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Subscribe to RSSPresident Barack Obama gives a victory speech Tuesday after being elected to a second term in the White House.
One of the biggest winners Tuesday night was health reform. Now that President Barack Obama has won a second term and kept a Democratic majority in the Senate to back him up, Republicans have lost any chance at repealing his biggest domestic initiative.
“Health reform goes ahead,” Timothy Jost, an expert on health law at Washington and Lee University, told NBC news. “It has survived two near-death experiences, with the Supreme Court decision (in June) and now with the election. Now it is time to move forward.”
For most Americans who get their health insurance through their employers, that could mean some significant changes as they are asked to make more and more of their own decisions about how coverage they want.
Republican analysts agree. “What it means is implementation of the law,” said Christopher Condeluci, a former Tax and Benefits Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee who is now at Washington law firm Venable LLP.
It doesn’t mean smooth sailing, however. Many rules have yet to be rolled out – and there is little time to do that before the law begins to take full effect in 2014.
Much of the law’s implementation is up to the states. And Republicans still control the House, which means they hold the initiative on setting the budget. As they’ve done over the past four years, they can hold the budget hostage. And this year the administration and Congress will have to negotiate on an especially tricky budget issue – the fiscal cliff.
Now that he's won, the six splitting headaches waiting for Obama
Unless Congress makes a budget deal fast, $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts - known as the fiscal cliff – go into effect in January. Some of the money used to fund the health care law will undoubtedly be on the table for the last-minute bargaining. The Congressional Budget Office has projected the law will cost about $1.2 billion over 10 years.
“I would expect that Republicans are going to push pretty hard to get some money out of the Affordable Care Act,” Jost said. “There is a lot of money there,” Condeluci agreed.
Some parts supposedly cannot be touched – the money to be used to subsidize health insurance for people who want to buy it on the new marker provided by health insurance exchanges, for instance. People who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $92,000 for a family of four, would be able to get a subsidy and conservatives may want to bargain against some of this money to try and cut the federal deficit.
And the federal government has promised to pay the full cost of expanding Medicaid in the states for the first few years. It’s not clear how much this will cost until states choose what to do. The Supreme Court ruling that upheld the health care law in June made it clear that states get to decide whether they’ll offer Medicaid to more people. Congress may want to try to negotiate against that money, also.
But Harry Conaway, who heads the Washington office of consulting group Mercer, notes that budget projections show the Affordable Care Act will save money over 10 years, so it may be risky to play with it too much.
Victorious Obama 'more determined' in face of challenges
States that have refused to set up their own health insurance exchanges can expect the federal government to do it for them. But it now has just under a year to get that done.
“The administration has a mountain to climb,” Condeluci said. “There are a lot of rules that it appears that they slow-walked until after the election. I understand why they did slow-walk those rules. Those rules are related to some very, very important parts of this law.”
One rule everyone is waiting for is the so-called essential benefits package -- the list of minimum requirements for plans to cover.
Condeluci worries that the process will be rushed now, which may not allow for proper consideration of public comments on administration proposals.
“We haven’t seen the rules on the federally facilitated (health insurance) exchange. We don’t even know if will be up and running by open enrollment, which is October 2013,” Condeluci said.
Conaway thinks the administration may have to delay some of the deadlines. "The Obama administration will have to make an assessment later this year or early next year about whether a 2014 implementation will go smoothly or be chaotic and disruptive," he said.
Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
Campaigning with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, voting and election results.
What it means for you
Mercer's Tracy Watts says employers are already beginning to make changes to what they offer workers. "Over the next several years everybody will continue to see changes to their benefits," she said. More people may see bare-bones plans, because of changes in the rules about how much employers have to cover.
The 2010 health care law actually lowers the average actuarial value for a plan -- the percentage of the total bill that an employer has to cover. On average, a health insurance plan now pays for about 85 percent of the costs, with the patient making up 15 percent. The health reform law says plans only have to pay 60 percent -- meaning some people may end up being on the hook for 40 percent of their costs with a new, slimmed-down plan.
"Let's say you have an outpatient procedure that costs $3,000," Watts said. A new-style plan might require a $2,000 deductible and 50 percent co-insurance, meaning the patient has to pay $2,500 for the procedure and the employer picks up $500. But, she adds, employees will have the option to add better coverage a la carte. The difference is the employers will no longer simply offer a single package -- people will have to work out what particular pieces of coverage they want, and pay a little more each month for the extras.
Watts says Mercer's surveys show that 90 percent of employers who currently offer health insurance to their workers will continue to do so.
Another Supreme Court challenge?
Rules that insurers are waiting to see include the community rating requirements — these are the different premiums that insurers may charge people based on their sex, age and health status. For instance, the law aims to stop the common practice of insurers charging women more than they charge men of similar age and health status. But they will be able to charge people higher premiums as they get older, and just how much more needs to be laid out.
There’s also the guaranteed issue rule – this will require insurers to cover people even if they have existing health conditions. Again, this isn’t detailed yet.
And then there are the states. Many Republican governors are already resisting some of the most important aspects of healthcare reform, such as expanding Medicaid to cover people who can’t easily get health insurance any other way.
“At this point it really comes down to the states,” Condeluci said. “The biggest bogey out there is what the states are going to do. We could have a situation where states continue to resist implementing the law.’
That, Condeluci predicts, could even create another Supreme Court challenge to the law.
GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney gives his concession speech Tuesday after President Barack Obama was declared the winner of the 2012 presidential race.
“Dare I say it -- if their resistance continues, we will have a federalism issue where a federal law is essentially telling a state to do something and the state is saying ‘no’ to that federal law. Arguably, that would have to be decided by the Supreme Court.”
Jost is a little more hopeful. “I think we will see states move toward a more cooperative and less confrontational relationship,” he said. “One hopes that at some time, people are going to act practically rather than ideologically.”
There could also still be friction over the law’s requirements that insurers and employers provide birth control coverage free of charge to women. Conservative employers continue to challenge the requirement in court.
Lisa Maatz, policy director for the American Association of University Women, thinks that issue galvanized many women voters – especially when some conservatives framed the issue as one of religious freedom as opposed to women’s health.
“The conversation itself was not only disheartening, but it also shook women down to their toes,” Maatz told NBC News. “It was an eye-opener for younger women who never believed such rights could be taken away, and a galvanizer for older women as well.”
Related links:
- State elections key to health reform
- Free birth control starts under health care law
- Who falls through the cracks when states don't expand Medicaid
- Much left to do on health reform
- Supreme Court upholds health care law
More election coverage from NBCNews.com:
- Obama wins re-election; Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin prove pivotal
- Democrats gain in Senate with wins in four states
- Rape remarks sink two Republican Senate hopefuls
- In costliest-ever Senate race, Warren beats Brown for Mass. seat
- Maine's Harley-riding King vowed to 'shake up' D.C.
- Republicans to maintain control of House, NBC News projects
- Colorado, Washington approve recreational marijuana use
- In 11 governor races, it's about jobs and taxes
- Majority of voters see American on wrong track
Leave a Comment:
I Predict a Total Remake of the Health Care Industry with a One Provider Network, Good Ole Uncle Sam, Yep the same one that runs the IRS, comforting thought isn't it. I predict Blanket Amnesty for all the Illegal Hordes from Mexico and other points South. I predict the Nationalization of Several More Key Industries trying to get the economy jump started again. I predict that the Baby Boomers will have to forgo Retirement for the Good of the Country and don't worry we'll Tax that Nest Egg until you don't have to worry about it. I predict an Insurmountable National Debt with the concession we will never be able to repay it and the willing step into National Bankruptcy and a Nation that will be totally remade with a Built in Elite Class to decide what we need and how much we will like it. We Been OBamboozled. Yep, Like He Said, The Best Is Yet To Come. Yep Hugo Chavez and Vlad Putin woke up to Good News.
How do you decide when to capitalize words?
Until November 2014, anyway.
Go ahead, Teabags. Keep up the obstructionist idiocy. Keep it up and ensure that you get purged in the midterms. You only hasten your own exit.
Oh please Ror...you laughable lib. Your fearless leader Harry "Cadaver" Reid, said he would never work with Romney if he won. The House will be successful in "obstructing" all of Barry and Harry's leftist agenda. Deal with it. 2014 is a long way off, and if Obama's economy is still as disastrous as it is now, you lefties will be flying out the door, not Republicans.
Yep! For four more years, we can keep our new minimum wage, keep OSHA, keep EPA, keep the Justice Dept., keep the FDA, etc. from the clutches of Organized Corporations. And I would like Corporations no longer referred as "People" and I would like the U.S. to regain Industry and divest us from Foreign Corporations dependance.
The biggest challenge is for all of the Industry shipped overseas by money-hungry Corporations to return here. And I would like to see that products and food sources be CONTROLLED better so that the Public would not have to suffer shoddy work-man-ship and contaminated foods and clothing.
Further I would like this Nation to return to "We the People" instead of We the Corporations".
DrMan: Why don't you say the same thing about Mitch?, Bohner, and the say no to everything congress? You spout things out in a one sided way, as If you are blind in one eye!
And I predict that the President will continue to lead us to Greatness as a Nation.
4 More For 44
Dear Mitch,
Now that your "number one priority" (i.e. to make Barack Obama a one-term President) FAILED, what your next priority? I suggest that you and your flying monkeys should make it to work WITH the President. Try it.
Somebody at NBC is going to get the ax by Obama. Notice that the winner, according to the article is "health reform," not "health care." I realize it is a slip, but it is telling all the same. It's hard being part of the Obama PR machine, when what you thought you signed up for was an independent journalist. Time will tell.
RIP America...
Hello Europe!!
i agree.. hard working people are about to get bent over really badly. i have decided to drop out of the system at this point. it is not worth working hard to just give it away to a person who is lazy. obama and democrats hate people that get up every day that work and can support their own family. let obama do all of the damage he wants to, alot of us will drop out . i have already decided to let 2 of my employees go at the beginning of the year. i can no longer afford the regulation and taxes that are about to come down the pipe.. game over for america.
Perhaps an even bigger win is that Obama gets to assign members of the Supreme Court who do not believe corporations are people or that rape is the will of god.
Republicans have 2 years to decide if they want to help or hurt. Otherwise, the push will be on to vote for a Democratic house so we can at least have a working congress.
So, the country remains as divided as ever. 49% were happy last night. 48% were disappointed. 3% were too high to care - mostly in Washington and Oregon.
@ BytheBoarder
Dude! Did you think the world was going to end on Y2K as well? One president can't do all that. He couldn't do all that if he had the House and the Senate both behind him. Calm down. America will go on and eventually another Republican president will be elected. It's going to happen sure as sunrise.
How long have you been on the vine SP&G P.D.?
And how's the view from your glass house, in your perfect faultless life?
I predict the Republican Party will continue its decline because of such skewed views as yours.
i predict you will sing a different tune soon. or did you get an obama computer to go with your obama phone?
President Obama wasn't the only winner women all over one, whether Democrat or Republican. We made a difference.
BYe Bye Tom Tyler - we "lazy socialist, commie libs, ooh what else have I been called over the past 4 years from TP favs will not miss the likes of you. You, ZenPaladin, Willie and all those spewing hate and bad info or lies about Obama. I hope you lie living somewhere else, because you are not pround to be Americans. The GOP did this to themselves. Always exclusive the GOP is.
The best place to see if you have been screwed by Obama & the Democrats is to look at your paychecks and tax returns. All those credits and Payroll Tax holiday is not by way of the GOP - but you guessed it Obama.
Gosh how I hate uninformed people, who see it on Fox, here it on Rush and believe it.
Here
hey joyce!!!!...go get an abortion will ya?.....retroactively if you can......what a feckin' moron.....
Holy Cow! What on earth are you referring to? Since when does higher unemployment, higher national debt, higher annual deficit, higher gas prices, and a massive healthcare law that the majority of Americans DON'T WANT constitute "greatness"???
You haven't learned a damn thing about last night have you?
I'm very much a centrist/moderate.... a former registered Republican. Former because of the GOP's pathetically, pathologically abrupt extreme right turn.
That's probably difficult to comprehend for someone so far to the right that they're desperately clutching the crumbling extreme right edge of their flat Earth, feeling their tenuous hold on reality slip away. I suppose that from there, everything must look "left".
But you go right ahead, mmmkay?
Did I miss something? Didn't the MAJORITY of Americans re-elect the guy that pushed healthcare reform?
That's a Bush I / Clinton / Bush II phone. You should look it up. Knowledge is good.
ACA is about to become one of the most hated pieces of legislation by EVERYONE!
When companies large and small start laying off millions of workers to compensate for the extra costs for Obamacare or to avoid having to pay penalties or healthcare coverage costs, reducing the number of full-time workers for part-time workers who don't qualify for benefits AND citizens starting getting hit with a penalty for not buying health insurance they can't afford-- the light will suddenly go off.
Mark my words: beginning mid- to late-2013 the pain begins and the blind supporters of this law will act like no one knew it would work out like this.
Rorschach: Yes, we did. On the popular vote count, which so many, including realclearpolitics, thought was a likely Romney win or an Obama squeaker by .6% of the vote, the numbers came in a lot stronger for Obama - over 2% now and counting. He also beat Romney by 100 electoral votes and counting (Florida looks like an Obama win).
I've been hearing that we're so closely divided that the Obama win is not a 'mandate'. Time to shed the pre-election talking points and look at post-election reality.
There have obviously been landslides, and this was not. But Obama won the popular vote by a higher percentage than Truman beat Dewey, than Kennedy beat Nixon, than Nixon beat Humphrey, than Carter beat Ford, than Bush beat Gore, and than Bush beat Kerry.
In the electoral college the race was not close. While the election was exciting, the numbers guys (the non-partisan ones) called the election well before election day, as not even close. Nate Silver, who the right wing vilified, beat the stuffing out of realclearpolitics (and of course Rassmussen) on both the popular vote and the electoral college. He called every state right, even the close ones, and came within .5% of the popular vote. He also gave Obama a 92% chance of winning, a number which we can all pretty much agree with now that we're not listening to right wing talking points about the Great Uncounted Conservatives.
The national public has spoken decisively; we in part rejected the tea party and obstructionist politics. If the House wants to try to use their single-digit approval ratings against the guy who just won the national election, good luck. I wouldn't hold my breath that they'll succeed.
Your facts are wrong according to this article and everything else. If you think ACA is going to be hated why do you think Obama and both Houses of Congress were elected for the implementation of just that in 2008 and the President was relected to bring it forth to fruition in 2014?
Romney had the wrong message when he promised to take health care away from 40 million people and it showed at the polls. Romney is the last of the dinosaurs representing the Republican party. If the Republicans want to hang around as a meaningful party they need to get on board with America's changing attitude, accept women as equal and recognize minorities as people. If they don't you will never see another Republican in the White House. They aren't enough rich, white, racist, redneck men to vote them in.
On the contrary, I'm very right. I'm so right that Pres Obama didn't tout Obamacare during the campaign because he - unlike this author- read the polls that consistently showed it was unpopular with at least 55% of those polled.
Don't believe me. Believe Obama. If he was so certain it was popular I'm sure it would've been one of his favorite stats alongside the '3 million jobs' mantra.
Romney never promised to take away anybody's health care because health care is provided by doctors and practictioners- not politicians. (eye roll!!!). NOBODY can't take away health care from people. Duh- he only promised to repeal the ACA law.
Ok- everybody repeat after me: HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH INSURANCE ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
The party of 'duh!' strikes again.
oy-vay, I'm guessing that you're not quite as uninformed as you appear by your posts, but are more delusional. It was a 5 million jobs mantra, btw, not 3. Maybe it's hearing aids that you need and that's the problem.
The Affordable Health Care Act (although I sort of like the term Obamacare) is to enable the uninsured to purchase affordable insurance, so you are correct that it is not health care. However, the loser - remember that word always - the loser Romney promised to to repeal Obamacare which translates into no affordable health insurance for the uninsured - hence making it much harder for those folks to receive health care. Is the correlation occurring to you now, oy-vay, or do you have a problem with reading comprehension along with a hearing problem? And, of course, contrary to the braying far right's contentions, Obamacare was ruled as being Constitutional. Just another in the long line of things folks like you were wrong about.
And our really fine President Obama beat the crap out of Romney both in electoral votes and the popular vote. So, that fact translates into the majority of the voting citizens of this country which correlates into they agree with President Obama's policies which includes Obamacare.
Are you able to follow along so far, oy-vay?
Oh, yeah, another fact that I just can't keep myself from mentioning again is that you, Romney, the super pack billions, the tea bagger wing pushing the far-right agenda and just republicans in general LOST. You've been wrong for a long, long time, and you're still wrong. Stop watching Fox. As has been clearly reinforced over the last several months, they have been big-time wrong just about everything. Must admit I've been watching them since Tuesday night and to see the likes of Rove and Dick Morris sputter around making the most stupid of excuses for "their" wrongness has been entertaining. Extremely entertaining.
I'm not delusional. I just choose to think things through to their logical, highly-probable conclusion.
No sane person could possibly believe that when you significantly increase a company's operating cost that the company will not make adjustments to compensate for the cost increases- for something they VOLUNTARILY pay. Health benefits are not mandatory.
Your bigotry proven by your te petty name-calling makes both you and your arguments small and silly. Bigot! I'm sick of all you supposedly "anti-bullying, "pro-tolerance" bullying bigots spewing your hate and expecting others to take the high road.
You hypocrite! You are not the high-mind you believe yourself to be. It is you who are delusional!
oy-vay - The hypocrites are the people that have health insurance paid for by their employers and do not want to help pay for insurance for others. This benefit cost is collected by their employer in the form of higher costs of the products sold or services provided. Yet they use services and products from companies that do not pay for their employees health insurance because the prices are lower. The Affordable Care Act is a method to level the playing field for all employers. It also addresses all the deadbeats that do not want to take personal responsibility for themselves. You know, the people that Romney should have been talking about instead of dishing the individuals that did not make enough money to have to pay Federal Income Taxes. You should realize that in all probability not one of Mitt's 47% had anything to do with setting the tax rates.
In a Democracy people choose, America is a Democracy and the people chose. Amen!
The PPACA does nothing to actually address the cost of your healthcare, what it does do is make changes that "people beleive" and that the authors of the law "believe" will result in cost containment, there are no actual cost saving measures. It's a "we think this will happen" law in regards to cost. There is nothing that restricts the amount a health insurance company can charge you for your insurance. Read the law.....
That is why the feel good parts of the law were effective before the election and now that no so feel good parts ( extra taxes, higher Medicare taxes, etc.... ) are scheduled to start taking effect Jan 1, 2013 and beyond.
mcpaddywack, you are suspended for a week for violating rule # 1 of the Code of Honor.
Cut it out, please.
I don't understand why women want more coverage (birth control, etc.) than men, but want the same premiums. Can someone explain why special treatment should be given just because of gender?
It's interesting that the nearly identical plan Romney enacted as Governor that he praised as a model for our nations now as a democratic plan considered so terrible. People calling it socialist ignore that 60% of the nation already received government funded medical care through Medicare, Medicaid and the VA. People with employer plans are unaffected. Requiring people to have insurance is fair to all. When a few days in the hospital can cost hundreds of thousands simply going to the emergency room and bankrupting out of it simply stiffs we that are responsible. It's hard for me to understand the logic of the party who demands personal responsibility for people in all other area's but accept peoples right to stick us with their bills.
I predict that we'll join the rest of the civilized world who believes that in a developed country, everyone should have affordable access to health care and no one should have to choose between buying medicine and paying for other necessities such as food.
At least, I hope so.
socialized healthcare (that's what you want) costs lots of money. That means much higher taxes because it is expensive and when government runs anything you can bet that 50% of the money will be wasted or stolen. These other countries you so admire have lots of debt and tax the cr-p out of every citizen and the healthcare is rationed due to the cost restraints. It's always greener on the other side of the hill, or maybe you just think it is.
I'm all for it, as long as everyone (and I mean everyone - including those with a minimum wage job and three kids) pay for it themselves.
how come is it that everyone will get healthcare but only the middle class will pay for it ?? if you are poor or illegal alien or disabled you are exempt from the healthcare law but if you are the middle class working person you are you going to get a fine? it does not seem to fair to me.. i have decided i will drop my coverage come january 1st for myself and my employees and pay the fine. i will not bow down to a corrupt government and i no longer look up to my government as a good thing .
Patter,
Did you even READ the article??? Affordable is the LAST thing healthcare is going to be.
"The 2010 health care law actually lowers the average actuarial value for a plan -- the percentage of the total bill that an employer has to cover. On average, a health insurance plan now pays for about 85 percent of the costs, with the patient making up 15 percent. The health reform law says plans only have to pay 60 percent -- meaning some people may end up being on the hook for 40 percent of their costs with a new, slimmed-down plan."
Actually Steve, in "socialized healthcare" as you call it, the costs are much lower. And there is more emphasis on actual healthcare than what we have here, which is an emphasis on profits. For example, a CAT scan here can cost thousands of dollars, yet in most Western countries the same CAT scan only costs a few hundred dollars.
The system is broken in America from top to bottom, and our healthcare and food supply are near the top if not at the top of the list. Don't let the maintenance of the status quo be confused with freedom, liberty, and what's best for the citizens of our country.
Funny how every republican on this board is suddenly an employer that is going to "have to" let go of some of their employees or drop health care for their employees. Yeah... because suddenly you don't need these employees. You employed them not out of necessity, but just out of the kindness of your heart.
You guys really think we are buying these loads of crap?! Give me a f'ing break!
Yeah, maybe we'll get real lucky and have $10 a gallon gas, 25%+ unemployment and enjoy the government intruding upon nearly every facet of our lives like these other countries you seem enamored with.
Superskunk- socialized med systems tend to be cheaper because for years, the govt limited reimbursement amounts and there are far fewer allied health professionals within socialized systems.
Furthermore, most citizens in the socialized med systems also carry private health insurance because the govt doesn't cover everything, especially elective treatments.
Technology- and advances in it -cost money (R&D, etc.), money that most socialized med systems don't cover, except for those with powerful connections or expensive private insurance.
So why then did the same people who put in the ACA exempt themselves from it. If it is so good, then our elected officials and labor unions should all be jumping on this wagon and leading it to the promised land. Instead they chose to take another wagon.
GodblessAmerica-1789597 Funny you say that because it sure seems that every time there is good news, be it employment data/consumer confidence/etc etc you republicans get all upset and think it's some sort of grand conspiracy.
Then when something bad happens you unbelievably cheer for it!!! Yet you label liberals as lazy, America haters. WTF?
Even funnier still is the fact that almost all of us have great jobs. The red states are the welfare states. So who is looking for a hand out now?
patter123,Key word is affordable.My affordable company health insurance just became unaffordable for me.Then in 2014 when that company health insurance that I busted my behind for to have in retirement will have to be claimed as income by me.I don't have a pension,the buyout money was eaten alive by Mutual Fund Fees and my cleaning business does not make enough still after 6 years due to the economy to bear the tax burden.Once people are taxed on their employer offered health insurance,pay the 1/4% sales tax in California(Jerry Brown's proposition)pay the increases of gasoline,food,necessities and have increased health care costs my business will probably go belly up because people won't be able to afford my service.People need to wake up and look at the big picture.
Agreed that the system is broken, but the reason things are cheaper in other countries is because their doctors don't make as much money as ours do. I am not saying that is good or bad but that does create a lot of issues overall if they make less money. One thing is our doctors pay a lot more for their schooling. Again not saying this is good or bad, just stating a fact. If our doctors make less money, they spend less, etc.... They will buy less expensice houses, cars, etc... The same applies to hospitals having to make less money.
The same thing also applies to drug costs in other countries, we (or our insurance) pay sometimes 300 times more than someone living in a different country for the same exact medication. This is not just due to socialized medicine, it's also due to the fact that any prescription mediciation is not allowed to be directly marketed to the public. I think they can be marketed to doctors, but they are not allowed to put commercials on TV, ads in magazines, etc.... Which cost a LOT of money! And add to our increased cost of these items.
Again, I am well aware that something needs to be done, but also be aware that any massive overhaul will result in decreased profits for dooctors, hospitals, drug makers, advertising firms, TV corporations, Universities, and all those who work there and will have a massive trickel down effect. So as a nation our entire thought process will really need to be altered and we will need to realize the financial impact socilist medicine would have.
We can send billions and billions on space craft, we can spend billions and billions on other countries welfare, maybe now we can spend billions and billions on our own country and our people?
yes by all means lets just throw money at the problems its worked out so well throughout the Mideast.
Sauve-3568661,Yes and it's We The People who pay for it.the government does not have a product or service to sell to generate income.The government has the middle class to fund all of these socialistic programs.We'll see how Americans like the caliber of health care that they are about to receive.There aren't enough doctors or hospitals to care for our population now and it will get worse.You will wait forever to see a Nurse Practitioner because the health care programs will probably not pony up enough money for a real doctor.I'd like everybody to have a home,food on the table,health care when they need it,good paying jobs etc. but that only happens ion a Pollyanna world or when you work to make it happen for yourself without the governments intervention.
I predict that ACA will join Medicare/Social Security as the third rail of politics. Just like a few other countries. Once the reality and not the lies (and scare tactics) of the GOP prevail.
I would have to disagree. The ACA is severely flawed piece of legislation
It does not guarantee health care to anyone. It requires that you purchase health insurance. Health insurance and healthcare are completely different things. You can see the difference here in MA the home of RomneyCare. The MA Connector has approved plans designed by and for the wage retail sector. These plans have many restriction, high co-pays and deductibles. They make it difficult for people with these plans to access healthcare but according to the state they are insured. That is why medical bankruptcy is still a problem in MA.
The ACA is also built around the flawed concept that if people are not faced with financial hardship to obtain healthcare they will overuse it. After all we must prevent those recreational liver transplants and crainiotomies. This philosophy is reflected in the vile "Cadillac tax" that will cause hardship for those with employer provided insurance in high cost of living states. This tax is so bad they put it off until 2018 after Obama leaves office.
The ACA also leaves the insurance industry in charge of healthcare and leaves the industry death panels intact.
Cost controls in the ACA are very weak and depend on things such as managed care (Accountable Care Organizations) and capitation (global payments) that have failed in the past. In addition some of the assumptions made about cost control are such as " pay for performance" and decreased ER usage (didn't happen in MA) are already not living up to expectations. The idea that you can assure quality with cost control by using limited easily gamed indicators is ludicrous.
If the goal is to provide healthcare for American people the ACA will fail and end up being a hugely expensive mess . Single payer is the only way to do it.
One step at a time, Rev. We'll get there.
Which the Republicans weren't about to allow. The ACA is the Republican plan, going all the way back to Bob Dole.
But change had to begin somewhere, and this is where it's begun. Once the benefits of ACA sink in, and people see for themselves that the GOTea's scare tactics are bull$hit, we can move toward single-payer.
You are being unrealistic. Do you think the insurance, pharmaceutical & for-profit hospital industries that got so much out of the ACA and own so many politicians are going to allow changes? We will be stuck with this mess for a very long time or the cost will force repeal and end any chance for real health care reform for decades.
I think this illustrates the true beneficiaries of the ACA. Despite a 300 point drop in the stock market corporate healthcare did great today:
http://buzz.money.cnn.com/2012/11/07/obamacare-stocks-hospitals/?google_editors_picks=true
Perhaps the Republicans will behave like grown-ups and choose positive reform of health care. ACA does need to be reformed--it needs to be made a single-payer system.
Debengr
You are right it will become the third rail. And just as underfunded.
Its a win IF you are on the receiving end. But for the rest of us that have to foot the bill for the welfare and illegals and people to lazy to work and pay their own way, WE what is left of the middle class are the BIG losers.
No one can move forward with out someone having to foot the bill, but, eventually it will level out and we will all live happily ever after with health care, there can be no losers if one retiree can avoid foreclosure because they got sick. Short sightedness is a vote for the corporations!
corporations are not the enemy. That's what's wrong with you liberal supporters. Capitalism is what made America great and you have been taught to think of it and business and corporations as an enemy. Your thought process is upside down. If you bring down the corporations, where does that leave you?
Well at least all the baby killers can rejoice in the fact that other than china america is the greatest murderer of its babies through abortion, and the best part of it is americans who voted for obama will now help pay for these murders. I will go to sleep with the knowledge that as God said in his word , he sets up governments and he destroys governments. America always had a chance as long as it fought against evil, but now that it is readilty excepted evil through genocide and devient homosexual lifestyle it will pay the price. God will not be mocked. The democratic party has openly shouted out against our creator and america will be under Gods judgement. I will never understand nor except homosexuality, it is a disgusting act and against humanity even without the sin factor. I refuse to fall into satans trap of hate towards them, but I will always hate the sin. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven except the refusel to believe in Jesus. I will not ask God to bless america as I believe it is on a certain path to destruction wether from war or natural disasters or chemical or disease I do not know. God said that we are to shake the dust off our feet and to spit on the ground of those who rebel against him, america has rebelled.
No one wants to bring down the corporations! We want them to prosper and make profits! and to stop using our country, as a base to grow while shipping the jobs overseas for cheap labor! If they pay their fair share no one would complain! The foreign corporations need to pay their fair share to! The tax payers built these roads and bridges , air lines, shipping, and communication systems they use to be able to do their business! the tax payers paid for the military to keep us secure, many paying the ultimate price serving their country! We the tax payers pay for education, police, etc. without this the corporations could not exist as they do, in this country today! We need them and they need us! We the tax payers, bailed out the great collapse of our economical system we are coming out of! Give us our money back then talk , every penny! enough said!!!
You were already footing the bill, or did you really think that those who could not afford health care received it for free from hospitals. The cost were passed along to those of us who pay for insurance, now that pool is bigger. I would just as soon have universal health care patterned after Japans, and anti fraud.
Steven100: Sorry about you calling yourself a Christian (if you actually call yourself one). If you define yourself a Christian, then you should read the New Testament and the words spoken and acted upon by Jesus, Mark, Luke, and Matthew in relation to the poor and the stingy rich and what will befall each.
Jerry: It also says to pray for them that have the rule over you!
dale- What in the world do you mean "using our country?" People are not forced into the marketplace. If consumers want to stop making other people rich, people should quit spending so much disposable income on technie gadges, data plans and JuICY jeans that they don't need.
They don't take our money. Most of us are dumb enough to fork it over with glee.
congrats to the victor. Now all you happy liberals out there, in 4 more years I predict a $24 trillion national debt. The dollar will have been devalued to the point of near worthlessness. The economy will continue to limp along and unemployment and underemployment may get much worse because of the reluctance of business owners to invest and grow in the face of taxes and regulations and obamacare. In addition, the dems seem determined to legalize all illegal aliens (so they can be new dem voters), but they will also be competing for your jobs. And in addition, it will be a giant advertisement for more illegals to come in so they too can become US citizens and vote. America, you had a good run, but it's over. Socialism will reign supreme and poverty will grow.
if Willard would of won he might start 2-3 wars with North Korea, Iran and China and all would be unfunded which will go to the debt so in 4 more years I predict a 35 trillion national debt, if the GOP would of taken control of the senate they would be able to repeal the health care reform since the Democrats would of filibust it and they would of needed 60 votes to pass it and that would not happen
Why do you people have such a defeatist attitude. All this doom and gloom helps nobody.
It's time you understood were all in the same boat.
It's time you helped with positive suggestions, instead of hoping for failure.
It's time we worked together, instead of fighting amongst ourselves.
raise the da*m taxes already, and cut out fraud and waste for a start.
Quit wasting money on endless investigations that prove nothing wrong was done.
Stand with the rest of the USA and demand that congress do their job and govern.
Why do lemming's blindly follow there lader off a cliff?
why do sheeple proudly bleat OBBBBAAAAAMMMMA while being led to the slaughter house?
why are libs so gullible?
The world may never know...............
Mourning, IA.Scooter.
Hey, don't mean to interject but did I read that you were going to be tying the knot soon and in my state??? I need some happy news today.
That's naiveté Steve, it's not a Democrat/Republican issue. It doesn't matter who is in office, our so called elected officials do nothing to benefit the American public. Can you name one thing they have done in the last 50 years that actually benefitted the citizens of our country ? It would be the same result and crash course if Romney won. The issues they argue over are talking pints, not the real issues. It's a joke.
GM Chefaz
looking at 12-12- 12.....at .. 12:12 naturaly.....on the beach
( googleing nude beachs as we speak )..........:)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
FYI, it can get a bit nipply down here during the winter months sometimes. I think the snowbirds bring it with them. Keep us posted on your happy plans. Very good news. ☺
will do.
when i am down there i sould be easy enough to spot, my summer tan will be gone by then. the sun should glint off me. like chrome.
truthteller- it's might be gloom-and-doom. The intellectually honest question to ask is if it's true.
If it is, all the optimism in the world won't change it. Reality is not easily bent by fantasy or wishful thinking.
Yea, right. And I suppose that the yen has been devalued to worthlessness because Japan has a 2.4 debt to GDP ratio. The US pays by far and away the most money per citizen for health care in the world. I don't suppose that is caused by the US being the only first world economy without national health care? LOL and what do you think?
By the Border: I don't predict! I do see millions of Americans going without medical insurance! This is not good for the nation! This country, could solve these problems with very little effort by working together! The economic conditions of this country has been building up over many years, and each time we keep kicking it down the road for a better time! If we don't do it this time when will we do it? Another problem we keep bumping up against is the fiscal cliff! We throw some credit at it; or we kick it down the road a little, but never fix the reason for the problem! The congress, the senate, along with the President should fix this cliff problem once and for all; never to be seen or heard from again! I do not want to simply talk about what they do not do so I will say what I think should be done!
Everyone should be required to pay a certain amount of cash on a sliding scale to raise cash money to fix these problems! All corporations, businesses, banks, ins. co., oil co., retail, fast food, etc.! All people making money in our country millionaires, billionaires, even minimum wage earners! When they work out the amounts that we need to pay off the budget deficit, to jump start health care, and to rebuild the infrastructure even if it would mean a temporary VAT tax they should do it as fast as they can! Feel free to revise or change this plan to be a better way to do it! Just think, If a billionaire were to give five or ten million dollars or a millionaire were to give say 20 thousand dollars or people who are worth say five hundred thousand were to give ten thousand etc etc. they could do it w/out any hardship and little inconvenience! The country could raise two or six trillion dollars overnight! This would solve the biggest problems we face and would save billions of dollars in interest and also stimulate the economy! They could give tax breaks stretched out over five or ten years to compensate those who give! Something like this could be done on a smaller scale to, although if they do it big it would solve the problems faster! Also If they were to do it soon they could leave the Bush tax breaks in place for a couple of years or until the remake the tax system! That's my take on this never ending problem!
yes we should work together to fix these easy problems to fix. But, we need honesty, not lies to garnish political gain. The dems pushed healthcare reform to lower the costs and said they wanted input from all sides. they got it, ignored it, and pushed for a government run healthcare system. They never passed a budget (required by law). Harry Reid in the Senate refused to vote on anything that came from the republican held House of Reps, then the dems tell lies about how uncooperative republicans are. It takes two to tango and all dems do is spend money we don't have and blame GW Bush for the debt. Lies lies and more lies.
