized health care.

There, I said it. Now for the reasons why.

Anyone who thinks that we don't already have nationalized healthcare is fooling themselves. In the US we have two issues which demonstrate this. First is the Patient Bill of Rights which allows ANYONE access to healthcare without payment. As such, a great many people show up at emergency rooms nationwide for free attention to their sore throats knowing that they'll just ignore the subsequent bills. Secondly, nearly every state in the country has completely subsidized healthcare programs for the "poor", in addition to Medicaid. This often means that the least productive members of society actually find themselves with more disposable income that some in the middle class. Think about it: someone relatively healthy pulling in $18,000/year on welfare can be quite a bit better off than someone making $30k but has to provide their own $1200/month coverage because of a pre-existing condition (I'm not making this up, actually - my father-in-law is faced with a very similar situation after losing his job recently. Fortunately we can help him out, but not everyone is so lucky).

Indeed, I've heard the horror stories about the waiting times for important surgeries in nations with socialized healthcare. I believe that allowing independent insurance coverage as an option would SOMEWHAT help to alleviate that problem.

The problem I see with attempting to make the healthcare industry free-market is that it really can't be such a thing. In my opinion, people HAVE to be entitled to some measure of healthcare.

Our healthcare system is absolutely broken. We currently have a system that absolutely overburdens the middle class. Think about it: if you're poor you've got a free ticket to one of the most expensive cost-of-living items there is. If you're rich than this really won't affect you.

But, if you happen to fall into the category of the middle class family paying your mortgage, credit card bills, etc. on time, a major issue can send even the insured individual to the poorhouse with a high deductable. Imagine if you just lost your job, however - now the "class warfare" system of healthcare has just sent you to the lower class. Either that, or you'll be doing without urgent medications and treatments.

I personally hate to ever relinquish control of anything to the government, but honestly I don't trust insurance companies a whole lot more.

I do have a proposal for how to fix healthcare in the US, but I'm kind of getting tired at the moment. Maybe tomorrow... :know:

[SteamWake]

:nope: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22357873/

That was one story I remember. There's thousands more.

Thousands? :-?


The family of a 17-year-old girl who died hours after her health insurer reversed a decision and said it would pay for a liver transplant plans to sue the company, their attorney said Friday.


The fact that this landed in a lawsuit indicates it is an abboration.

[mookiemookie]

Thousands? :-?



The fact that this landed in a lawsuit indicates it is an abboration.

It's in the insurance company's best interest to deny care as they are a for profit business. Their interests and yours as the insured's are not aligned.

[AVGWarhawk]

It's in the insurance company's best interest to deny care as they are a for profit business. Their interests and yours as the insured's are not aligned.

And you think a pencil pusher on the Hill that has as much a medical background as you and I really has an interest in your care? The government does not care about your healthcare. Look at the VA for that. What a disgrace the VA is. Walter Reed was a crying shame. Yeah, Washington gives a crap about you. That is laughable at best. Obama already stated he would eliminate tests for what they consider unnecessary. That is great, no need to go with the doctors recommendations. We will listen to Will the page and see what he thinks right after fetching some paperwork for Senator Beanhead.

Again, medicare is a failing system for the elderly....do think this nationalized healthcare is going to work:06: The VA hospitals are medicre at best. Walter Reed was a crying shame.

What everyone needs to worry about at the moment is this new energy bill. Do you realize your living expenses are going to go up between $2000.00-$4000.00 per year if this bill passes? Pelosi is pushing this bill this week. Good luck to us if this bill passes and you throw in healthcare for all on top of. In short gents, we are hosed. We are about to be taxed to the hilt. Grab your ankles, this is going to hurt for a good long while.

Obama and his cronies are destroying the country in the name of being a 'do gooder'. It is being done at your expense and my expense. Heres to the victory garden at the White House.

[AVGWarhawk]

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDQ4NWI4ZDY5NmI2NGUzMzM4YmMwYmQ0ZGFkODM0YzI


The President Tries to Change His Health-Care Tune [James C. Capretta (http://www.eppc.org/scholars/scholarID.83/scholar.asp)]


At his press conference today, President Obama scrambled to “clarify (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/06/what-does-the-presidents-promise-youll-be-able-to-keep-your-health-care-plan-period-really-mean.html)” his promise to Americans on health care. It won’t work.



The problem for President Obama is that he and his allies want to pass an untested, government-heavy program — but without saying so.



The president’s “clarification” seems highly unlikely to be the final word on this. For starters, it doesn’t matter much to the voting public who pulls the trigger. They don’t want today’s stable, job-based coverage turned upside by “reform.” When they hear that tens of millions of people will get moved out of employer plans and into the “government option,” they will wonder if they themselves will have to switch insurance — and most don’t want to. The president’s comments today aren’t likely to put their fears to rest.


It is a good article. Read it. :up:

[SteamWake]

To help balance its budget, California has reduced the state tax credit for dependents.


:o

Yea try to explain that to the parents.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/23/BUN418BJU3.DTL

[SteamWake]

While everyone is 'discussing' health care watch out for this little bill to be voted on this friday.

Cap & Trade

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123655590609066021.html

[mookiemookie]

And you think a pencil pusher on the Hill that has as much a medical background as you and I really has an interest in your care? The government does not care about your healthcare.

It seems to work for every other civilized nation in the world.

[Tchocky]

Krugman put it rather well -

The reform argument actually goes like this: 1. Every other advanced country has universal coverage, protecting its citizens from the financial risks of uninsurance as well as ensuring that everyone gets basic care.
2. They do this while spending far less on health care than we do.
3. Yet they don’t seem to do worse in overall health results.

[AVGWarhawk]

It seems to work for every other civilized nation in the world.

You don't understand something, this is forced on us. There is not take your healthcare plan if you like it. Every year those outside of the plan will have to staple on their returns a paper that looks like a W2 so you can be taxed on it. Furthermore, your choice of doctors and treatment are limited not to mention the time for Joe the Pencil Pusher do decide with his History BA what kind of treatment is best for you. :doh: To further that notion, reduced cost/charges reduces individuals that are in the medical field and or interested in the medical field. So, when you are in the hospital and ring the nurse for help at midnight you might see one as early as 0400. Seriously, would anyone spend 22 years of schooling, another 4 years of medical school and internship to make minimum wage? And, to add, no one in Congress has to join this. They keep what they have. What, is not what is good for the goose not good for the gander? If the plan was so good the entire congressional body would be the first to sign up. They can do whatever they want with whatever doctor they wish. Sorry, bad PR. :down:

I agree we need reform but this reform is way to radical. It will burn like Hillary's bill did.

[AVGWarhawk]

While everyone is 'discussing' health care watch out for this little bill to be voted on this friday.

Cap & Trade

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123655590609066021.html

Agreed, this bill has some momentum and it could turn very ugly for ALL. Imagine, your nice $100.00 electric bill for the month will become $250.00 for the month. Energy cost will skyrocket under this lame bill. :down: Such BS on this bill and loaded with earmarks. Now, we all know who is paying for the trillion dollar stimulus. Sure, we will raise the taxes on those making $250,000.00 per year. :shifty: Spit in the bucket.