Thread: Americas Asked to Be Heard - Congress Did Not Listen

I can't say that I like my Congresswoman, as I do not agree with her on most of the issues, but this one, I can't argue with.

Miller: Americas Asked to Be Heard - Congress Did Not Listen
March 21, 2010 11:31 PM WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today made the following comments in response to the passage of the Democrats’ government takeover of health care:

“Never in my career in public service have I seen the people of America standing up and so loudly demanding to be heard, only to have their elected representatives refuse to listen. The citizens of our great nation have repeatedly told Congress that they did not want this health care bill and wanted Congress to instead focus on the issues they care about most – the economy and jobs. Unfortunately, today the Democrat majority has decided that they know better than the people and forced through their government takeover of health care.

“Today, I was proud to stand with my constituents and the American people to oppose this terribly flawed bill. This bill is heading our country in the wrong direction. From the $500 billion cut in Medicare, to the taxes on the job creation sector, to veterans who will have their benefits cut, and to the unconstitutional mandates placed on average citizens. On an issue of this importance the American people deserved the best, but instead got Washington at its worst.â€

Wonder how it will feel to come home from one of these wars and have to get in line behind illegals to see a dr. ?

We already have more military men comitting suicide now than anytime in our history !

What the health care overhaul bill could mean to your wallet

House passes health care overhaul bill
More .By Tara Siegel Bernard THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: 10:55 p.m. Sunday, March 21, 2010

Uninsured people are clearly the biggest beneficiaries of Sunday's historic legislation, which extends the health care safety net for the lowest-income Americans.

The legislation is also meant to provide coverage for as many as 32 million people who have been shut out of the market — whether because insurers deem them too sick or because they cannot afford ever-rising insurance premiums.

For people already covered by a large employer — most Americans — the effect may not be as significant.

"We think it's a big step forward," said Bill Vaughan, a policy analyst at Consumers Union. "It's going to provide a peace of mind that many Americans who really want or need health insurance will always be able to get a quality product at a reasonable price regardless of their health or financial situation."

There will be costs to consumers, too. Families with annual incomes of more than $250,000 will be required to pay an additional 3.8 percent tax on their investment income while contributing more to the Medicare program from their payroll taxes.

Most Americans will be required to have health insurance and will face federal penalties if they do not buy it. And it is still unclear what effect, if any, the legislation will have on rising out-of-pocket medical costs and premiums.

Uninsured people

Although most Americans who do not obtain health insurance will face a federal penalty starting in 2014, many experts question how strict the enforcement of that penalty will actually be.

The first year, consumers who do not have insurance will owe $95, or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater. But the penalty will subsequently rise, reaching $695, or 2 percent of income.

Families that fall below the income-tax filing thresholds will not owe anything.

EXPANDED MEDICAID: More lower-income individuals under the age of 65 will be covered by Medicaid. Under the new rules, households with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $29,327 for a family of four, will be eligible.

EXCHANGES AND SUBSIDIES: Most other uninsured people will be required to buy insurance through one of the new state-run insurance exchanges.

People with incomes of more than 133 percent of the poverty level but less than 400 percent (that's $29,327 to $88,200 for a family of four) will be eligible for premium subsidies through the exchanges.

Premiums will also be capped at a percentage of income, ranging from 3 percent to as much as 9.5 percent.

EMPLOYMENT FLEXIBILITY: The exchanges will help people who lose their jobs, quit or decide to start their own businesses.

"If you lose your employer-related insurance, you will be able to move seamlessly into the exchange," said Timothy Stoltzfus Jost, a professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

Moreover, people of any age who cannot find a plan that costs less than 8 percent of their income will be allowed to buy a catastrophic policy that will be available for people under age 30.

Those with insurance

EMPLOYER COVERAGE: People who receive coverage through large employers are unlikely to see any dramatic changes, nor should premiums or coverage be affected. But almost everyone will benefit from new regulations, such as the ban on pre-existing conditions that will apply to all policies starting in 2014.

There might even be cases in which people will be eligible to buy insurance through an exchange instead of through their employers, Jost said, including those who must pay more than 9.5 percent of their income for premiums.

CHANGES IN MEDICARE: One of the biggest changes involves the Medicare prescription drug program. Its unpopular "doughnut hole" — a big, expensive gap in coverage that affects millions — will be eliminated by 2020. Starting immediately, consumers who hit the gap will receive a $250 rebate. In 2011, they will receive a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs.

HIGH-COST INSURANCE: Starting in 2018, employers who offer workers pricier plans — or those with total premiums of $10,200 or more for singles and $27,500 for families — will be subject to a 40 percent tax on the excess premium, said C. Clinton Stretch, managing principal of tax policy at Deloitte LLP.

Retirees and workers in high-risk professions such as firefighting will have higher thresholds, pegged to inflation.

Although the taxes will be levied on the insurer, experts expect the assessment to be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher premiums or reduced benefits.