Obama and the dems added almost 6 trillion to the debt in less that 4 years (from 10.6 to 16.3 trillion) , then lie telling America Bush did it.
Steve-3200687: Our last Recession(?Depression) came from deregulation of the sources of the Recession in the first place just as the Great Depression of the 30s came from similar sources -- Wall Street, America. Do you remember the "Junk Bond" episode? Ditto.
Steve: You seem like a reasonable person! You say Bush left with a 10.6 trillion dollar debt does that figure, include the 1.3 trillion dollar budget deficit? If not it would be 11.9 trillion, and 800,000 jobs being lost in Abama's first month in office! Then you would have to add the two wars and the unpaid for prescription program! Then the cost of the banks collapsing, ins. co. collapsing, the housing markets, the world economies there are so many more things you could consider like the big three motor companies, the many natural disasters, the oil spill on and on! Rethink this a little, and see if you can give the President just a little more credit for bringing us out of a near collapse of the whole worlds economies along with our own! After you do this; then understand he recovered all the TARP money, and managed to reduce the budget deficit a little also!
Steven100, I got news for you big guy, you are already footing the bill for people that can't pay. When a hospital charges people and they don't pay, they pass the cost of covering those people on to the people with insurance coverage. If you force people to have an individual mandate to get coverage, and much much more of the population gets coverage, which initially won't change the cost of anything, it will be dead even, or even slightly more expensive. The tremendous cost savings happen later down the line, when preventative care becomes the norm instead of the exception it is today. It is a thousand times less expensive to treat high blood pressure when it's caught early, then to pay for someone's dialysis from kidney failure, or to give total care to the stroke victim that could never afford to treat or discover that he or she had hypertension in the first place. That's the idea that you can't fit into a sound bite or an easily digestable debate zinger. So it's your choice, make healthcare an individual responsibility with a moderate government subsidy for the less fortunate, or continue to pay exorbitantly increasing healthcare premiums because the richest nation on Earth doesn't seem to value the health of it's citizens.
the problem is the Obamacare bill has many tax increases and regulations that will kill jobs. It has already resulted in higher medical costs and higher insurance costs. It does not live up to the billing. Many businesses are now contemplating staff reductions, converting full time employees to part time and other similar measures. Any small business near the 50 employee limit will think long and hard before hiring that 50th employee. A plan to provide government sponsored care for those that could not afford their own insurance would have been more targeted, much cheaper, and not a job killer. Lastly, are you aware that Muslims are not required to buy health insurance? They have an exemption because of their religion, but I bet they still need healthcare.
Well said.
i disagree my workplace as over 50 people and the owner will hire more people if need be, all employees pays 30 percent of health care and it goes up almost every year and sometimes it doesnt go up at all and he's against the health care reform, i have major health problems but my bills havent been going up, if you dont have any health issues you should stop talking cause you have no clue what you are saying
Steve-3200687: First you and others must realize that Small Businesses often pay only minimum wages, heck, you can also add some Big Businesses to that list like WalMart, McDonald's, Burger King, etc. and these do not offer a Health Care Plan, a Retirement Plan, and not even "sick days". And remember, that very often their employees, are listed as "temporary" employees whether they work a 40 hour week or have lesser hours.
@Steve-3200687: You're also basing your increased cost argument off of talking points. Ancedotally, i can tell you that I've saved money through my health insurance since the enactment of ACA. Moreover, preventative medicine (what the rest of 1st countries and even some 3rd world countries use) is by FAR more cost saving than reactionary medicine. Forcing those who could otherwise afford healthcare to share in their cost instead of spreading around their costs to the rest of us with insurance is a far better plan.
I'm not going to list all of the facts but check this out and see all the savings. (I can't post links but just google "11 Facts about the Affordable Care Act" by the Washington Post) Actually since people are too lazy, here:
1. By 2022, the Congressional Budget Office estimates (pdf) the Affordable Care Act will have extended coverage to 33 million Americans who would otherwise be uninsured. Here’s the graph:
2. Families making less than 133 percent of the poverty line — that’s about $29,000 for a family of four — will be covered through Medicaid. Between 133 percent and 400 percent of the poverty line — $88,000 for a family of four – families will get tax credits on a sliding scale to help pay for private insurance.
3. For families making less than 400 percent of the poverty line, premiums are capped. So, between 150% and 200% of the poverty line, for instance, families won’t have to pay more than 6.3 percent of their income in premiums. Between 300 percent and 400 percent, they won’t have to pay more than 9.5 percent. This calculator from the Kaiser Family Foundation will let you see the subsidies and the caps for different families at different income levels.
4. When the individual mandate is fully phased-in, those who can afford coverage — which is defined as insurance costing less than 8 percent of their annual income — but choose to forgo it will have to pay either $695 or 2.5 percent of the annual income, whichever is greater.
5. Small businesses that have fewer than 10 employees, average wages beneath $25,000, and that provide insurance for their workers will get a 50 percent tax credit on their contribution. The tax credit reaches up to small businesses with up to 50 employees and average wages of $50,000, though it gets smaller as the business get bigger and richer. The credit lasts for two years, though many think Congress will be pressured to extend it, which would raise the long-term cost of the legislation.
6. Insurance companies are not allowed to discriminated based on preexisting conditions. They are allowed to discriminate based “on age (limited to 3 to 1 ratio), premium rating area, family composition, and tobacco use (limited to 1.5. to 1 ratio).”
7. Starting in 2018, the law imposes a 35 percent tax on employer-provided health plans that exceed $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. The idea is a kind of roundabout second-best to capping the tax code’s (currently unlimited) deduction for employer-provided heath insurance. The policy idea is to give employers that much more reason to avoid expensive insurance policies and thus give insurers that much more reason to hold costs down.
8. The law requires insurers to spend between 80 and 85 percent of every premium dollar on medical care (as opposed to administration, advertising, etc). If insurers exceed this threshold, they have to rebate the excess to their customers. This policy is already in effect, and insurers are expected to rebate $1.1 billion this year.
9. The law is expected to spend a bit over $1 trillion in the next 10 years. The law’s spending cuts — many of which fall on Medicare — and tax increases are expected to either save or raise a bit more than that, which is why the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will slightly reduce the deficit. (There’s been some confusion on this point lately, but no, the CBO has not changed its mind about this.) As time goes on, the savings are projected to grow more quickly than the spending, and CBO expects that the law will cut the deficit by around a trillion dollars in its second decade. Here’s its graph, which covers the period between 2012 and 2021:
The ACA's taxes and spending cuts make it a slight deficit reduce in its first decade. (CBO)
10. In recent years, health-care costs have slowed dramatically. Much of this is likely due to the recession. Some of it may just be chance. But there’s also evidence that the law has accelerated changes in the way the medical system delivers care, as providers prepare for the law’s efforts to move from fee-for-service to quality-based payments.
