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Post by AztecWilliam on Dec 22, 2010 11:11:36 GMT -8
"If you like your health insurance, you can keep it," lied Barack Obama. Several times. Or was he just totally clueless? Anyway, here are 10 good reasons to conclude that ObamaCare is, in effect, a government takeover of the American health care system. But those of us who were not drinking the Obama/Dem Kool Aid knew that two years ago, right? I., personally, am most afraid of the implications of #8. washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2010/12/obamacare-government-takeoverAzWm |
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Post by aztecwin on Dec 22, 2010 12:21:36 GMT -8
I would agree that #8 is ominous, but not one item on that list is not to be feared. Look at 9 and 10. The idea that this could be another unfunded mandate on the States is the expansion of government that all Conservatives and Independents made clear they did not want last month. I hope for a combination of Court action making it clear that ObamaKare is un-Constitutional and some sort of action to repeal, replace and defund will take care of the issue.
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Post by AztecWilliam on Dec 22, 2010 14:41:08 GMT -8
The nightmare scenario is that the damned thing withstands scrutiny by the Supreme Court and therefore goes into effect, with predicted disastrous consequences for the quality and cost of health care in America. Further, the scenario holds that, as does the pilot of a plane that has broken out of the fog only to see a mountain 100 yards ahead, we will see the degradation of health care and the ballooning of costs but will be unable to do anything about it.
I suggest that some sensible group set up a committee tasked to track all the bad consequences (list of sick people who die because life-saving drugs and procedures have been withheld by ObamaCare, etc.) of this terrible act. The only way you will get the public at large to turn on ObamaCare is to make sure that they know the true cost, in lives and money, that they will have to bear. My fear is that the Dems will hold out enough carrots (kids on mom and dad's policy until age 26, etc.) that the lower 1/2 of the country that pays virtually no taxes will think that they have gotten a super deal thanks to the compassion of the Democrats.
A body count has to be kept and widely published. Something-for-nothing is a powerful incentive to allow the government to keep you happy at someone else's expense.
AzWm
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Post by AztecWilliam on Dec 22, 2010 14:44:03 GMT -8
Anybody care to bet that the Obama/Dem partisans on this board will refuse even to try to answer the questions raised by (A) the linked-article or (B) my own concerns expressed in my earlier posts in this thread?
I'm waiting.
AzWm
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Post by AlwaysAnAztec on Dec 23, 2010 9:08:46 GMT -8
What a bunch of crap.
Congress let the American people down by not implementing a universal single payer system.
Listened to an interview from one of the "Great American" Republicans in Congress. When asked what will happen to those who will be uninsured if Obamacare is overturned, he replied that "They will still have emergency rooms and free clinics".
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Post by AztecWilliam on Dec 29, 2010 12:49:19 GMT -8
What a bunch of crap. Congress let the American people down by not implementing a universal single payer system. Listened to an interview from one of the "Great American" Republicans in Congress. When asked what will happen to those who will be uninsured if Obamacare is overturned, he replied that "They will still have emergency rooms and free clinics". First of all, an out-and-out socialized system would probably have been better than this unbelievably byzantine monster loaded with unintended consequences. Second, if ObamaCare is overturned, we would be, initially, back where we started. Where we started was not perfect and needed reform, but it needed sensible reform that relied on free-market mechanisms rather than authoritarian top-down mandates. The essential struggle in the 21st Century in the U.S. is between those who believe in free markets and a maximum of free choices and those who reject free markets in favor of authoritarian government control. This should not be hard to understand, but, sadly, there are many who still have no clue. Or perhaps there are plenty on the Left who understand this perfectly well and are more than happy to see decisions made on political grounds rather than freely by private citizens acting in their own enlightened self-interest. AzWm |
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Post by AztecWilliam on Dec 29, 2010 12:50:16 GMT -8
I'm still waiting for that rebuttal I mentioned in an earlier reply to this thread.
AzWm
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Post by aztecwin on Dec 29, 2010 13:59:01 GMT -8
I'm still waiting for that rebuttal I mentioned in an earlier reply to this thread. AzWm I doubt that you will get much of anything other than the nonsense that Always An Aztec offered above. I just hope that we see our way to getting a handle on costs or we will be in trouble ObamaKare or not. You can not break the states with unfunded mandates and claim any sort of improvement. You can not withhold care from Grandma and claim any sort of improvement. |
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Post by AlwaysAnAztec on Jan 3, 2011 12:12:53 GMT -8
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Post by aztecwin on Jan 3, 2011 13:16:54 GMT -8
Is Veterinary Medicine part of ObamaKare?  |
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Post by AlwaysAnAztec on Jan 4, 2011 10:14:09 GMT -8
Is Veterinary Medicine part of ObamaKare? +1  |
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Post by The Great Aztec Joe on Jan 5, 2011 6:52:12 GMT -8
Remember, as long as the Federal Government can borrow money for free from the FED, all medical expense is of no consequence.
