Filed under: auto insurance, Barack Obama, big pharma, Communism, Congress, corpoatism, corporatists, Dictatorship, drug companies, Empire, Fascism, finance committee, fines, government, government bureaucrat, government control, government health care, government option, government regulation, government takeover, health care, health care reform, health insurance companies, Healthcare, insurance companies, lobbyist, max baucus, medicaid, medical care, medical industrial complex, medicare, nanny state, national socialist, Nazi, Neolibs, obama, obama care, obama deception, obama fines, obamacare, obamacare fines, Oppression, Police State, Propaganda, public option, qui bono, Senate, socialism, universal health care, universial health care
Fines Up to $3800 for Failing to Get Health Insurance
FOX News
September 8, 2009
Families who fail to get health insurance could be fined up to $3,800 under a health care reform plan proposed by a top Senate negotiator.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is leading talks among the “Gang of Six” senators to hammer out a bipartisan compromise, offered what he described on Tuesday as a “framework” and not a “final product.”
But the detailed proposal comes just days ahead of a self-imposed Sept. 15 deadline for such a deal. Baucus is pushing his committee members hard to hammer out a bill, and those details come as strong suggestions.
Baucus has set a deadline of 10 a.m. Wednesday morning for fellow members of the bipartisan group to offer “specific proposals” for a compromise bill. He made clear “time is running out” to get a deal.
“The rubber is starting to meet the road….We’re not going to dawdle,” Baucus told FOX News Tuesday evening.
“Time is running out very quickly. I suspect I’ll be making some decisions very quickly,” said Baucus, who added that he would like to have something to give to Obama before the tomorrow night’s speech to the joint session of Congress.
Baucus says he does not think the lack of a public option at all endangers the bill or its support with members of his party.
“Over the next week or so, the Finance Committee will move forward with health care reform.”
“We very much want a bipartisan agreement,” Baucus said. “To get a proposal out of the Finance Committee, it cannot have a public option.”
The framework of Baucus’ proposal, a copy of which was obtained by FOX News, includes what amounts to a no-choice option. It would make health insurance mandatory, like auto insurance.
The plan would provide tax credits to help small employers and help cover the cost for households making up to three times the federal poverty level. That’s about $66,000 for a family of four, and $32,000 for an individual.
Those who still don’t sign up would face hefty fines, starting at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families — for those making up to three times the poverty level.
For those who make more than that, the penalty on individuals would jump to $950 and the penalty on families would jump to $3,800.
There would be a few exemptions, including for Native Americans and for those making incomes below the federal poverty level.
The plan does not include a government-run health insurance plan to soften the blow of the coverage mandate.
Instead, Baucus opts for a system of non-profit cooperatives, as part of a broader health insurance exchange.
As a way to pay for the package, estimated to cost under $900 billion over 10 years, Baucus is proposing a 35 percent excise tax on insurance companies for high-cost plans — defined as those above $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for family plans.
The Senate Finance Committee is meeting Tuesday, as President Obama prepares to deliver a high-stakes speech to both chambers of Congress Wednesday night in a bid to invigorate the push for reform.
Four committees have already passed their bills; Baucus’ panel is the only one yet to act. His committee’s bill is also the only one that could be considered bipartisan.
Baucus hits major elements in his plan that other top Democrats say are important. His plan would require health insurance plans to guarantee coverage and would prohibit them from excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
Premiums would be allowed to vary based only on tobacco use, age and size of family.
But the fines pose a dilemma for Obama. As a candidate, the president campaigned hard against making health insurance a requirement, saying it’s too expensive to mandate. White House officials have since backed away somewhat from that stance, but there’s no indication that Obama would support fines.
Obama Betting His Charm Will Be Enough Counter Health Care Reform Opposition
Already, 23 Dems have said they will vote ‘no’ on healthcare reform
Filed under: Barack Obama, big pharma, Communism, Congress, corpoatism, corporatists, Dictatorship, drug companies, Empire, Fascism, government bureaucrat, government control, government regulation, health care, health care reform, health insurance companies, Healthcare, insurance companies, Kennedy health care bill, lobbyist, medicaid, medical care, medical industrial complex, medicare, nanny state, national socialist, Nazi, Neolibs, obama, obama care, obama deception, obamacare, Oppression, Propaganda, public option, qui bono, Senate, socialism, universal health care, universial health care | Tags: families usa, Healthy Economies Now, predatory pricing, reform
Americans Will Be Forced To Buy Health Insurance – Big Pharma and Insurance Companies Will Benefit Greatly If Health Care Reform Passes
John Stossel
Real Clear Politics
August 12, 2009
“What disturbs Americans of all ideological persuasions is the fear that almost everything, not just government, is fixed or manipulated by some powerful hidden hand,” Frank Rich wrote in Sunday’s New York Times.
That manipulation should disturb us. But contrary to Rich, it is not the work of “corporatists” who have sprung up to attack progressive reforms proposed by Obama and the Democratic majority. Manipulation is what we got many years ago when we traded a more or less free market for the “progressive” interventionist state. When government is big, the well-connected always have an advantage over the rest of us in influencing public policy.
Observe: Although President Obama and big-government activists demonize health-insurance companies, the companies “are still mostly on board with the president’s effort to overhaul the U.S. health-care system,” the Wall Street Journal reports; and …
Although the activists criticize Big Pharma, “The drug industry has already contributed millions of dollars to advertising campaigns for the health care overhaul through the advocacy groups like Healthy Economies Now and Families USA. It has spent about $1 million on similar advertisements under its own name,” the Times reports.
Big Pharma and Big Insurance want Obama-style health-care reform?
It’s not so hard to understand. “The drug makers stand to gain millions of new customers,” the Times said.
And from the Journal: “If health legislation succeeds, the [insurance] industry would likely get a fresh batch of new customers. In particular, many young and healthy people who currently forgo coverage would be forced to sign up.” No wonder insurers are willing to stop “discriminating” against sick people. (Forget that the essence of insurance is discrimination according to risk.)
Not that Big Pharma and Big Insurance like every detail of the Democratic plan. Drug companies don’t want Medicare negotiating drug prices — for good reason. If it forces drug prices down, research and development will be discouraged. (Depending whom you believe, Obama may or may not have agreed with the drug companies on this point.)
As for the insurance companies, they worry — legitimately — that a government insurance company — the so-called public option” — would drive them out of business. This isn’t alarmism. It’s economics. The public option would have no bottom line to worry about and therefore could engage in “predatory pricing” against the private insurers.
But despite these differences, the biggest companies in these two industries are on board with “reform.”
noworldsystem.com 