11. The law’s long-term success at controlling costs will likely hinge on its efforts to change the way health care is delivered, most of which have gotten very little attention. They include everything from encouraging Accountable Care Organizations to spreading medical homes to penalizing hospitals with high rates of preventable infections to creating an independent board able to quickly implement new reforms through the Medicare system. A partial list of these efforts can be found here.
It does not cost people more, well maybe super rich people that can easily afford it, but for those of us firmly in the middle class, the savings pile up.
Here's another preventative savings: Affordable Care Act actually adds benefits to Medicare: It increases the preventive care available to seniors by adding an annual wellness visit without co-pay as a new service the program covers.
There's just a few (factual and cited) examples of how ACA saves money for businesses and people (who are distinctly different).
If someone can't afford health insurance, a penalty won't make it more affordable. IF the penalty is "affordable" , you'll end up with a bunch of people with smaller tax refunds but STILL uninsured.
They'll STILL have that heart attack. They'll be forced to pay a penalty. We'll STILL foot the bill.
Problem NOT solved.
Well the American citizen loses. Just like every fantasy of the Democratic Party it sounds nice and is a disaster. I have lived in 2 different countries with socialised (government mandated) and all it means is reduced care for increased cost and new tax to pay for something that the citizen could get better and cheaper if they were not paying the tax.
That's not what I hear from people who live in the nations that have it.
That is what I hear. My friends from other countries talk about how much taxes the govt takes. They tell stories of how the govt dictates (via teachers and counselors) who goes to college and who doesn't. They've also told how their home countries have been scaling back some benefits the past 10-15 years.
40 Years ago there was talk of Government Health Care such as Britain had. I always thought it was a good idea. 40 Years later, with wisdom and life long experiences I have concluded it is not a good idea. If it is good for the GOOSE then it should be good enough for the GANDER. My biggest concern with the Presidency is our National Debt and the future/retirement for my grandchildren and great grandchildren. Money is being given away to GO TO COLLEGE in the name of Loans. It is too easy to buy a car, a home, or receive a Credit Card. Especially the young are about the HERE & NOW, not realizing every penny spent on Interest now is taking away from their RETIREMENT FUTURE.
Gee. I liked only having to pay some of my healthcare premiums. Now our employer is going to drop it like a hot potato and we'll be stuck having to pay it all. No raises to cover it of course. And with the gov't involved it will suck more and somehow cost even more. And we'll be paying higher taxes too. Hope my kids like living at home, they'll be there forever.
Damn liberals!
Keep smoking that grass dude.
Kiru: We cant thank you and your employer enough because they will have to pay the tax that you both were getting out of , because they were buying the medical insurance for their dependant worker who could not afford to go to the market place and buy it for himself without their well fare program set up that was also interfering in the free Enterprise system in the first place making it more expensive for others who did not have corporate daddy to do it for them! Now that's a run on sentences but, it was needed! Also now you can thank those who were man enough to break away from the well fare system their corporate daddy was providing to be free to do these things in the privacy of their own homes!
dale
so why are the unions exempt and able to hold their employers up when they make in most case's double the prevailing wage of the private sector? you know ...the one sector that you libs swear is doing "just fine"
dale- you always seem to miss the point. Even if her companies pays the penalty, she won't have insurance.
Geez, think things through before you respond with something as irrelevant.
Hey?? Did anyone that works for a living get their FREE Healthcare?? My Health Insurance increased so much since NoBamacare that I cannot afford to go to the Doctor after I pay my Health Insurance...Am I going to get my FREE Healthcare?..Or just have to pay increased costs to support the added Gub-mint costs???
As well as the V.A. just got a kick in the teeth.
R.Beachiz,Joint the club.The same thing has happened to me.I will reach Medicare age in 4 years but that in itself will be a joke as the funds were shifted for Obamacare.It's cheaper to go online and consult with a Canadian doctor and get your prescriptions sent from Canada.
Now we are hurtling toward running out of other people's money. Then (as in the "recovery") we'll print more money, and the value of the dollar will get smaller and smaller. Nice.
Duke Of Windsor: That is how we the tax payers feel bailing out the big banks, Now the tax payer will not be dragged down and running out of our money that these so called stand alone financial well fare giants have been grabbing with both hands as fast as they could get their hands on it!
Duke
which will lead to higher prices on gas which in turn will lead to higher prices on everything, yet the uninformed libs will scream "greed and speculators"
Dale
Banks ?....really?....can you say clinton, Franks and Dodd?
Smaller dollar means more jobs as exports would climb. Imports would be more expensive so making it in America would make mores sense.
Dale, I agree about bailing out banks or any other failing business. I pay taxes Dale, but you don't sound like you have experienced that.
Republican heads exploding everywhere.
Good morning Comrade...I am not a Republican anymore, or even a 'Conservative'.
My new Pledge of Allegiance is:
Fellow Comrades, I will do my duty as a Subservient Maggot to the Communist Government of America, and to its leader, The Lord ofthe Flies.
Custom1911; It is almost like the fourth of July as their heads explode, as we celebrate our freedom from their divisive obstructionist ways!
say the same thing when you are paying for obamacare....and your gas is over 5 bucks a gallon by say what? thanksgiving?
R.Beachiz, don't comment spam. Once is enough.
I will be one of the first to admit the the Health Care Act isn't perfect; but it is a start, and you have to start somewhere. Quit complaining and start offering constructive opinions/advice!
I am sorry, but I have not had a chance to read the 2000+ pages...and neither have the Politicians that Shoved this up America's A$$..without the TRANSPARENCY...
However my Insurance almost doubled since it was passed
Dennis
ok hows this for a start;
1. all people must opt in, without exception including unions , faith, and especially politicians who got us in this mess to begin with.
2. lead by example obama, put YOUR family on it.
3. no Illegals period. no matter what the P.C. term for them is this week.
4. employers nust cover "part time" employees
5. remove all "riders" and unassociated add-ons
6. explain how all this is going to be paid for. no new tax's nor borrowing allowed as originally proposed.
7. re establish the cost of peoples insurance to the rates they were before this P.O.S. bill.
8. demand pelosi read the damn thing. ( or in her case have someone read and explain it to her)
hows that for a start? think it will happen?
Obamacare is here and is the law of the law. There is no chance at repeal. But it really needs improvement. I hope the Repubs wise up and offer amendments that can pass the Senate and be accepted by the President. The alternative is to have a bad law just continue and more legal costs.
yes lets by all means get together and hold that pig down while you put lipstick on it.
Bob Ramos,Yes it can be repealed and it should be repealed.It needs to be dissembled and started from scratch.
These are the taxes America voted to keep yesterday--
Flexible Spending Account Cap – aka “Special Needs Kids Tax” ($13 bil/Jan 2013): Imposes cap of $2500 (Indexed to inflation after 2013) on FSAs (now unlimited). . There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.
There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education.
Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers ($20 bil/Jan 2013): Medical device manufacturers employ 360,000 people in 6000 plants across the country. This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax. Exemptions include items retailing for less than $100.
Raise "Haircut" for Medical Itemized Deduction from 7.5% to 10% of AGI ($15.2 bil/Jan 2013): Currently, those facing high medical expenses are allowed a deduction for medical expenses to the extent that those expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). The new provision imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI; it is waived for 65+ taxpayers in 2013-2016 only.
