Soak the Uninsured
Here's a dirty little secret about health care reform that Democrats in Washington would prefer you didn't know: They're counting on people to stay uninsured.
The financing for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi includes $167 billion in penalty payments to the federal government. About $135 billion of that money would come from private employers who don't offer insurance to their workers; those employers would have to pay a tax equal to 8 percent of payroll.
The rest would come from individuals who decline to buy under the new individual mandate. Such individuals would have to pay a fine equal to 2.5 percent of gross income.
Of course, it's possible that the bean-counters are wrong, and both employers and individuals would pony up for insurance coverage in greater numbers than anticipated. But in that case, the total bill for Pelosicare would rise accordingly.
So the options are: bigger deficits, higher taxes -- or lots of companies and individuals paying hefty fines. Do the members of Virginia's congressional delegation like those choices?
Reader Reactions
“If you are thrilled about wasting almost $TRILLION$ on a “stimulus” bill passed by Democrats that drove our unemployment to 10.2%, you will be ecstatic when Obama signs the Health Care Takeover Bill and unemployment soars to over 20%.”….
Some wantabe doctor missed his hourly dose of the Limbaugh drug of choice, Oxycodine.
Almost trillion $ stimulus bill? Actual investment in America, the Recovery Act, was billed as $787 billion by the CBO. How does that relate to the $2.11 trillion cost of Junior Bush’s “stimulus” bill tax cuts for his “base”, the upper 5% of the most wealthy? Well, $275 billion (about 1/3) went to tax credits for us common folk, not considered as part of the Cheney/Bush “base”. $144 billion went to local and state relief; like where we live. $111 billion went for rebuilding infrastructure. Rest went to other needs of the rest of us 95% peons who got raped by the $2.11 trillion “stimulus” for the upper rich.
Health care takeover bill? I darn hope so! About time, we the people, took back our freedom from pirates. We common folk are getting tired of being financially raped by the industry, the GOP “base”, which includes the nitwit idiot wantabe doc. Yeah….you, supporter and spokesman for the leeches sucking financial blood from rest of us.
It’s no secret when the govmint mettles in the business of the private sector by mandating a “minimum wage”, employers always eliminate jobs at each increase.
And that is only over a measly $1 or so.
Imagine the huge hit unemployment will take when employers are penalized 8% of payroll!
If you are thrilled about wasting almost $TRILLION$ on a “stimulus” bill passed by Democrats that drove our unemployment to 10.2%, you will be ecstatic when Obama signs the Health Care Takeover Bill and unemployment soars to over 20%.
Well said, truth!
Indeed. Perhaps a T-D staff reporter will report to use the full premium monthly cost of his/her self-only or family insurance plan vs similar plans they can easily view within web site for Federal Employee Health Benefits program and it’s 2009 & 2010 premiums; plans administered by insurers; plans that ought to make-up a new public option, unless full premiums listed within are higher than full premiums for T-D insurance?
How about do some investigative reporting for a change? Takes about 20 minutes to prepare.
What kind of health insurance do “Staff Reporters” for the RTD have?
Here is another choice, the “stay the status quo” choice, made up from some parts members of Virginia’s congressional delegation may want to consider: doubling of insurance premiums during next 8 years as happened last 8 years; health care delivery system that will consume 25% of our GDP by Y2025; further decrease in percentage of small employers with employee insurance coverage; further denials of insurance for some with pre-existing conditions, even many years prior; increase in the # of current 46,000 Amerians who die annually because of lack of affordable health care; a nation that will financial die under the weight of health care delivery costs, tracking to consume 50% of our GDP by Y2082, a nation falling further behind the world in economic competitiveness due to health care delivery twice the cost of other competitors.
Newly passed House bill to cost $1.2 trillion over ten years? That’s $120 billion per year. That cost is yelled from the mouths of the GOP, but not even whimper at much higher annual increases in cost for the status quo?
Our nation wants to lead the world in freedom, nation-building, democracy? Really? We ought to have lead the civilized world 60 years ago in the basic foundation of any civilized nation—-basic health care for all Americans, shared by all, including uniform sharing of its costs. U.S. is the only advanced nation (the only one) that has not covered that basic need; yet, costs us so much more than others. Thus, we pay dearly for so less by being a nation of me-only when it comes to health care.
We are 60 years behind putting the United back into the USA when it comes to the human need for basic health care. If people don’t care for tens of thousands of Americans dying a year for lack of health care insurance, address the need for reform on cost control that left in status quo, will destroy our nation.
HR3200 had over a thousand pages and the town meetings made hash of them, so what did Congress do? Why, they passed an ‘enhanced’ bill with 2000 pages that includes the worst of HR3200. Congress is not out of touch so much as totally unresponsive to legitimate objections to this plan. They’ve made a bad law worse.
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement