March 22, 2010, - 11:58 am

The ObamaCare Fiasco: Americans Are Ned Beatty in Healthcare “Deliverance”

By Debbie Schlussel

As you know by now, yesterday the ObamaCare formula for nationalizing healthcare passed–making us no different than Canada, the UK, and most other flailing Western democracies from which excellent doctors have fled.  It will ruin our already dying economy, irreparably.  If you like the current levels of job loss, you’ll love the enactment of this bill.  Today, it’s the set of “Deliverance,” and all of America is Ned Beatty.

pelosiobamacare

Today, All of America is Ned Beatty in “Deliverance”

But all is not lost.  There is a “sidecar bill” of amendments that the House passed along with the actual bill.  Hopefully, many of the provisions in the House bill may be challenged and struck down in the Senate.  Unfortunately, that is set for a railroading, too, with the Senate setting “reconciliation” rules requiring only 50 votes for passage.  We’ll see what happens.  Even if there are some things that get struck down, though, it’s a disaster.  We can only hope that enough is struck down that much of the teeth of the legislation are removed.  That’s not likely.

The best hope is that the states will fight it (under the bill, Michigan, for example, has about $700 million in unfunded mandates, which it cannot afford to fund) or that it can be repealed with a new Congress in 2011.  You can’t be demoralized.  You have to look to the next battle in the war, just as I said conservatives should look to the next battle after Barack Obama won the Presidency and Democrats dominated House and Senate contests.

It might look like it’s over, but it’s not over.  Rosie O’Donnell has yet to sing.

That said, there are a couple of good pieces in the Wall Street Journal on this.  First, there’s the editorial, “The Doctors of the House,” which called the passage of this legislation, “a landmark of liberal governance whose price will be steep.”

The Journal notes an important fact, which I hope tea party activists and others will take to heart as they prepare to vote for big, fat-cat lobbyists–like Michigan Republican Congressional candidate Paul Welday–parading as conservatives:

We also can’t mark this day without noting that it couldn’t have happened without the complicity of America’s biggest health-care lobbies, including Big Pharma, the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, the Business Roundtable and such individual companies as Wal-Mart. They hope to get more customers, or to reduce their own costs, but in the end they have merely made themselves more vulnerable to the gilded clutches of the political class.

While the passage of ObamaCare marks a liberal triumph, its impact will play out over many years. We fought this bill so vigorously because we have studied government health care in other countries, and the results include much higher taxes, slower economic growth and worse medical care. As for the politics, the first verdict arrives in November.

And then, there is Kimberley Strassel’s column recounting how this cold cut loaf was produced, “Inside the Pelosi Sausage Factory.”  She writes about how Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak easily sold his anti-abortion soul for a “toothless executive order.”  But that’s no surprise.  Those of us who have followed his career have already noted that this guy is merely a sell-out who plays up certain things to get what he wants.  The same happened when he used the deliberate plane crash into a building by  an American Arab boy just after 9/11 (which included a note that he was doing this for Bin Laden), to harangue the pharmaceutical company which produced Accutane, the acne medicine.

Although I’m pro-life, to me it’s a far bigger issue that people who are old, infirm, and have, say, cancer, will be cut off under this legislation.  The rationing in this bill is more anti-life than anything regarding abortion.  And yet he went for it, as did others who claimed to be pro-life.

And then there are the great but sadly demoralized comments by readers.  Who can blame them for these, as they capture the moment, the great nadir?

Reader Sean:

I hope the states hurry up and challenge this health care bill. If the administration keeps up with this agenda, the President’s words will be prescient. We WILL be just one nation among many, with nothing exceptional about us.

Reader Joe:

Hello Debbie,

What have we done? Dear G-d , what have we done?

Do our collective voices count at all anymore?

When will we as a country take back control of the cesspool aka congress?

Life was to be protected “from the womb to the tomb”. Not taken care of, protected!

Who sold their souls and for how much during this entire process?

I am not sure who said this but these are words I try to live my life by. ’If we don’t stand for something we will fall for anything”

My poor unborn grandchildren what have we done.

May our Lord bless you and pray he shows additional mercy towards America.

He will always be our only hope and salvation.

I am very sad at our country and what the House did over the weekend.

Joe H




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80 Responses

The prophecy at the end of Avatar just came true.
“Go back to your dying world”.
i.e your dying economy,dying commerce, dying prosperity and dying freedoms, voted away by brain dead “residents” who want to live at the expense of somebody else…

Who cares? on March 22, 2010 at 12:10 pm

In what way are these other nations failing? Or should they be like us where families lose all their money paying for cancer treatments because the insurance company said they won’t pay for it due to a pre exisiting condition?

N: I wrote fLailing, but they’re failing, too. The problem is that families will be told their cancer treatments must stop b/c we have to ration care. DS

Nak on March 22, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    In what way are they failing? Are you stupid or just blind? 1 THEY ARE BROKE 2 They have lost all idea of who they are with the formng of the European Union WHICH IS FAILING BECAUSE SOCIAL PROGRAMS HAVE BROKE THE ECONOMY OF THESE NATIONS.
    God I am so tired of you blind, idiotic fools who are such failures in life. You have kids you cant afford, you have homes cant afford, but you sure as sh*t have money for beer, cigarettes, big screen tvs with every cable channel possible, and $5000 stereos and 30 inch rims on your $500 cars.
    You know you will never amount to anything and you cant stand that others have. you figure you have some “right” to what others have earned. I did not get you sick, so why should I pay for your treatment? I don’t see you offering to pay the car insurance on my Viper, or offering to pay the vet bills for my animals.
    You ant someone to pay for your health care, your college, your food, your rent, and everything else. There is one other group of people who expect this to be done for them.. KIDS! Kids expect this, kids expect to come home and find food on the table, gas in the car, and acne cream in the medicine cabinet. ADULTS pay their way. Adults do without what they cant afford, Adults do not spend money they do not have then bit*c that they are broke.
    Grow up Make something of yourself and stop expecting everything to be handed to you because one day it will all backfire.

    martin fee on March 23, 2010 at 8:11 am

Nothing exceptional? Face it, “America” has been going down a tube of mediocrity for decades. We *need* health care reform, but of course I have mixed feelings about how this piece of legislation was crafted. Preserving the status quo of denying benefits, making Big Pharma and Big Insurance continually richer while offering the folks who need the care nothing competitive is nothing “exceptional” either. We needed change, just unsure if this is the change it should be.

Mike on March 22, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    It’s been shown that”Big Pharma” and “Big Insurance” will PROFIT $336 BILLION over the next 10 years BECAUSE of this bill.

    Ask yourself this:
    Why haven’t you seen either of those entities speaking out against this bill and actually promote it?

    My 77 year old father drives a school bus so that him and my mom can have insurance.Between that and Medicare,the cost of his cancer medication is covered.
    His doctor told him that if this bill passes,the insurance co.and medicare won’t cover the medication because it’s too costly.
    This is how the insurance companies will make out like bandits,they’ll only have to cover the cheap treatments where the markups are the greatest.

    ebayer on March 22, 2010 at 1:26 pm

BTW you could just take the Rush Limbaugh approach and leave the country as he promised to do if the bill passed.

Nak on March 22, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Nak, you get NOTHING right! Rush Limbaugh didn’t say he would leave the country to LIVE, he said he’d travel to Costa Rica to get health care. Bet you can’t afford to.

    Then again, you still don’t think that care will be rationed. That tells me you’re a dopey Libtard who has no idea what was passed last evo, have no idea what this will do to freedom and liberty and to economic growth and you just like to feel good when you know eff-all about the matter at hand.

    So there are 300 Million Americans. But that travesty that was past last evo was to assist 32 Million Americans get insured…20 Million of them are ILLEGAL ALIENS…at a cost of $900 BILLION over 10 years. Fuzzy math for the fuzzy dust bunnies in your empty Libtard brain. (I won’t even mention the supposed $138 BILLION in savings for the same ten years).

    BozObama was even asked on the campaign trail about how his health care dreams would assist an elderly woman who needed a pacemaker. He said he was more interested in giving her a painkiller (FOR AN ARRHYTHMIA!).

    The truth is out there for those who can handle it. Kinda too late now. Ignorance is bliss.

    Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 12:38 pm

“So this is how liberty dies…to thunderous applause”.

The late, great America died yesterday. What a bloody shame. Peeps have NO BLOODY IDEA what a bleak economic future america is going to have. They bought the Obama lie and even with a year of seeing the wall of deception around him, they still have no idea.

On to Tiger Woods and Sandra Bullocks disgusting hubby. Here come the bread and circuses! What a sad day. I’m gutted.

Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 12:24 pm

Debbie, the real import of Obamacare as Mark Steyn noted – isn’t the cost. Its the state’s annexation of your body and trampling on your personal freedom. That would still make it wrong on principle, even if it was affordable. And Obamacare for the Left, is simply a way station to single payer national health care, all government-controlled. The reason the Democrats passed the bill last night despite the opposition of 75% of the country is because they could and because they are secure in the knowledge a new entitlement, once enacted into law, will never be repealed. I’d love to be proven wrong on the second point.

Its not a good day for America.

NormanF on March 22, 2010 at 12:27 pm

think of all those pink collar jobs we just killed. about one sixth of the economy and the one sector that was growing. I’m sure we can expect a bill that will train female nurses to work construction jobs on highways.

trillion debt a year is a conservative estimate. we are already 11 trillion in debt and Obama is at the helm for 6 to 7 trillion of it.

Noah David Simon on March 22, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    Too right Noah. Perhaps they have a chance working for the 159 NEW GOVERNMENT AGENCIES that will pop up to regulate insurance and medical care. SARC.

    The public sector is dying and Government is growing. And we are just about bankrupt. Greece is whinging to Germany to save their broke arses…who will be our Germany (and Germany wants Greece to sod off!)?

    Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 12:44 pm

‘all their money paying for cancer treatments’

at least they were able to get treatment. In the UK if you are old and have cancer they will most likely send you home to die with pain killers, no treatment because of the rationing. and please don’t say “Thats not true”, you try sitting there and watching an aunt die slowly and painfully for eight months with no treatment as the government decided she was not important enough to live.

This is why people who can afford it in those countries come here for treatment. The treatment is not available or the doctor skill is not up to par so they come here. Not for much longer as this becomes law.

Next we will have amnesty so that hey can get 20 million more voters trading their vote for a greencard. Then they will slam cap and trade on our heads and then America will be finished, we will officially have by our own hand reduced ourselves to a third world country.

They didn’t listen to us on healthcare with over 70% of the people against it. They will do whatever they want and get whatever they want. Getting rid of the ones who did this will be easy. The hard part will be finding true conservatives to take their place. Many will campaign as a conservative for the win and then reveal the lie when in office.

Of course the MSM will be completely unreliable in sorting out who is worthy as they are bought and paid for by The Won. Even fox can’t be trusted, so research your choices as best you can before casting that vote.
viva la revolution.

ender on March 22, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    That is the key to it all. In order to meet their budgets, whether you are in the NHS or various schemes on the Continent, services must be restricted formally or informally. If you are from the U.K., you should tell our audience how kidney dialysis is handled over there.

    Worry01 on March 22, 2010 at 1:05 pm

The last 40 years of medicine will be looked upon as a golden age of medicine with unprecedented advances in radiology, pharmaceuticals, and surger. We are now entering the dark ages
with the government turning the delivery of medical care into a giant “big box” post office. Inovation and accomplishment are a thing of the past being replaced by obedience and
mediocrity.
For those seeking better care there is no place on the earth that rivals the Cleveland Clinic or (for your sake) the University of Michigan Hospital. We will have to grin and bear it.

Tim on March 22, 2010 at 12:33 pm

Great analogy Debbie! A friend of mine likened this more to date rape, as all the cojoling, promises, wooing failed to work, so they rammed it in…er…through…anyway. 🙂

Don’t know if this is the best week to go after Hannity, but I’m looking forward to your next post on that topic. It takes guts to take on a conservative fixture like Sean, and I have to tell you that I’m praying you are wrong. I’m afraid you aren’t, though.

Added you to my blogroll over at LJiC. Working out a few details with the current owner of libertyjustincase.com. Hopefully I’ll be moving to that URL soon.

Mark on March 22, 2010 at 12:36 pm

I always see irony in these situations. Libs are notorious for living unhealthy lifestyles that demand more care, especially later in life. Three extremely obese guys at work were all for the obamacare bill. Their ignorance of facts was maddening to argue. It will be fitting when they are cut off when they really need some dialysis and are told, uh, that crackhead over there in the corner is 25 years old and gets higher priority for the machine than you do.

Joe on March 22, 2010 at 12:50 pm

You lie, Debbie. The bill does not ration or cut off funding for anyone. Indeed page 23 line 7-9 says “there may not be annual or lifetime limits “ Please point out specifically where in the bill it states that heath-care will be rationed and/or people will be cut off.

The fact is that this bill removes the lifetime limit that insurance companies have. I have a very good friend who suffers from a rare heart condition, her healthcare bills are nuts, a device that she needs for her heart alone costs 200k (about 7 times as much as her annual salary), her insurance company only covers her for a million dollars after that she’s on her on her own. This bill would help her as insurance companies can no longer deny her coverage after she hits the million dollar cap. She’ll be able to change jobs and have the piece of mind that no insurance company is gonna refuse to cover her based on her pre-existing conditions. If you are against this bill you are just telling people like her “too bad, should have been richer, please roll over and die or go bankrupt trying to stay alive”.

I’m in Canada right now for personal business but once I get back to the US next month I will have health insurance once again as I’ll be covered under my parent’s insurance for atleast a couple more years all thanks to this bill which allows people to stay on their parent’s insurance till they are 26. I’m proud of the president and the house democrats. A new age of social justice has begun in America.

Kayle Igelstrom on March 22, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    The weakness in your argument is the fact that your friend WOULDN’T be ALLOWED to have that $200K device in the first place under this new bill.

    It’s not cost effective.

    You seem to think there’s going to be this benevolent system of health care that resembles what we have now only larger and open to more people.

    The reality of what’s going to happen is that the health care industry is going to shrink and government bureaucrats and the IRS will be making the health care decisions for you and your family.

    WAKE UP

    ebayer on March 22, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    Do you think it’s right for the government to force an insurance company to insure your house against loss from a fire, AFTER THE YOUR HOUSE IS ALREADY ON FIRE?

    How is forcing the insurance company to insure people who are already terminal, any different than the above house on fire example? How long do you think it will take before all insurance companies go out of business because they are forced to give you fire insurance after your home is already burning? Wake up!

    Who cares? on March 22, 2010 at 1:56 pm

    @ Kyle. Another proud parasitic libtard. Parents policy?lol Lemme guess, in their basement and talking on a cell phone with unlimited texting and talking minutes? Typical scumbag. Can’t wait until a drunk hits you or your family and somebody needs extensive tests for nerve damage to the spinal cord, etc. Ooops not enough specialists. Enjoy your wait while you are whithering away in a bed neglected by gov’t funded health care staff.

    Joe on March 22, 2010 at 3:46 pm

    Kayle, what you fail to realize is that the span of your “lifetime” is in their hands and if you become a “burden,’ you WILL get lifetime coverage but it won’t last too long.

    mk750 on March 22, 2010 at 4:57 pm

Kayle – You have the attitude I’d expect from someone who is young and still dependant on mom and dad for financial support (at least for HealthCare, but I imagine for other stuff too …) When you get out in the REAL WORLD and have to earn your own keep and pay taxes you will feel very differently about wasteful government programs.

As for your friend, I’m sorry for her plight. But to have someone getting so much back from the insurance system (in treatment) while putting very little in (you mentioned she makes only about 28K) will never be sustainable. The result will be less coverage for everyone when the insurer goes out of business.

Imagine a car insurer who doesn’t charge more for DUI, at fault accidents, and the like. You could be the biggest liability and cost the company thousands, but still only pay the same as the good drivers.

What is to stop people now from NOT PAYING INTO THE SYSTEM while healthy, and then getting coverage only when they have a big expense??? If your answer is Obama’s “fee/fine” you’re a moron, because the ONE TIME fee will still be much, much lower than paying premiums for years.

Dont Tread On Me on March 22, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    – Atleast you are honest in saying that people like my friend should just die or go bankrupt. Some pro-lifer you are. One of the reason my friend only makes around 30k is because she can’t switch jobs, she has had the condition for a while and in the mean time has had chances to move to a better paying job but she can’t because if that happens the insurance company at the new employer is not going to accept her since she has a “pre-existing condition”. I can’t believe you are actually defending the insurance companies. Why are you so worried about the insurance companies? They have record profits. They treat their customers like crap. I thank the president for putting a leash on them

    Kayle Igelstrom on March 22, 2010 at 1:30 pm

Kayle, i guess you just decided to now let the IRS and the Private Federal Reserve run our health care! YOU ARE SO FOOLISH TO BELIEVE THE LIES OF THIS PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS AS THEY MAKE THE PAYOFF TO THE ROTHSCHILD FAMILY, PRIVATE OFFSHORE BANKERS, THE MEGA PHARMA COMPANIES LIKE PFEIZER AND AMERIGROUP CORPORATION…WHO BENEFIT FROM THIS!

Bob Porrazzo on March 22, 2010 at 1:09 pm

Kayle, awesome you’ll be still covered on Mommy & Daddy’s plan because you sure are a CHILD.

Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 1:10 pm

And does this give people free healthcare…NO! It gives people VERY POOR QUALITY OF CARE! It is all about the big interests and Tom Daschle who wants population control and what they have done. Were insurance companies against this…ANOTHER LIE BY THE FASCIST GLOBAL BANKER MEDIA!

Bob Porrazzo on March 22, 2010 at 1:12 pm

Skunky writes, “Nak, you get NOTHING right! Rush Limbaugh didn’t say he would leave the country to LIVE, he said he’d travel to Costa Rica to get health care. Bet you can’t afford to.” Rush will still have to have insurance HERE or pay those penalties.

Israel has its own form of universal health care, one that’s a lot more efficient and cost effective than we have here. (They computerized records years ago.) But what the thousands of US ex-pats have discovered is that even though they live there and pay for health insurance there, they will STILL have to have health insurance coverage in the US or will be penalized via their US income tax filings!

What’s remarkable about this monstrous piece of legislation is that there’s not a scintilla of evidence that it will do what’s promised, no evidence the promised “cost savings” will emerge, no evidence folks will get better care.

When I was a computer specialist, I’d occasionally come up with a new way of doing things. But I *never* proceeded with a roll-out before running a “proof of concept”, a prototype to verify that the solution would work as I envisioned. I’d get a few scattered colleagues to try it out and provide feedback, then get a group to volunteer as guinea pigs. There’s nothing like that here. It’s the classic liberal “We know what you need, and here’s how we’re going to do it.”

Raymond in DC on March 22, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    Raymond, yes, I’m one of those Israeli ex-pats and it worries me because we have no income for the IRS to tax. We also do not have a huge savings account to just pay the fine. There may be only one option which I’m loathe to take while my children remain in the US. I have no intention of returning for a “visit” but if I need to get there, G-d forbid, it’s better to have a US passport.

    BTW we do have universal health coverage but it is SUBSIDIZED by the government, not provided cost free. Some things like dental and alternative medicine, which is actually very well accepted here is not paid for or paid very minimally. We get one dental checkup/cleaning free per year and everything else is at market rates.
    The care is generally good and Debbie will hate this but the Arab docs really excel in certain areas. I’ve also found the Russian doctors to be surprisingly good because they have seen so many things that Western docs maybe know only from textbooks. Now that they have the facilities to treat, they do a good job. We have a choice of 4 plans and they vary in quality. The Labor Party’s Union owned one seems to be the best overall. It’s not perfect buy having been on Medicaid for a couple of years I can say anything is better.

    mk750 on March 22, 2010 at 5:14 pm

BTW – if you remove the incentive of “EVIL PROFITS” from health research on drugs and treatments you won’t be seeing too many new cutting edge developments anymore.

BIG PHARMA isn’t going to RISK millions on drugs and liability from BS lawsuits to make new treatments and drugs if they won’t make their money back PLUS a profit.

Again, when you’ve lived in the real world and paid bills you’ll see why it’s necessary to make profits. I know I don’t work for free do you???

Dont Tread On Me on March 22, 2010 at 1:14 pm

You really need to really get off the talking points. The campaign is over. Also, congratulations on being able to prolong your adolescence until you ar 26+.

“I have a very good friend who suffers from a rare heart condition, her healthcare bills are nuts, a device that she needs for her heart alone costs 200k (about 7 times as much as her annual salary), her insurance company only covers her for a million dollars after that she’s on her on her own.”

Yes, and do you really think this person would receive such things under NHS? Those procedures are the first thing to go, unless you are wealthy enough to opt out or leave the country for treatment. I have a homework assignment for you. Look up the acronmy N.I.C.E.(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Specifically, look up pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Worry01 on March 22, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Have the “child” look up that as part of the $20 BILLION in tax hikes a’comin’, that the Medical Device Companies are gonna have to pay a good percentage of that. Ain’t gonna make that device any less expensive.

    Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    Worry01 – Please give yourself the opportunity to actually read the bill instead of quoting rhetoric from GOP talking points. Your mass hysteria is kinda frightening.http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

    Kayle Igelstrom on March 22, 2010 at 1:35 pm

      Kayle…funny you should tell someone to read the bill when the consensus seems to be that the very people who passed it last night never read it cover to cover.

      Sean on March 22, 2010 at 2:14 pm

      Kayle, did you even bother to look at what I posted? How is discussing N.I.C.E. a GOP talking point? When you are up to more than simply trolling, let me know.

      sorrow01 on March 22, 2010 at 2:18 pm

Oh, I should also bring up something for the children like Kayle to understand.

If one has ever had a Gubmint loan for school, they ought to know that when the time comes for the Gubmint to get that money back, they don’t care what the heck your financial situation is…when it’s time to pay it back they have full authority to garnish your wages and take it anyway they can. This will also give the Gubmint the same leeway to grab any money of yours if you can’t afford to pay the premiums or the fines if you can’t pay for an insurance plan.

Just ask the IRS how easy and fun this can be. Even if one is disabled on SSDI and one doesn’t have a catastrophic PHYSICAL disability…they go right into your bank account and take that money (or SSDI check). These are not rich peeps it’s happening to.

Last night’s vote gave the Gubmint that ability to seize what little money you may have left. Most other entities have to fight it out in court with you.

Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 1:20 pm

I couldn’t listen last night. This morning I woke to find that we’ve become just another neo socialist wanna be country and that the mantle of leadership is going to be passed. While Obambi and his cronies celebrate with cheers and laughter and probably many more drinks the American people will come to see the 21st of March, 2010 as the day the Grand American Experiment died. I would suggest that if you or your family members have any pressing medical/dental concerns you attend to them quickly, while the challenges to Obambacare are still being played out. Otherwise you’ll be standing, hat in hand, in front of some bureaucrat, trying to explain why your Mom, or Dad, Grandparents will have a long useful life in front of them even at an advanced age and that they should be given the medical service they require.

I guess I’m just depressed this morning.

kenny komodo on March 22, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    Actually, the date of death was March 9, 1933 when the trading with the enemies act was amended to include all American civilians thus making all the American people “the enemy of the state” Look it up.
    And for all you people who want to go to warfare over this, your going to end up in jail or dead because now your in dishonor & acting like an “enemy of the state” and you know what happens to people the Government considers enemies don’t you? Read Mathew 5:25 for what will happen to you, if you if you do NOT go to peace with your enemy/adversary.

    Who cares? on March 22, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Here is some insight into the U.K. system: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2547393/Patients-should-not-expect-NHS-to-save-their-life-if-it-costs-too-much.html

Worry01 on March 22, 2010 at 1:27 pm

don’t be too hard on Kayle; I used words just like that before joining the real world of earning a living and raising children.

IMHO the opposition to government controlled health care made a fundamental error by focusing on the CBO estimates and conceding the point that the health care system is in desperate need of government regulation and intervention, when it it precisely this meddling which produced the “crisis” in the first place

Even a cursory glance at government health care – the kind Obama is threatening to spread to everyone – Medicare, Medicaid, VA & S-CHIP, shows:

They are, by any standard, going broke, with unfunded liabilities in the trillions. These official figures are, if anything conservative (not Conservative). They are using understated estimates assuming the government can arbitrarily cap provider reimbursements which can be made up by overcharging a soon to be diminished pool of private payors.

Even with these unprecedented and historic cost overruns, the highest (both in aggregate and per capita) denier of claims is Medicare, with a higher denial rate than any of the “greedy” private insurers. These denial rates are likely to substantially increase as our decades long “kick the can” approach to financing comes home, as Reverend Wright would say, to roost

MemberoftheTribe on March 22, 2010 at 1:29 pm

    “it it precisely this meddling which produced the “crisis” in the first place” — M.O.T.

    Same as the financial meltdown due to the practices of Fanny and Freddie.

    Contrary to the recent movie title, they really are “Not Just Wrong, But Evil.”

    yonason on March 22, 2010 at 9:07 pm

Hi Debbie,

I was also depressed about this yesterday and this morning. As an observant Jew (Baal Teshuva), I have learned that getting depressed and down is a sin and in addition, I am only hurting myself. So I said my daily Tehillim (Psalms), listened to some upbeat music and told myself not to be depressed. Instead, I am looking into what I can do to fight this war and make no mistake, it is a war. I consider the Deliverance treatment the first (lost) battle in a major war between major forces of good and evil.

There is a candidate for congress running in my district who seems good on paper. She is running to replace my HORRIBLE rep, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I have to do more research, but most likely, I will help to promote her candidacy and see what I can do to help her campaign.

Like the Democrats doubling down and resuming their push for Obamacare, we Americans need to double down and fight to return our government to the people! Don’t get down, get up and fight!

– David W.

David W on March 22, 2010 at 1:41 pm

Skunky – It’s funny that instead of actually talking about the issue, you and some other people have reverted to name calling and calling me a “child”. I’m 23, I earn my own living & most of the time I live several states away from my parents. Just shows that you are wrong on the issue when you have to revert to such name calling to make your point.

Kayle Igelstrom on March 22, 2010 at 1:46 pm

Um, the fact that you are sooo emotionally and childishly stuck on name-calling and not that many FACTS that have shot your, stoopid, stoopid argument down tells me that you are even more immature (and obtuse) than we thought.

Now go back and re-read EVERY post. I have many posts on this thread talking about the issue at hand. If you were intelligent, you’d ought to be doubting your emotional foolishness by now. What about the medical devices tax, the fact that MOTT told you that MEDICARE and NOT evil insurance companies is the biggest denier of claims? That the device your friend uses would not be cost effective under Obamacare? Or W’s link on NICE (NHS)? Or the fact that insuring 32 Million Americans (out of 300 Million Americans…with 20 million being ILLEGAL) is gonna cost $900 BILLION $$$ over 10 years?

GROW UP NOW!!!!

Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 1:55 pm

“no annual or lifetime limits” is not rationing. Rationing is you not getting the best treatment available because a government agent has determined you are not worth the investment. So you have cancer, the cancer drug is expensive but your old so we will treat you with a cheap painkiller till you die. Your still getting treatment, just not the treatment you need to save your life. Your not worth the investment. They already do this in the VA system, ration it and make it as complicated as possible to receive treatment and hope they die before the paperwork is done.

This is what is coming when you have the IRS in charge of the money for healthcare, which this new law does. Funny how the new law has provisions for more IRS accountants but none for more doctors. It is not about healthcare it is about power and controlling the people.

we have already seen what happens when some muslim doctors have a jewish patient and they let them die. Now how are they going to treat you if your not part of the right government party? Go to the end of the line? Sorry nothing we can do?
Maybe if your alive in the next fiscal year their might be more money? It is all about power and control.

ender on March 22, 2010 at 2:07 pm

Here is Obozo lying and lying and lying…

http://www.breitbart.tv/20-promises-for-2500-all-americans-now-await-lower-premiums-promised-by-obama/

For the children, if you can’t wrap your emotional brain around rationing of health care, perhaps you should google Rahm “Creepy Ballerina” Emanuel’s even creepier brother’s article for THE LANCET on how he out & out said some peeps are more important to society and we ought not waste $$ on caring for the old and very young.

All the Obozo lovers out there who love that this travesty was passed, how about you lend some of us the $2500. in premiums savings Obozo promised? You’re gonna get it right, so how about forking it over?

Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 2:14 pm

Skunky, no amount of shouting will make Kayle grow up; only experience will. Kayle, you come off as articulate and intelligent (at least in the above posts) so I hope you will keep an open mind.

I believe many of us once looked at government as the benign provider of needed services and great equalizer. However, the overwhelming record of statism is at *best* the unsustainable (even with the US paying their defense tab) socialist Western European countries and more likely the mass torturing and genocidal regimes of Communism, Fascism and Nazism.

You could read reams of history, or simply understand basic human nature. Give someone power – no matter how well intentioned – and they turn into “little Nazis” and eventually into big ones. Make producers carry the weight of too many slackers, and they will stop producing. You can propose to redistribute the pie any way you like, but there must be a pie to redistribute.

And you don’t need to really on arcane political or economic theory. There is almost a 100% correlation between these truths and the experience of nations. Even within the US, it is the high tax, big government states on the death spiral of raising taxes and chasing away their highest taxpayers in a vain attempt to support their unsustainable social programs.

This unprecedented control of the economy, combined with what will mathematically require an unprecedented level of taxation, will not save or help the people about whom I know you are sincerely concerned. It will only throw the rest of us into the same leaky boat

MemberoftheTribe on March 22, 2010 at 2:24 pm

This bill transforms Tricare for Life from the promised military healthcare policy benefitting those who devoted their entire adult lives to serving in the defense of this nation into nothing more than a catastrophic insurance policy.
Beginning in 2011, military retirees will lose the Medicare for life benefit and will have to pay, thousands of dollars per year. We would lose TRICARE as a total care package. We would not be allowed to keep TRICARE so when Obama stands and says if you like what you have you can keep it, he lies. This is a “Heads Up” on a battle we are facing now and down the road with the new Administration. It is on pages 77, 172, 218, and 434.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has already drafted proposed legislation that would basically reduce our TRICARE for Life benefits to a system whereby we pay deductibles and co-pays up to $6,301 the first year for you and your spouse, with future years being indexed to increase with inflation.

ebayer on March 22, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Thanks for bringing up NICE. I am so sick and tired of hearing people talk about how great Canada’s or England’s socialized medicine. If it is so wonderful, why are their officials coming here for care? Why do they have 1 MRI machine for every 50 or so that we have. (I can’t remember the exact number, but that is probably close.) Why in England if you live in one zip code you can’t get tamoxifin if you have breast cancer, but if you live in another you can? (NICE decided it wasn’t cost effective to get it.) My neurologist told me that there are 5 different drugs for MS. They all do basically the same thing, but have different side effects. If you live in the Netherlands, they have a deal with the pharmaceutics companies, and only provide ONE of those five drugs. Have side effects? Too bad. If you have any friends who gave birth recently, ask them about their experience. I have Thank G-d 7 kids. 2 days in the hospital, private rooms, diapers, bottles if you want, etc. My friends daughter recently gave birth in the UK. After the delivery, the nurse asked her if she brought her nappies. Yup, they don’t provide bottles or diapers in the UK. Doesn’t matter; most women only stay in the hospital for 8 hours after giving birth. And this same friend, who lives here and is a legal citizen, btw, has a mother who lives in England. At 79, she is too old to have the heart surgery she needs to save her life. She was given an RX. My friend told the doctor that her mother will die without the surgery, and the doctor told her he is sorry; she is too old. MY FRIEND IS HAPPY TO SPEAK TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO TALK TO HER. (Debbie; I can give you her email address later if someone really wants to get in touch with her.) Not only that … same friends uncle died in the hospital waiting for a bed. He came in on Friday and Monday morning he died in a chair in the waiting room. In the news this week was a guy who died of thirst in a UK hospital. Still sounds like nirvana?
You wanna know what I think is total poetic justice? you know how many Jews are liberals and doctors? My kids pediatrician voted for BO. He won’t answer my email where I asked him if he is happy now.
Last question for you Kayle … if this reform is so great and so wonderful, why in the world are the social elite exempt from getting it? Oh yes. That is the in the bill. Congress, the Senate, the President, all exempt.

Some animals are more equal than others. Animal Farm. Make sure you read so you know what to expect. And don’t be too surprised when you hit 50 and find out you are no longer useful to the government and are no longer entitled to benefits. Again, look up Rahm Emanual’s brother’s essay. Health care rationing baby. Enjoy!

Leah on March 22, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    “After the delivery, the nurse asked her if she brought her nappies. Yup, they don’t provide bottles or diapers in the UK. Doesn’t matter; most women only stay in the hospital for 8 hours after giving birth.”

    Where in the UK did this happen? Because I can assure you that our hospitals most certainly DO provide nappies and bottles. As for the 8 hours discharge, this is ONLY done if the woman requests it and if there are no medical reasons for her and the baby to stay longer. Other than that it’s 48 hours to a week or more (for a Caesarian delivery).

    Alison on March 22, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    Leah, thanks so much for bringing up that those who represent us and voted for this Obamanation will NOT be getting the crappy care we’ll all be getting. Nor will they have to face that “Cadillac” tax in years to come that other citizens will. DISGRAZIA!

    I’ll never forget this story from the UK. Can barely wait ’til it comes here…

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196997/Hospital-patient-shocked-dirty-ward-climbed-bed-clean-herself.html

    Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 4:08 pm

I work at a company where I design cell phones. What happens when there are too many people without a cell phone? Do all of them have a “Right” to a cell phone? Would the government take over all of the mobile communications industry because of these poor, disadvantaged people? All the gov’t would need to do is not renew the frequency allocations to the mobile communications companies that do not toe the Obama line.

Jarhead on March 22, 2010 at 2:38 pm

Jarhead, yes cell phones are now a right. The last stimulus has provided free cell phones to the poor.
it is available in 19 states right now. Go here and enter your zip code to see if it is available.
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx

this explains it all:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5651228_cell-phone-minutes-safelink.html

makes ya proud to be a hard working taxpayer, don’t it?
well, get ready to work and pay a lot more.

ender on March 22, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    ender and DTOM – I didn’t know that about the gov’t handout of cell phones. So when will it be that everybody has a right to a Smart Phone, because everybody needs data access while on the go. The poor and disadvanteged need data so that they can monitor their welfare checks, food stamps, … and whatever gov’t handout they can get. It’s gotta take a lot of time traveling from one gov’t handout center to another, and without data, how can they know where to go to get the next handout?

    Jarhead on March 22, 2010 at 5:16 pm

Jarhead – sadly there are already programs to give low income/no income people free cell phones or home phones. The rest of us pay a small charge in our bill each month to cover them. (Safelink Wireless is an example).

Dont Tread On Me on March 22, 2010 at 3:04 pm

I “hate” to say this but I am sitting back and laughing at both sides (although I should probably be crying at both sides instead).

No matter what happens or doesn’t happen, health care in this country is going to go downhill. I have stated this many times before. All of you are arguing about window dressing. There will be no effect on substance.

There reason for the above is that two things that make our health care system great have got to go. The first is having private business pay for their employee’s health care. We are in a global economy. Just how are American businesses supposed to compete with firms from other countries that do not have to pay for health care. Answer – They can’t.

The second pillar of our great health care system that must go is the doctor and patient choosing the care without interference from the insurance company, and the insurance company being obligated to pay for the care that was chosen. Just ask any economist (of any political stripe) how viable is a system were one party determines what is to be paid for and another party not involved in that decision must pay for it. I doubt you will find any economist who will tell you that kind of a system is anything but a train wreck waiting to happen.

I dare anyone to prove me wrong.

I_AM_ME on March 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    The “system” you describe is called Socialism which always leads to, and is simply just a euphemism for: Communism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, Autocratic, despotism…ect, ect,ect…i.e. All animals are equal, but some [pigs] are more equal than others…

    Who cares? on March 22, 2010 at 7:42 pm

Nak, first off, an insurance policy is nothing more than a legal contarct between parties where for a certain fee, they provide a certain service. Would you think it fine for the insurance company to expect of you something not written in the contract? No, I do not work for an insurance company, but tire of the myopic arguements made by the likes of you. I suspect Rush will leave right after Alec Baldwin leaves the country. Remember that lie told by a liberal after Bush won? If you want to pay more of your money to a dishonest government, be my guest. Fool.

thomas o'malley on March 22, 2010 at 3:33 pm

I’d like to know how ObamaCare will save me money. My company pays for my medical insurance, which is a benefit of at least $10,000 annually. Is my company or the gov’t going to raise my salary to compensate for this? I don’t think so.

Jarhead on March 22, 2010 at 5:22 pm

Obamacare will bankrupt your insurance carrier and then you will be forced into state medical care where a bunch of cubicle dwellers will decide what they will cover and more than likely deny coverage for.

Believe me it is coming. My mother has cancer and we are covered by Medicare in the Aetna HMO. I have been fighting for her care for 5 years. If they had their way she would have never even been diagnosed with cancer let alone cover the treatments and diagnostic tests.

The hospital she was placed into even tried to dump her and put her into a long care death home several times during her care. I had to fight using the medical appeal rights to get her taken care of.

So Kayle, please tell me how great it is going to be under the new obama care plan administered by the Federal Government where there will be no competition and only a government monopoly?

You need to grow up and do some research on communism or at least recognize that is what you are asking for in the long run.

ScottyDog on March 22, 2010 at 5:34 pm

I’m past caring what the Obama scuzzballs do, until they start telling me that I HAVE to do something (in this case, buy health insurance) or face a stiff penalty. The only thing any living organism HAS to do is die. I pray that the litigation being planned by several states will succeed in having this miscarriage pronounced unconstitutional.

Graty Slapchop on March 22, 2010 at 6:17 pm

Don’t give up! From what I’ve heard,a number of state Attorney Generals are going to sue Congress when or if this bill is signed into law. I don’t know how it’ll turn out,but just wait and see.

Ghostwriter on March 22, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    Don’t wait around for change to happen in the Supreme court. By the time a case even makes it that far, 5 yrs will have passed and by then, it won’t matter what they decide because everyone will already be screwed and waiting in line so the Feds can tell you to take two aspirin’s and go home because they can’t afford to treat you…Also, I predict the Supreme court will punt on this and say “this is a political question & we do NOT rule on political matters.”

    Who cares? on March 22, 2010 at 7:50 pm

    @Ghostwriter on March 22, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    It ain’t over till it’s over.

    http://doctorbulldog.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/texas-joins-florida-and-other-states-in-filing-lawsuit-against-unconstitutional-health-care-deform/

    http://doctorbulldog.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/call-to-arms-help-euthanize-health-care-deform/

    There’s still some hope left. Please G-d we will succeed. BUT, it will only be if America stops pressuring Israel to capitulate to it’s enemies. The more America helps Israel, the more Hashem will help America.

    yonason on March 22, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    Robert Gibbs commented at a news conference that the Attorney’s General are elected officials and have to appear to be “doing something” for their constituents (or something to that effect)and that what the Democrats have done is constitutional because the Health Care Bill is covered under the Commerce clause.

    ebayer on March 22, 2010 at 11:06 pm

Finally, this “bill” will transform America into a 3rd world DEBTOR Nation, and YOU ALL into 3rd world DEBTORS.

Haiti after the quake, is a look in the mirror of what America will look like in the near future, after this obamanation takes effect and that’s not even counting the damage from tax n trade, amnesty for illegals and all the other obamanation’s that will soon come to pass…

Any questions?

Who cares? on March 22, 2010 at 8:01 pm

ScottyDog – Insurance companies going bankrupt? That’s the greatest thing that could happen to healthcare in this country. Insurance companies are evil, predatory, money hungry sharks who make profit off of the suffering of people. Infact the only way to cut the cost of healthcare is to abolish insurance companies all-together and let the government handle healthcare in the form of a single payer system. Insurance companies have huge overheards of around 20% whereas public plans only have an overhead of 4%, there 16% of waste we can cut right there, not to mention how much more efficient health care could be if it was done as non-profit. This is not communism, this is pragmatism.

You cited that one example of your mother- well no system is perfect. There are many more cases of abuse with insurance companies who have people whose job is to comb through your record and look for minor discrepancies or clerical errors that can be used as an excuse to deny your claim. For example there are people who have had their claim for cancer treatment denied by the insurance company who found that the person forgot to include something as innocuous as an appendix removal on paper when they signed up with the company. Using stuff like that to deny claims is all too common in the insurance industry and it’s a shame that they have been allowed to get away with that for so long.

Who cares said How is forcing the insurance company to insure people who are already terminal, any different than the above house on fire example? How long do you think it will take before all insurance companies go out of business because they are forced to give you fire insurance after your home is already burning? Wake up!

I can’t believe that you’re actually defending insurance companies over preexisting conditions. Even the most heartless cold Republicans agree with the Democrats about preexisting conditions. This is not something as simple as a house being burned with fire… this is people’s lives we are talking about. What would you do if you were in a similar situation? It is easy to act holier than thou when you are sitting cozy, I’m sure you’d not be saying the same thing if you were sick

Kayle Igelstrom on March 22, 2010 at 9:19 pm

    STFU Kayle. You’re so sad. You keep barking about about EVIL insurance companies when it has already been stated to you that the biggest denier of health care claims is MEDICAID & MEDICARE. Run into the ground by your beloved Gubmint.

    If you love it so much, leave your Momma’s basement and move to the UK..or stay in your beloved Canada.

    The saddest thing about you is like many young dopes, you buy into all the REPUBLICAN cliches. If you would actually do the research YOURSELF you’d see that most of the beliefs the Libtards tell you are LIES.

    Oh, and most of the denizens here are NOT Republicans…but Conservatives.

    You’re tiresome. Get lost!

    Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 10:09 pm

      Skunky you are rude and immature. I’ve been trying to have a respectful debate and all your replier have been full of name calling and insults, there is no point arguing with someone like you. Goodbye!

      Kayle Igelstrom on March 22, 2010 at 10:32 pm

        Kayle, I am not so immature as to believe that Gubmint control of health care is a good thing. LOL!

        You’re just angry that I burst your stupid, little Libtard bubble. All of my posts were chockablock with facts you didn’t like. You’ll continue to think the bete noir is the BIG, BAD INSURANCE COMPANIES.

        Open your eyes to the lies right in front of you.

        Skunky on March 22, 2010 at 10:38 pm

I don’t know if this could’ve been prevented once the Democrats had the majorities. Unlike the Republicans, they believe in their philosophy; when the Republicans had a majority, they didn’t fight for anything because most of them didn’t really believe in their mouthings.

Will it be better after the election? Hard to tell. Most of the current crew of Republicans aren’t really that upset about health care, and the talk show hosts with one or two exceptions just have these hacks as guests all the time: Kyl, McConnell (who withheld money from one of the few fairly independent members, Jim Bunning), John Cornyn and the rest of those hacks. This crew will never do anything. Will enough real conservatives be elected to force action? We’ll have to see, but there’s no substitute for a well-rounded conservtive program, and virtually none of the Republicans have that. Because of this they’re vulnerable to deals and trade-offs. This country, as you said will feel the effects of this and the other wasteful expenditures for generations.

One clue to the ineptness of the Republicans is that they’re whining mainly about how much money is being spent. True, this is an issue, but the socialist redistribution of assets entailed in health care is even more serious.

Little Al on March 22, 2010 at 9:21 pm

I want to be on record as saying that I view the health care bill that passed last night as a catastrophe and I am scared for this country about it.

I hope and pray to G-d that one way or another the bill will be killed. It doesn’t matter how it gets killed–whether it gets repealed, overturned by the courts, or any other way–just as long as the bill gets killed and before its too late.

JeffE on March 22, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    @JeffE

    Yeah, agreed. We need to be positive. Here’s some good “pep talk” material to help motivate us.
    http://drsanity.blogspot.com/2010/03/sad-day.html

    Also…
    @Little Al on March 22, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    “Will it be better after the election? Hard to tell. Most of the current crew of Republicans aren’t really that upset about health care…”

    That’s where we are weak, and in fact, had they been stronger all along, instead of “Democrat lite” or “Rino’s” we probably wouldn’t be in this predicament to begin with.

    yonason on March 22, 2010 at 9:57 pm

Thank you, yonason. Excellent link. 🙂

JeffE on March 22, 2010 at 10:35 pm

    @JeffE on March 22, 2010 at 10:35 pm

    She’s “one of the ‘good ones’.” I’ve been following her for about 8 years now, and know she’s not in it for ulterior motives, but to keep us informed, because she cares.

    yonason on March 22, 2010 at 10:45 pm

There is a very simple way to end this bill before it begins. All it will take is your calls to your state capital.
Right now there are 36 states considering legal action against this bill. If they were to call for an Article 5 Convention they would only need 34 votes to amend the Constitution eliminatind this and every othe rLiberal Social Program in its tracks and there is NOT A DAMN THING the Liberals could do about it. There are not enough Lib states to stop it and once changed the libs in COngress could do NOTHING about it.
Call your Governor and State Attorney General and demand they call an Article 5 Convention

martin fee on March 23, 2010 at 8:18 am

Kayle Igelstrom

You are so naive it is unbelievable. Those insurance companies that you are trying to scapegoat were created by the Federal Government. There are about 8 major HMO’s in America that were created by the DNC HMO Act.

When Ted Kennedy rammed through the HMO Act of 1978 they wrote the regulations that the insurance companies follow. They even had to give them a pass on antitrust law because the act created a monopoly of health care. 2400 Hospitals went out of business after the 1978 act was passed and costs began to spiral higher and higher each year.

If you want to be outraged you should be angry that the Federal Government micro manages our health care not the other way around. Until the Feds go involved back in the the 1960’s and 1970’s we had the best health care system in the world.