Tax on Indoor Tanning Services ($2.7 billion/July 1, 2010): New 10 percent excise tax on Americans using indoor tanning salons.
Elimination of tax deduction for employer-provided retirement Rx drug coverage in
coordination with Medicare Part D ($4.5 bil/Jan 2013)
Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tax Hike ($0.4 bil/Jan 2010): The special tax deduction in current law for Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies would only be allowed if 85 percent or more of premium revenues are spent on clinical services.
Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals (Min$/immediate): $50,000 per hospital if they fail to meet new"community health assessment needs," "financial assistance," and "billing and collection" rules set by HHS.
Tax on Innovator Drug Companies ($22.2 bil/Jan 2010): $2.3 billion annual tax on the industry imposed relative to share of sales made that year.
Tax on Health Insurers ($60.1 bil/Jan 2014): Annual tax on the industry imposed relative to health insurance premiums collected that year. The stipulation phases in gradually until 2018, and is fully imposed on firms with $50 million in profits.
$500,000 Annual Executive Compensation Limit for Health Insurance Executives ($0.6 bil/Jan 2013)
Employer Reporting of Insurance on W-2 (Min$/Jan 2011): Preamble to taxing health benefits on individual tax returns.
Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting ($17.1 bil/Jan 2012): Requires businesses to send 1099-MISC information tax forms to corporations (currently limited to individuals), a huge compliance burden for small employers
“Black liquor” tax hike (Tax hike of $23.6 billion). This is a tax increase on a type of bio-fuel.
Codification of the “economic substance doctrine” (Tax hike of $4.5 billion). This provision allows the IRS to disallow completely-legal tax deductions and other legal tax-minimizing plans just because the IRS deems that the action lacks “substance” and is merely intended to reduce taxes owed.
Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose all tax increases
Enjoy it, folks.
Also watch for more part-time workers as employers attempt to stay under the 30 hour per week level to avoid providing coverage.
A while back, I had a discussion with a 50 year old who hates President Obama and the Health Care Reform act, along with hatred of all progressive ideas. This fellow said “no way is hell would he let anyone force him to buy health insurance. So, my question to him was if he had a major accident or illness, that lets say cost $100,000 or more, what would he do? His answer, “go to the ER.”
Of course with additional questions of how he would you pay for this, his answer was to pay $20.00 a month. Of course my response was $20.00 a month was not going to satisfy the hospital or ever going to pay the bill. I went on to point out that such as a plan of action on his part flies in the face of what his far right friends believe in, and that he would be considered one of the dead beats he and his far right friends accuse the progressives of doing.
The ACA is good for America. I know the tea baggers don't like it, because they would then have to stop getting medical care for free off of the tax payer dime.
So, we can say any adult who doesn't want health care is not only a fool, but is pretty darn stupid.
Job1
What you fail to realize is that Obamacare is neither free health care nor does it provide health care to people based on the ability to pay.
But you're going to find out and when you do, you're not going to be happy.
An ER in this country can NOT turn anyone away, people know this and use & abuse it. Hospitals get tax credit for writing off bills of people who they deem to not be able to afford it. Hospitals cry all the time baout money they don't have but MILK all of us who have insurance coverage.
This article doesn't mention all of the businesses that will be shutting down and all the job losses!! Small businesses cannot pay for insurance, do you really think they can pay the fines involved, oh I'm sorry the billions of dollars in taxes that are hidden in obamacare!!! You people are fools, obamacare is taxes and death panels, it's already happening to some of our military vets who have come in with life threatening aliments and have been turned down for future care!!
Now that obama is elected the new regulations will bew coming out from the epa. There will be millions of job losses and high increases in utility bills! Gas prices are gonna go thru the roof. You fools that have re-elected this man don't have a clue what you did!!! When your'e paying 6 dollars for a gallon of gas and can't afford to heat or cool your'e house because of the increases in costs and new tax increases you will realize how stupid you really are!!! Good luck with your'e new dictator, maybe you can help him decide what music he wants at the inaugural ball. He can't even do that by himself!!!!
I don't know where you get your news Tim, but the claims you made in this post are totally absurd.
I can't wait to see how the "liberal" middle class feels about Obama's re-election when the reality of the Obamacare tax hits their pocket books
the vast majority of those libs will be taking not giving.
Says the bum from his mommy's basement. Funny how it's the republican states that use the most welfare and food stamps and government handouts. They also seem to have the biggest moron population based on most of the republican statements being made here. Losers being losers.
I want free Ice Cream. That reform is good for my mental health. It would give a lot of Ice Cream Workers jobs, at least for a while until no one made Ice Cream anymore. Demand free Ice Cream America! Otherwise, psychologically speaking, we are not going to be happy or healthy! That's real reform. FORWARD TO FREE ICE CREAM! And, while we are at it, there is a lot more that I want free, a car, a house, cable TV, etc. It's all good for my health and can be just as "free". Oh, can I have some TARP billions to pay my bills?
This story is a joker two reasons;
1. Obamacare requires that our government borrows money to pay for it.
2. Its not based on a persons ability to pay for their health care needs, it based on a "for profits" need to make a profit.
The fact that the full range of it benefits don't mature until 2024 dooms it to failure.
The Medicare fund was already moved over to pick up some of the costs.Next our Social Security will be used to fund welfare.We are heading towards becoming more of s socialistic country than we already are.This healthcare plan was not thought out and is unconstitutional as it requires us to buy a product.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Obamacare mandates are a tax. Obamacare mandates that you buy, there for pay a tax to the "for profit" insurance companies which amount they will determine based on their profit needs.
Does any American really believe that the Constitution permits the Government to give the power to levy taxes to a private entity such as a "for profit" health insurance company?
This is really great news! My health insurance premiums are going up 20% next year, primarily due to Obamacare mandates. Can't wait till next year.
StayCalmPlease,Mine went up with bigger co-pays.Then in 2014 I will have to claim the 60% SBC pays for my coverage as income.The middle class is on the hook for the Affordable Care Act.It's really a sad day to live in a country full of people who lack the common sense to have seen this.I won't be able to afford it any longer or any insurance exchange coverage for that matter.They can fine people all that they want but you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.the only winners in this are the insurance companies.
Only 20% ? Ours jumps nearly 50% for 2013. They only jumped 16% for 2012, but deductibles doubled. So, in effect, it was about 30% or so. I understand that health care is very messed up, but I don't think the ACA is the solution.
The winner is health care reform?
Say hello to fewer full time jobs. More and more will be part time as companies will not be able to afford to offer health insurance.
Are you people that friggin stupid ? wait until you get the bill for it and all the add-ons. then spout that nonsense
reading comprehension problem josh? he and i are in agreement. but then again YOUR idea of an intelligent post is name calling so i would venture to guess that answer is yes.
have a good day sunshine, and lick few windows for me.
IA., started to respond to this one as well but ducked over to check out page two before I posted and I guess post 37 explains a whole lot.
I guess we need post before smoke laws as well as DUI laws. :)
anyone know where the sarcasm key is???
I loved the part in the article that gave an example of a $3,000 outpatient surgery. What would that be, removing a splinter? Have they ever looked at a bill for an outpatient surgery?