Sunday, November 8, 2009

The coming health care disaster

Last night the Dems passed the House version of Obama Care by a slim 220-215 margin. Just one Republican voted for the bill (Joseph Lao from Louisiana); a surprising 39 Dems voted against the bill.

I'm shocked and dismayed right now. Not only is this vote a leap toward a Welfare State, it will damage the health care you now get.

Let me say it again: the Dem plan is going to degrade the America's health care system. Here is what you can look forward to if the Dem plan is implemented:
  • longer waiting times to see a doctor;
  • one by one, private insurance companies will go out of business, dumping more and more Americans into the crappy federal program;
  • a wave of doctors will get out of the health care business altogether;
  • certain procedures will be rationed;
  • cuts to Medicare;
  • federal deficits will soar higher than the eye can see;
  • misery all around.

And you can add one more important loss to the list: research and development in life-saving drugs and procedures will dry up.

One consolation right now comes via Gay Patriot: last night's vote will increase the GOP's gains in 2010.
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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Drudge: SNEAKY PELOSI: PASSED ON A SATURDAY NIGHT

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry.

Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.

Anonymous said...

Health plan adds billions in fees, taxes (NY Post)

President Obama says his health-care overhaul -- which squeaked through the House last night -- won't hurt a bit, but taxpayers are going to feel it in their wallet.

The $1.2 trillion plan, which passed by a razor-thin 220 to 215, imposes new tax surcharges on Americans who fail to buy insurance as well as businesses that don't provide coverage to their employees.

One Republican joined 219 Democrats in voting for the measure in the super-tight vote -- just barely more than the 218 members required to pass it.

The legislation, which features a government-run insurance option for people who don't get insurance through work, expands coverage to almost all people under the age of 65 and bans insurance companies from dropping customers because of a pre-existing condition.

Anonymous said...

CBO: New House Health Bill Spending Estimate, $3 Trillion over 10 Years (22% of GDP)(Redstate)

Senator Gregg stated, “The CBO estimate released last night finally sheds light on the smoke and mirrors game the majority has been playing with the cost of their health care reform proposal.

Over the first 10 years, this legislation builds in gross new spending of $1.7 trillion – and most of the new spending doesn’t even start until 2014.

Once that spending is fully phased in, the House Democratic bill rings up at more than $3 trillion over ten years.

“Additionally, this bill cuts critical Medicare and Medicaid funding by $628 billion, accounts for nearly $1.2 trillion in tax and fee increases and will explode the scope of government by putting the nation’s health care system in the hands of Washington bureaucrats.

The $3 trillion price tag defies common sense – we simply cannot add all this new spending to the government rolls and claim to control the deficit.

“If we continue to pile more and more debt on the next generation, they will never be able to get out from under it. The health care system needs reform, but this massive expansion of government, financed by our children and grandchildren, is the wrong way to proceed.”

Anonymous said...

MoveOn Threatens to Push Primary Opponents to Dems Voting Against Health Plan (Fox News)

A civil war is threatening to erupt within the Democratic Party as liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org looks to punish moderate Democrats opposed to the sweeping health care overhaul proposed by party leaders.

MoveOn has reportedly raised more than $3.5 million in contributions to fund primary challenges against "any Democratic senator who blocks an up-or-down vote on health care reform with a public option," according to an e-mail sent to group members on Thursday.

The e-mail warned that any Democratic House member who joins Republicans to filibuster the health care reform measure will "face an enormous backlash from the grassroots."

The group also highlights a letter from Democracy for America, the nation's largest progressive political action founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, which urges Senate Democrats to strip committee chairmanship from "any Democrat who filibusters health care."

Anonymous said...

Confirmed : Buy insurance or go to jail

A Michigan congressman has released a report from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation confirming that the House Democrats' health-care bill could impose penalties of up to $250,000 in fines and five years in jail for failing to buy the proper insurance coverage.

"This is the ultimate example of the Democrats' command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail," said U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich.

"It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately," he said today.

The letter of confirmation from the Joint Committee on Taxation was signed by Chief of Staff Thomas Barthold. His analysis confirmed individuals who fail to follow the rules actually could be penalized both with civil and criminal punishments.

"The Code provides for both civil and criminal penalties to ensure complete and accurate reporting of tax liability and to discourage fraudulent attempts to defeat or evade tax," Barthold's letter said. "Civil and criminal penalties are applied separately.

Anonymous said...

What the Pelosi Health-Care Bill Really Says (It's worse than you think alert) WSJ

The health bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bringing to a vote (H.R. 3962) is 1,990 pages. Here are some of the details you need to know.

What the government will require you to do:

•Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or benefit.

•Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that 18months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it.

That's like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.

On Nov. 2, the Congressional Budget Office estimated what the plans will likely cost. An individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300premium and an estimated $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, for a total of $7,300 a year, which is 17% of his pre-tax income.

A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus an estimated $5,300 out-of-pocket, for a $20,300total, or 20% of its pre-tax income.

Individuals and families earning less than these amounts will be eligible for subsidies paid directly to their insurer.

Anonymous said...

Wow. A democrat lied to get elected. The sun rose in the east, today, too. And ice is cold.

Things I never thought possible Owens Breaks 4 Campaign Promises in first hour in Congress (GOUVERNEUR TIMES)

Congressman-elect Bill Owens was sworn in at noon today.

Owens indicated in a press release that he was now in favor of the bill in direct contrast to his earlier position during his campaign.

According to Politico.com, Mr. Owens assured voters that he felt the public option had no place in the health care reform bill.

Contrary to that position, Mr. Owens now indicates that he intends to vote in favor of the bill even though it now contains a public option.

Mr. Owens also indicated during his campaign that he was firmly opposed to cutting Medicare benefits, taxing health care benefits, and increased taxes on the middle class in any way as you can see clearly in the screenshot below, taken directly from Mr. Owens' campaign website.

The House Health reform bill contains sections that cut Medicare benefits, tax existing health care benefits, and increases taxes on the middle class, yet Mr. Owens stated today that he will now vote in favor of those things contrary to what he had promised the voters of NY's 23rd Congressional District that he would vote against.

Mr. Owens indicated in his press release today that "This legislation will reform the insurance industry and provide increased access to affordable healthcare without taxing healthcare benefits, cutting Medicare benefits or raising taxes on the middle class, and that is exactly the direction we need to go."

When The Gouverneur Times attempted to contact Mr. Owens to clarify this information, we received no direct response to our phone or email inquiries.

Both FactCheck.org and the Congressional Budget Office agree that HR 3962 contains potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in planned cuts to Medicare, yet Mr. Owens indicates that he supports this legislation and says that it does not cut Medicare benefits.

Anonymous said...

The Senate version will delete plenty of the ridiculous House add-ons. If it passed the Senate, those who voted for it will pay dearly in the next election.

Anonymous said...

ObamaCare: A Bad Deal for Young Adults (Rates double for 18-29 group) CATO

One of the most interesting questions about the health care overhaul now moving through Congress is how it would affect young adults.

That legislation would force most or all Americans to purchase health insurance (an "individual mandate") and would impose price controls on health insurance ("community rating") that would limit insurers' ability to offer lower premiums to low-risk enrollees.

Those provisions would drive premiums down for 55-year-olds but would drive them up for 25-year-olds—who are then implicitly subsidizing older adults.

According to the Urban Institute, many young people could see their premiums double, whereas premiums for older adults could be cut in half.

Anonymous said...

As soon as conservatives regain control of the Senate and House (and it won't ne long now), whatever fiasco is finally approved and signed will be blown out by the next prez.

Anonymous said...

Woot!

Once the health bill passes, Americans will never give it up. Democrats passed Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which we regard as birthrights.

Voters will always remember that Republicans opposed this.

Anonymous said...

11:04 is absolutely right. Once one of these entitlement programs is created people begin to depend on them and that makes them dependent on the government and that makes them dependent on democrats.

That is the whole issue here. It is not about medical care for granny, it is about political power for democrats. Plain and simple. Power to the government.

People are willing to trade their freedom and individuality for a flu shot.

paweinberger said...

The Republican plan which cost far less basically didn't even consider the people without health care coverage. Doing nothing means health care costs us even more. All this is simply scare tactics by the Republicans who are getting even more out of touch with mainstream America. By the time this gets through the Senate, compromises will be made, so all Americans will have some sort of coverage. Obama is simply doing what he said when the people of this country elected him as President.

Anonymous said...

Cool! Nancy cares so much about the uninsured that if they don't get insurance she is going to stick their asses in jail. Gotta love Ms. Compassion and Constitutionality.

Yeah.. make those 20 somethings pay for the 50 somethings and then pass the rest on to their children and children's children.

Love it.

A country of freeloaders sucking the life out of future generations all in the name of "fairness".

Anonymous said...

Hee hee hee

Anonymous said...

Only problem is, the AMA -- as in, doctors -- disagrees with you.

And the latest breakthrough in breast cancer research? It came from Canada.