As far as my mothers case being an isolated case you really need to get out and talk to people that are getting their health care from Medicare and listen too the horror stories. People die while they are trying to get care because of the Federal /Bureaucracy/ and it will get only worse when there is only one insurance company called the Federal Government.

Obamacare will result in higher prices and rationing the same thing that happened after they forced HMO’s down our throats.

In addition, Obamacare will run your life. When the feds dictate everything in your life because it may cost the health care system more money.

In the UK they denied coverage to a guy that broke his ankle because he smoked. They refused to set the bone for over a year because he refused to quit smoking. They did however get him hooked on morphine while he waited for them to fix his ankle and now he claims he is totally disabled because of the denial to set his bone. In the UK, he could not go see a private doctor. NHS has a monopoly and a private doctor would have been prosecuted for treating him.

ScottyDog on March 23, 2010 at 1:24 pm

20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms

1. You are young and don’t want health insurance? You are starting up a small business and need to minimize expenses, and one way to do that is to forego health insurance? Tough. You have to pay $750 annually for the “privilege.” (Section 1501)

2. You are young and healthy and want to pay for insurance that reflects that status? Tough. You’ll have to pay for premiums that cover not only you, but also the guy who smokes three packs a day, drink a gallon of whiskey and eats chicken fat off the floor. That’s because insurance companies will no longer be able to underwrite on the basis of a person’s health status. (Section 2701).

3. You would like to pay less in premiums by buying insurance with lifetime or annual limits on coverage? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer such policies, even if that is what customers prefer. (Section 2711).

4. Think you’d like a policy that is cheaper because it doesn’t cover preventive care or requires cost-sharing for such care? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer policies that do not cover preventive services or offer them with cost-sharing, even if that’s what the customer wants. (Section 2712).

5. You are an employer and you would like to offer coverage that doesn’t allow your employers’ slacker children to stay on the policy until age 26? Tough. (Section 2714).

6. You must buy a policy that covers ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services; chronic disease management; and pediatric services, including oral and vision care.

You’re a single guy without children? Tough, your policy must cover pediatric services. You’re a woman who can’t have children? Tough, your policy must cover maternity services. You’re a teetotaler? Tough, your policy must cover substance abuse treatment. (Add your own violation of personal freedom here.) (Section 1302).

7. Do you want a plan with lots of cost-sharing and low premiums? Well, the best you can do is a “Bronze plan,” which has benefits that provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60% of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan. Anything lower than that, tough. (Section 1302 (d) (1) (A))

8. You are an employer in the small-group insurance market and you’d like to offer policies with deductibles higher than $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families? Tough. (Section 1302 (c) (2) (A).

9. If you are a large employer (defined as at least 101 employees) and you do not want to provide health insurance to your employee, then you will pay a $750 fine per employee (It could be $2,000 to $3,000 under the reconciliation changes). Think you know how to better spend that money? Tough. (Section 1513).

10. You are an employer who offers health flexible spending arrangements and your employees want to deduct more than $2,500 from their salaries for it? Sorry, can’t do that. (Section 9005 (i)).

11. If you are a physician and you don’t want the government looking over your shoulder? Tough. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to use your claims data to issue you reports that measure the resources you use, provide information on the quality of care you provide, and compare the resources you use to those used by other physicians. Of course, this will all be just for informational purposes. It’s not like the government will ever use it to intervene in your practice and patients’ care. Of course not. (Section 3003 (i))

* A d v e r t i s e m e n t
*

12. If you are a physician and you want to own your own hospital, you must be an owner and have a “Medicare provider agreement” by Feb. 1, 2010. (Dec. 31, 2010 in the reconciliation changes.) If you didn’t have those by then, you are out of luck. (Section 6001 (i) (1) (A))

13. If you are a physician owner and you want to expand your hospital? Well, you can’t (Section 6001 (i) (1) (B). Unless, it is located in a country where, over the last five years, population growth has been 150% of what it has been in the state (Section 6601 (i) (3) ( E)). And then you cannot increase your capacity by more than 200% (Section 6001 (i) (3) (C)).

14. You are a health insurer and you want to raise premiums to meet costs? Well, if that increase is deemed “unreasonable” by the Secretary of Health and Human Services it will be subject to review and can be denied. (Section 1003)

15. The government will extract a fee of $2.3 billion annually from the pharmaceutical industry. If you are a pharmaceutical company what you will pay depends on the ratio of the number of brand-name drugs you sell to the total number of brand-name drugs sold in the U.S. So, if you sell 10% of the brand-name drugs in the U.S., what you pay will be 10% multiplied by $2.3 billion, or $230,000,000. (Under reconciliation, it starts at $2.55 billion, jumps to $3 billion in 2012, then to $3.5 billion in 2017 and $4.2 billion in 2018, before settling at $2.8 billion in 2019 (Section 1404)). Think you, as a pharmaceutical executive, know how to better use that money, say for research and development? Tough. (Section 9008 (b)).

16. The government will extract a fee of $2 billion annually from medical device makers. If you are a medical device maker what you will pay depends on your share of medical device sales in the U.S. So, if you sell 10% of the medical devices in the U.S., what you pay will be 10% multiplied by $2 billion, or $200,000,000. Think you, as a medical device maker, know how to better use that money, say for R&D? Tough. (Section 9009 (b)).

The reconciliation package turns that into a 2.9% excise tax for medical device makers. Think you, as a medical device maker, know how to better use that money, say for research and development? Tough. (Section 1405).

17. The government will extract a fee of $6.7 billion annually from insurance companies. If you are an insurer, what you will pay depends on your share of net premiums plus 200% of your administrative costs. So, if your net premiums and administrative costs are equal to 10% of the total, you will pay 10% of $6.7 billion, or $670,000,000. In the reconciliation bill, the fee will start at $8 billion in 2014, $11.3 billion in 2015, $1.9 billion in 2017, and $14.3 billion in 2018 (Section 1406).Think you, as an insurance executive, know how to better spend that money? Tough.(Section 9010 (b) (1) (A and B).)

18. If an insurance company board or its stockholders think the CEO is worth more than $500,000 in deferred compensation? Tough.(Section 9014).

19. You will have to pay an additional 0.5% payroll tax on any dollar you make over $250,000 if you file a joint return and $200,000 if you file an individual return. What? You think you know how to spend the money you earned better than the government? Tough. (Section 9015).

That amount will rise to a 3.8% tax if reconciliation passes. It will also apply to investment income, estates, and trusts. You think you know how to spend the money you earned better than the government? Like you need to ask. (Section 1402).

20. If you go for cosmetic surgery, you will pay an additional 5% tax on the cost of the procedure. Think you know how to spend that money you earned better than the government? Tough. (Section 9017).

ScottyDog on March 23, 2010 at 2:42 pm

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