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If you don't join or purchase some form of insurance, you are penalized if I understood that correctly. OK, so you're not technically forced into a Gov't entity, but you are penalized if you choose not to do what the government tells you to: Get insurance or else get penalized.
Subsidies will be awarded to those who can't afford it, so it won't be an issue of someone getting penalized because they can't afford it. A major reason why the costs are so astronomical is due to the costs involved in treating those without insurance. That is why this type of mandated is needed, which btw was first introduced by Republicans when Clinton tried to provide healthcare.
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Businesses can currently choose whether or not to provide insurance with no threat of penalty. If my company can't afford it, we don't offer it.
If a business or 50 employees is going to be penalized $750 per employee, that's $37,500 more they are laying out which they wouldn't have been prior to reform. They can cut some jobs, save the money, or cut more jobs and not have to comply with the law if they come in under the cut off.
Going back to what I had written earlier -- companies should not be forced to provide health insurance. It was at one time a fringe benefit which has been twisted into an entitlement. People should be able to buy health insurance individually like auto, homeowners, etc.
Its why Small Business's are exempt, it is also why Business's with profits of less than $250,000 are exempt, and why the $750 per employee figure only kicks in are business's with profits in excess of $400,000. The Business's with those kind of profit margins are not the ones who can't afford it.
Subsidies will be awarded to those who can't afford it, so it won't be an issue of someone getting penalized because they can't afford it. A major reason why the costs are so astronomical is due to the costs involved in treating those without insurance. That is why this type of mandated is needed, which btw was first introduced by Republicans when Clinton tried to provide healthcare.
Major reasons the cost of insurance is so astronomical:
Big pharma going unchecked; why not address the pharmaceutical industry? Who is going to reign in drug costs should health care reform become law? Or are we still going to be paying obscene amounts for drugs?
Malpractice: many lawsuit happy patients will sue a doctor for just about everything, forcing them to practice defensive medicine.
Patients abusing the system. With the advent of HMO's and low copays, people started going to the doctor for a sniffle, whereas years ago when they paid out-of-pocket, they were less apt to go. Someone who might have gone 2X a year suddenly goes 6X
Doctors abusing the system. Their hand was forced when they had to join the HMO, accept their fee schedule or lose their patients to in-network doctors. Suddenly that $75 office visit became a $10 copay and a $40 reimbursement. Doctors needed to make up the $35 somewhere -- an extra EKG here, in house lab testing there. HMOs got wise to that and set up deals with outside labs. The doctor couldn't even get reimbursed for a venipuncture if he were to draw in office and send the specimen out.
What needs to be done, and this is one example of government interference I would support, is for the government to tell the health insurance industry to offer the old 80/20, pay up front health plans in addition to the HMO care. It should tell the insurance company to offer a lower tier catastrophic plan, and also mandate that no one be denied for pre-existing conditions. Start penalizing the greedy insurance companies as opposed to the beleaguered taxpayers.
The government needs to tell the big pharmaceutical companies that they need to reign in costs. Obviously something is wrong if companies like AstraZenaca state in their slick advertising, "If you can not afford your medication...." The Cost of NEXIUM® (esomeprazole magnesium)
Companies advertise to create buzz amongst the pill popping population. Tell them no more advertising, use those millions spent to offset the costs of drugs.
Tort reform needs to be addressed. Even the CBO acknowledged it could save $54 Billion over 10 years.
We can both bandy our reasons about and we're not going to convince each other We agree health care is broken. At least we're on the same step there.
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Its why Small Business's are exempt, it is also why Business's with profits of less than $250,000 are exempt, and why the $750 per employee figure only kicks in are business's with profits in excess of $400,000. The Business's with those kind of profit margins are not the ones who can't afford it.
Small businesses will end up paying one way or another. Whether it be a backdoor payroll tax, a penalty, who knows because the government knows that creative accounting will be practiced at less scrupulous businesses, creating problems for the honest owners.
Businesses should not be made to supply health insurance. It is a benefit, not an entitlement.
I'm calling it a night Smash. It's been great discussing this with you.
I heard the statement and just stood there and shook my head and thought, "Did she actually say that" and I had just listened to it. Such wisdom as speaker of the house. It sounds just about as intelligent as "We have to pass this to do something." No you don't have to pass something! That is like voting for change when you have no idea what the change is. Stupid people do stupid things and here we go again. Somebody please us your brains for a change. Get rid of these dumb democrats.
Major reasons the cost of insurance is so astronomical:
Big pharma going unchecked; why not address the pharmaceutical industry? Who is going to reign in drug costs should health care reform become law? Or are we still going to be paying obscene amounts for drugs?
Malpractice: many lawsuit happy patients will sue a doctor for just about everything, forcing them to practice defensive medicine.
Patients abusing the system. With the advent of HMO's and low copays, people started going to the doctor for a sniffle, whereas years ago when they paid out-of-pocket, they were less apt to go. Someone who might have gone 2X a year suddenly goes 6X
Doctors abusing the system. Their hand was forced when they had to join the HMO, accept their fee schedule or lose their patients to in-network doctors. Suddenly that $75 office visit became a $10 copay and a $40 reimbursement. Doctors needed to make up the $35 somewhere -- an extra EKG here, in house lab testing there. HMOs got wise to that and set up deals with outside labs. The doctor couldn't even get reimbursed for a venipuncture if he were to draw in office and send the specimen out.
What needs to be done, and this is one example of government interference I would support, is for the government to tell the health insurance industry to offer the old 80/20, pay up front health plans in addition to the HMO care. It should tell the insurance company to offer a lower tier catastrophic plan, and also mandate that no one be denied for pre-existing conditions. Start penalizing the greedy insurance companies as opposed to the beleaguered taxpayers.
The government needs to tell the big pharmaceutical companies that they need to reign in costs. Obviously something is wrong if companies like AstraZenaca state in their slick advertising, "If you can not afford your medication...." The Cost of NEXIUM® (esomeprazole magnesium)
Companies advertise to create buzz amongst the pill popping population. Tell them no more advertising, use those millions spent to offset the costs of drugs.
Tort reform needs to be addressed. Even the CBO acknowledged it could save $54 Billion over 10 years.
We can both bandy our reasons about and we're not going to convince each other We agree health care is broken. At least we're on the same step there.
I do agree big Pharma needs to be reigned in more, no question about that. However, the cost of the Insured is something that can't be ignored. Every day you have those who are insured going to ER & Hospital racking up thousands, tens of thousands and is some cases costs in excess of $100,000. This happens every single day
I know you are from LI also, so used a local example, article is from last year detailing some of the write offs hospitals had in 08, early 09. Due to service provided to the uninsured Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center wrote off $10.3 million in 2008, South Nassau Community wrote off $7.7 million in the 1st quarter of 09. North Shore-LIJ wrote off $53 million in 2008.
Those are just three examples, include all of the other Hospitals, ER's etc here on LI and the cots are much higher than that. Who do you think pays for all of these write offs? We all do, whether it be through the Hospital increasing what they charge Insurance companies which in turn increase our rates or bailouts that go to the Hospitals, from our tax $$$.
As far as Malpractice/ Tort Reform. I do agree its something that should be looked at. However, we need to do more at stopping people of taking advantage of the system and filling bogus claims. Having a cap on all claims, including legit ones, is not going to solve the problem of bogus claims. Also that very same CBO analysis has said the Tort Reform which has been proposed will save anywhere fro 1/2 of 1% to a max of 2 or 3%. So someone who is paying $1,000 a month on insurance, will at best get that down to $970 a month.
Quote:
Small businesses will end up paying one way or another. Whether it be a backdoor payroll tax, a penalty, who knows because the government knows that creative accounting will be practiced at less scrupulous businesses, creating problems for the honest owners.
Businesses should not be made to supply health insurance. It is a benefit, not an entitlement.
I'm calling it a night Smash. It's been great discussing this with you.
Saying small Businesses will wind up paying for it regardless just doesn't jive with the language, because is pretty clear on the income levels and size requirements before it becomes mandatory.
Anyway, been a pleasure to discuss it with you. Even though we disagree on some of it, we can actually have intelligent and respectful discourse, which as you can tell by a quick look around this board is something severely lacking on here.
I heard the statement and just stood there and shook my head and thought, "Did she actually say that" and I had just listened to it. Such wisdom as speaker of the house. It sounds just about as intelligent as "We have to pass this to do something." No you don't have to pass something! That is like voting for change when you have no idea what the change is. Stupid people do stupid things and here we go again. Somebody please us your brains for a change. Get rid of these dumb democrats.
Pelosi will do all she can to get it passed. If pole-vaulting and parachuting won't work, she'll use more convincing methods. Pelosi controls every aspect of a House member's career. She can turn on and off the spigot of money to his campaign, move the member's office to the broom closet in the basement, cut back on his staff and travel allowances, move him to the DC and Post Office Committees and bring mayhem to his official life. Basically, that's harrassment that interferes with his work and his focus, and causes him to be ineffective just because he wants to stick to HIS principles.
WHY is one person permitted such power over the peoples' representatives in the House? Doesn't that sort of coercion (to achieve by force or threat) cancel out true representation? That's truly evil manipulation.
Maybe Pelosi should be barraged with phone calls and mail in addition to all the legislators!
I do agree big Pharma needs to be reigned in more, no question about that. However, the cost of the Insured is something that can't be ignored. Every day you have those who are insured going to ER & Hospital racking up thousands, tens of thousands and is some cases costs in excess of $100,000. This happens every single day
I know you are from LI also, so used a local example, article is from last year detailing some of the write offs hospitals had in 08, early 09. Due to service provided to the uninsured Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center wrote off $10.3 million in 2008, South Nassau Community wrote off $7.7 million in the 1st quarter of 09. North Shore-LIJ wrote off $53 million in 2008.
Those are just three examples, include all of the other Hospitals, ER's etc here on LI and the cots are much higher than that. Who do you think pays for all of these write offs? We all do, whether it be through the Hospital increasing what they charge Insurance companies which in turn increase our rates or bailouts that go to the Hospitals, from our tax $$$.
As far as Malpractice/ Tort Reform. I do agree its something that should be looked at. However, we need to do more at stopping people of taking advantage of the system and filling bogus claims. Having a cap on all claims, including legit ones, is not going to solve the problem of bogus claims. Also that very same CBO analysis has said the Tort Reform which has been proposed will save anywhere fro 1/2 of 1% to a max of 2 or 3%. So someone who is paying $1,000 a month on insurance, will at best get that down to $970 a month.
Saying small Businesses will wind up paying for it regardless just doesn't jive with the language, because is pretty clear on the income levels and size requirements before it becomes mandatory.
Anyway, been a pleasure to discuss it with you. Even though we disagree on some of it, we can actually have intelligent and respectful discourse, which as you can tell by a quick look around this board is something severely lacking on here.
The link between employment and healthcare needs to be severed, since that structure has never crimped the relentless rise in healthcare expenses and premiums, and it never will.
Is there a permanent vacation coming up anytime soon for this Women. The writing is on the wall, can you people not see what they are all about. Man some of you don't smell the coffee.
The whole lot of them this administration, is such a complete and utter farce, you have to see thru them.
Pass the bill, does Pelosi even know all the ramifications of this bill, she is trying to brainwash us with, or just a Pass the Bill, and most of us stupid citizens as she probably thinks, will just follow her advice. I cannot even look at this woman when she speaks, that is how she affects me. I wish her vacation for ever more would start now.
It is like they speak, and us wittle people are suppose to just listen, follow their advice now, pass the bill, they told us too. Wake up.
All I know is today I got a big refund from my individual policy with a letter saying that each year they re-evaluate costs and premiums so here is a refund. Obama's new health care plan has insurance companies pay 80% of premiums collected must be used for acutal health care. Last year my premiums went down for the first time in years. My children are allowed to stay on my policy while still going to college. So far Obama care is working for me.
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We agree health care is broken. At least we're on the same step there.