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Post by sdtosf on Jan 16, 2011 0:17:49 GMT -8
Here is the plan read it.
ey provisions of the health-care legislation passed in March 2010 are:[3]
[edit] Within one year of enactment (2010–2011)
* Insurance companies barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, ending the practice of rescission. Lifetime coverage limits eliminated and annual limits restricted.
* Young adults able to stay on their parents' health plans until age 26. Many health plans previously dropped dependents from coverage when they turned 19 or finished college.
* Uninsured adults with pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
* Insurance companies cannot deny group or new (non-grandfathered) individual coverage to children under age 19 due to a pre-existing condition.[43]
* A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
* Medicare drug plan beneficiaries who fall into the Medicare Part D coverage gap (the so-called "doughnut hole") will get a $250 rebate. The new law eventually closes that gap completely. (The old law required the sick person to pay 100% of their own annual medicine costs after $2,700 was spent in the coverage year and did not start again until after $6,154 was spent).
* A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
* A 10% tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.
[edit] Effective during 2011
* Medicare provides 10% bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
* Medicare will cover the full cost of annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plan services for beneficiaries. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no direct cost to patients.
* A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
* Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
* Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.
* An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.
[edit] Effective as of 2012
* Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.
* An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
* The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begins tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.
* Companies will be required to issue 1099 forms to any vendor of services or rental property to which the business has paid more than $600. Form 1099 is also sent to the IRS. Under the existing law, businesses issued the Form 1099 only to individuals who provided services or property to a business. The health care law included the same form be issued to corporations as well, and that the form be issued to individuals and corporations that provide property to the business.[44][45] Only business related payments are reportable, personal payments not.[46] There are a number of exceptions. For example: payments for merchandise, telephone, freight, storage, payments of rent to real estate agents are excepted.[46] The health care bill mandate aims to collect lost revenue from companies that under-report on their tax returns. The provision is expected to raise $17 billion over 10 years.[47]
[edit] Effective as of 2013
* A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
* The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10% from 7.5% of income. The threshold remains at 7.5% for the elderly through 2016.
* The Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA) is raised to 2.35% from 1.45% for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
* A 2.9% excise tax is imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.
[edit] Effective as of 2014
Main article: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act#Effective by January 1, 2014
* State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
* Individuals with income up to 133% of the federal poverty level qualify for Medicaid coverage.
* Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
* Premium cap for maximum "out-of-pocket" pay will be established for people with incomes up to 400 percent of FPL.[48][10] Section 1401 of PPACA explains that the subsidy will be provided as an advancable, refundable tax credit[49] and gives a formula for its calculation.[50] Refundable tax credit is a way to provide government benefit to people even with no tax liability[51] (example: Child Tax Credit). According to White House and Congressional Budget Office figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay for the "silver" healthcare plan would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level, as follows:[52][11] for families with income 133–150% of FPL will be 4-4.7% of income, for families with income of 150–200% of FPL will be 4.7-6.5% of income, for families with income 200–250% of FPL will be 6.5-8.4% of income, for families with income 250-300% of FPL will be 8.4-10.2% of income, for families with income from 300 to 400% of FPL will be 10.2% of income. In 2016,the federal poverty level is projected to equal about $11,800 for a single person and about $24,000 for family of four.[52] See Subsidy Calculator for specific dollar amount.[53]
* Most people required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a tax if they don't.
* Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
* Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.
* Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.
[edit] Effective 2015
* Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.
[edit] Effective 2018
* An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.
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Post by AztecWilliam on Jan 16, 2011 11:11:13 GMT -8
Interesting, but hardly exhaustive. Unless I did not read the list carefully enough, I don't think it mentions the 150 plus new committees and boards this act sets up. Nor does it mention the powers and cost of these boards. And there is zero reference to the fact that almost everything in this new law amounts to a diminution of individual freedom.
Also, there is no mention of the vast powers over the health care sector of the economy that will be given to the Health and Human Services Secretary (currently Kathleen Sebelius).
Another thing. The government will give individuals a choice of 4 plans once the exchanges are open. Anybody who does not like those four choices can just go pound sand. (That's a hell of a business model. Okay, how about this. Let's start an ice cream parlor that offers these flavors: vanilla, French vanilla, rocky road, and pistachio. You want chocolate? Tough luck. You want strawberry? Get lost! Pineapple, you say? Don't make me laugh!)
The American people will be very sorry that the Democrats, uncontrollably fixated on passing a health bill . . . virtually any health bill . . . resorted to backroom dealing and arm twisting to make it happen. (I wonder how many of those 60 plus House Dems who got their walking papers last November are still glad they voted for ObamaCare?)
There are many, many other good reasons to dislike ObamaCare, including some that are more serious criticisms than those I have mentioned above. We will all feel the pain soon enough.
And, of course, it didn't have to be this way. Had the Democrats not been consumed by their hatred for Republicans, conservatives, and generally anyone who held opinions that differed from their own, a rational health care bill could have been fashioned and signed into law.
AzWm
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Post by aztecwin on Jan 16, 2011 19:14:10 GMT -8
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