Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

I am starting to be worried about this healthcare bill.

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU
 
Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:22 PM
Original message
I am starting to be worried about this healthcare bill.
Edited on Thu May-21-09 08:25 PM by Mass
And at this point, not even because of the GOP.

So, according to some Dems, we

- cannot have single payer

- cannot have a real public option

- healthcare insurance will be mandatory

- but those who have it from their business will be taxed over a certain revenue not yet determined.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052104184.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who expects to unveil health-reform legislation next month, has said he is not interested in closing the loophole, but in establishing limits. Among the options: Taxing only the benefits of high-earning individuals who make at least $200,000 a year ($400,000 for families). Or taxing benefits for all workers above some pre-set amount. One figure under discussion is $13,000, the national average value of employer-provided coverage for families.

Both options have disadvantages. Taxing only wealthy families, for example, "doesn't make sense," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), because it would raise too little money -- only about $160 billion over 10 years, according to Finance Committee aides. But "you've got to be very careful how far you go" down the income ladder, Kerry said. "If you come down too low, you're impacting workers and threatening the employer-based system."
...
Some Democrats are particularly concerned that the tax would fall heavily on union members, who tend to have generous health packages sometimes derided as "Cadillac" plans. But those plans are expensive because they include dental and vision benefits, large provider networks and low copayments -- "things every American wants and should have," said Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager of Health Care for America Now, a coalition of unions and community organizations. Kirsch yesterday endorsed an alternative tax plan drafted by Citizens for Tax Justice that would target corporations and the wealthy for $1 trillion in tax hikes over the next decade.


So, now, those who have a decent insurance by their job could be taxed, but they do not want to offer a decent public option affordable to all.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
DrToast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:32 PM
Response to Original message
1. Taxing benefits never bothered me that much...
What bothers me is that we're going to be forced to buy private insurance without a public option.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
jberryhill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:35 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I'll settle for anything...

...that is forward-compatible with eventual transition to a single payer system. It may be necessary to do this by degrees.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:37 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. Such as described by Baucus, all it would do would be subsidize the private insurance.
and eventually help them for people who are really sick and they do not want in the first place.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
truedelphi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:59 PM
Response to Reply #2
10. History has a way of making sure that We The People do not get
Anything by degrees. rather it takes concentrated boild effort to ensure that conditions are reversed and totally altered.

We got the repeal of child labor, not by degrees, but by people willing to shed blood over it.

We got the 40 day work week not by degrees but by people willing to shed blood over it.

We need an all out 24/7 strike, in which the entire battered population hunkers down in front of media outlets in every city so that Obama understands what we want and need.

We need it to be that clear.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:35 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. It's the combination that bothers me, particularly at this point where private insurance are
both out of price and crap.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
tonycinla Donating Member (135 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:36 PM
Response to Original message
4. Be Scared!
You should be scared because there has never been a free lunch and never will be.Someone has to pay for it ,and it will most likely be all of us in less service and/or more money for what we get.There are too many vested interests making money from the current system ,to go silently into the night.Most of the Democrat party leaders that mouth the words that we will have a good and healthy national health insurance program are lying and know they are lying.Watch!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Uzybone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:38 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. Its the Democratic Party, not the democrat party
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:39 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Democrat Party. Ok, thanks.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
firedupdem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:40 PM
Response to Reply #4
8. Nobody is asking for a free lunch. A public option means the
money will come from somewhere. I'll pay more for whatever to get some decent healthcare. We're in the Democratic party over here and we're not scared of shit!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AllentownJake Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 08:45 PM
Response to Original message
9. Taxing Benefits will cause the GOP to take back the Senate in 2010
Edited on Thu May-21-09 08:46 PM by AllentownJake
I guarantee that, an additional tax increase on the middle class to pay for this will be the end of Barack Obama's Presidency and the end of the Democratic Party in power for a generation.

Even though it was McCain's plan. It will fit in perfectly to ever right wing talking point ever said about our party.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Zavulon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-21-09 09:03 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. What Jake said. (NT)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Thu May 16th 2024, 06:35 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC