US Politics -- Tomorrow (Thurs., 6/28) is going to be interesting!

[Riverrose28]

Thanks Mary LOu for your concern, but we are already seniors and I'm not sure if it will help us much at this time with the exception of when I do get medicare I will now be able to get them to pay for a mammogram since cancer runs in my family, where before they didn't have to. This is a step and even though a small one in the right direction for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I have a story, this law may have helped us back when. My third born daughters health ins. was cancelled while she was in college, she was on ours, thank goodness she survived without. When she graduated she got a really good medical billing job in DC. To get on her emplyers health ins. she needed to pay for half, OK, but there was also a waiting period, just in case there was a condition of three months. While waiting for her ins to kick in she developed gall stones. We took her to the emergency room and that is were she was diagnosed but no surgion would remove them without ins. or $2500 down payment. They sent her home to suffer. she tried to continue to work and made it through till she got coverage, but was stuck with a hosp. bill over $1000 for the ER visit. What a way to start a job. Yes I do understand about the small business person, my husband had a small business, we couldn't hold on with all the workers compensation, etc. We pay for our own ins. his employer doesn't pay a penny. I'm hoping this small step with encourage costs to come down. It is a shame that when in the hosp. a band aid cost 2.50. Come on! I had my best friend die from diebetes because it was pre-exsisting and she was trying to stretch her insuline till coverage kicked it, that was in the 1990's. I was so hoping healthcare would start to reform when Clinton was in office, if had been started then maybe costs would be down now. Jill, sorry but I want four more yrs. You go President Obama! Oh, and the stock market will rebound!

 

[Jill]

"I think it's telling that a victory for the Obama administration means a middle class tax increase -- and that's exactly what this is... Here's what this means: it is now unlawful for you not to buy health insurance, and if you don't buy it, you have an IRS problem. If you do not buy health insurance, the IRS is going to be on your back and chasing you. They're going to take away your refund. They're going to increase your fees. They're going to come after you. That's what this now means for millions of Americans." -- Marco Rubio, June 28. 2012

 

[Riverrose28]

This should make you happy, because of the ruling the repubs are now donating large sums of money to Romneys camp.

Also on Jills last post, I'm all for it, I can't stand dead beats! If you are able to work you need to pay your own way and that includes health care. Now if some one will work on the welfare system, and teen pregnancy being rewarded by getting welfare I would be a happy camper.

 

[MountainWoman]

One thing that is going to play into this for a number of people is the Medicaid expansion being struck down. Wonder what the income caps are going to be before you are able to get aid to purchase insurance.

 

[Jill]

I do feel this is going to solidify support behind Mitt Romney, and he was already doing a stellar job of raking in campaign donations. It's the left that is experiencing a shortage of campaign funds.

As far as this helping to "catch" illegal aliens -- I seriously doubt it. You don't think "they're" actually trying to catch illegal immigrants, do you? Remember this from last week:

"President Barack Obama’s deputies announced Monday they are further reducing immigration enforcement in Arizona. The surprise announcement came shortly after the Supreme Court decided that Arizona has the constitutional right to quiz suspected illegal immigrants about their legal right to be in the country."

More info: http://dailycaller.c.../#ixzz1yqTkr3Jk

 

[Riverrose28]

In response to Jills statement, I won't be taxed, only the ones that work and don't have ins. will be taxed! Lets play I found something!

Still haven't found my flame suit, but this will do. I have two daughters that work in medical billing, so I'm not totally in the dark. Lets just say Susie is 28 yrs old she has a good job but doesn't think she needs to pay for health ins. she would rather get her nails done and buy designer shoes. She has worked hard all day and stops at the mall to shop for a new pair of shoes. She's leaving the mall and a man comes up behind her sticks a knife in her back and asks for her purse, before she knows what is happening he grabs the purse and inserts the knife. She wakes up in the emergency room. she is treated, has surgery since the public hosp. can't refuse her care, and is released. When she gets the bill, she thinks I can't pay this and moves, gets another job and disappears. Who do you think foots her bill? We do! The hosp. can't collect, they send it to collection agency, then to lawyer. No payment is ever received. The hosp. at the end of the yr has to take a lose, so we the tax payer picks up the tab. Also the more people paying in, the less the cost to the rest of us. Poor Susie gets off scott free but she has her new shoes, next time she won't be so lucky, she needs to be like the rest of us and give up those new shoes and pay her fair share!

 

[MountainWoman]

Because I love discussing anything political and am a news junkie, I'd love to take the reverse of that Jill and say this has also energized Obama's base as well. Another thing with Romney is that he has Romney Care standing alongside him which weakens his arguments not to mention the fact that he flip flops on his decisions. I also heard that it will take more than just a President signing an executive order to undo this bill. I think the entire bill should have been thrown out because no one really knows how it will be implemented, what is really in it or the costs associated with it in an already fragile, debt ridden economy but I believe we are seriously in need true health care reform and a single payer system. Maybe that's what Obama is working towards. Anyway, JMHO. I hope everyone jumps in and is not afraid to express their opinions. Part of the fun of life is discussing politics and today's decision is really a momentous one no matter where you stand.

 

[little lady]

I guess one of the parts I am having a hard time wrapping my head around is just how are you going to force people to buy insurance? With the economy faultering and people having to deicde do they make their mortgage payment or buy groceries where are they going to get the $ to afford insurance? Also who will moniter the insurance company so that they don't inflate the premiums. Also if everyone must have insurnace will the healthcare providers gouge also? I just feel like health care does need to be addressed from all angles(hospital, doctor, insurance)and the people setting up these programs should be well versed in ALL aspects in order to develop a program that will really work for the poeple.

 

[tagalong]

I like how both Fox News and CNN blew it at first - and said the individual mandate was unconstitutional. They did not bother to read the whole thing before they made the wrong announcement...

... in their haste to be FIRST!!

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

Tag,,, whats new???

 

[Riverrose28]

Tag I live in the boonies and only have dial up! Sorry I couldn't watch your videos, bummer for me! To Little Lady, what it means is if you don't buy ins. the irs will deduct from your tax refund. Believe me I've been there done that without ins. and I know it's hard, but if something happens the ones that pay in the long run is the tax payer, that actually pays their taxes that is, not the ones at the top that pay less! Or the ones that pay nothing such as the poor. My first husband was shot and killed when he was only 24 yrs. old. He thought he was too young for anything to happen to him, he had no health care, no life ins. nothing. When he died his bills were left to me to pay, plus I had children to pay for, so I know first hand how hard it is. Back when I was a kid we didn't have health care in this country, we only had hospitilization. That meant when you went to the family practicianor you paid for the visit, and it was about $10 which believe it or not was about one fourth of your weekly salary. You also paid for your medication, but costs were kep low as everyone paid for their own meds. Hospitilization only covered when you were admitted or in the ER and even then it only covered 80% you were required to pay the rest. Now it's a whole different ballgame, but needs to be fixed, this is just the tip of the iceburg.

 

[Jill]

Here's a CALCULATOR if people want to know how it might impact them personally:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/what-health-bill-means-for-you/

 

[susanne]

Never mind

 

[Jill]

I have to say, I'm very happy to see how in just a few hours, the RNC and Mitt Romney seem to be doing all the right things to turn today's lemon into November's lemonade. I'm starting to feel a whole lot better about the news we got at 10am today!

 

[Jill]

This is too on target not to share.

Let's repeal and replace Obamacare: Five reasons Obamacare must go

by John C. Goodman

Now that the Supreme Court has declined to strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the time has come to repeal and replace the entire law. Here are five reasons to do so.

1.) The health reform law is a Rube Goldberg contraption that no one can explain. The reason: It was the result of a special interest compromise, with each group claiming a slice of a 10-year, trillion-dollar pie. Big Pharma’s collusion with the White House to pass Obamacare is just one of many examples of how crony capitalism tried to shape our health care system.

2.) The law is not paid for. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that $523 billion of health reform’s first 10-year cost will be paid for by spending cuts on Medicare enrollees. That means that over half the costs of this reform will be borne by some of the most vulnerable Americans: the elderly and disabled. The Medicare chief actuary’s report explains that as a result of Obamacare, half the seniors in Medicare Advantage plans (7.5 million) will lose coverage and the remainder will face higher premiums and benefit cuts. Nearly one in seven medical facilities is expected to become insolvent and drop out of Medicare altogether in the next eight years. Medicare patients will have increasing difficulty finding a doctor who will see them.

3.) The law will impose heavy costs on employment at the very time we can least afford it. Employers of $15-an-hour workers will be forced to buy insurance whose cost (for a family) will equal half the employees’ wages. The uncertainty the law creates is already making employers reluctant to hire new workers and is contributing to our anemic economic recovery.

4.) Obamacare institutes a bizarre system of subsidies that will prove extremely disruptive to American businesses. The law offers radically different subsidies to people at the same income level, depending on where they obtain their health insurance — at work, through a health-insurance exchange (a state-regulated health insurance market) or through Medicaid.

Generally, the more money you make, the greater the subsidy at work and the lower the subsidy in the exchange. Therefore, low-income workers will seek work from companies that do not provide insurance, while high-income employees will seek out employers who do. Firms that ignore these worker preferences will not survive, meaning companies and entire industries will be forced to reorganize as they compete for labor. The subsidies and accompanying mandates will cause millions of employees to lose their employer plans and potentially their jobs. At a minimum, these subsidies will incite a huge, uneconomical restructuring of American industry.

5.) Obamacare’s approach to health care delivery is bureaucratic and top down. The law creates a slew of pilot programs in an attempt to make health care more efficient. Yet in three separate occasions, the CBO has found these demonstrations are not working.

The time is ripe for health reform that liberates patients and doctors and encourages innovation and creativity along with real prices and a real marketplace. It’s time for a consumer-driven system of care that gives power back to the people.

John C. Goodman is a research fellow at the Independent Institute, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis and author of Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis.

Read more: http://dailycaller.c.../#ixzz1z7W1Wvk3

 

[Jill]

Congress just voted to hold Atty General Eric Holder in criminal contempt. Glad to see that result.

 

[MountainWoman]

Jill, I tried to get the calculator link to work and couldn't get the calculator to function so I found this one through Forbes Magazine which links to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and shows what kind of assistance we will get in paying our premiums. It's very interesting and worth checking out.

http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

 

[susanne]

.

Never mind. I'll edit myself.

 

[Jill]

MW, thank you for the calculator you posted. I was able to operate both the one you posted and the one I did, but initially couldn't get the one I posted to work. Then I realized I had overlooked one of the questions and it required an answer to be functional... of course, any "assistance" is funded by ___________________.

I'm insured, and so is my husband. I'm an employer and I do know that I'll make the bottomline work for me and my family even at the expense of employee jobs. Just like "you all", I too go to work to support myself and my family. Business owners will not shoulder a burden that is unfair. Just as I said before, I know my own perspective and the perspective of other business owners. Obamacare will continue to cost jobs. I also know what myself and other financial professionals think about the economic prospects if we are subjected to another term of an anti-capitalist.

Those busy doing a happy dance, what's your take on the fact that Obama promised repeatedly that Obamacare wouldn't increase taxes yet the Supreme court yesterday upheld the individual mandate as a TAX? In fact, $1.7 TRILLION of tax, and 21 new taxes result.

Come on, November! I bet Mitt Romney and the RNC will have some outstanding commercials airing in the very near future.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I think everyone should start raising chickens.