How new health care will affect you

[kfay]

I'm not trying to start a thread that is going to start an argument here, just saw this link on another health forum I'm on and thought some of you might be interested. It gives you an idea of how the new healthcare that was just passed will affect you.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/us/health-care-reform.html

Kimmie

 

[Dina]

Thanks Kim,my husband and I have been having a nice little debate over this for awhile now..

 

[Kathy McCain]

Thanks Kim for the info. What a bureaucratic nightmare!!!!

 

[Superbob]

I am just making an observation, not an argument: The only practical way all this can be financed without completely bankrupting the country is to enact something like a value-added tax (national sales tax). So that is a preview of coming attractions.

 

[Kathy McCain]

Yes, Superbob, we will be literally taxed to DEATH! I just LOVE THE IDEA of the IRS overseering all of this.

 

[catwoman]

Superbob:

Would that be a Supertax?

I almost went into tachycardia recently when I looked at our appraisal district website and saw what our property tax bill is for our house. Thank heavens my husband will be 65 in 1 year and we can get some additional relief (sr. tax exemption, freeze tax rate, etc.).

A national sales tax reminds me of when we had a federal excise tax on many more things, back in the 1950s, 1960s. I recall ads and signs in stores that listed FET on cosmetic jewelry, cologne, etc.

 

[acr]

Good call superbob, so that's why we (I'm in the UK) pay VAT (value added tax) on every purchase (17.5%). Never questioned it, as it's been there all my life. Did not appreciate that you folks don't have an equivalent.

Ade

 

[Ross]

No comment.

 

[skeptic49]

Thanks for posting the link, Kimmie. The summary does help to understand some of the changes that will take place. It does look like there will be some benefits that people have wanted such as ending the pre-existing conditions exclusion, no lifetime caps on benefits, keeping young people on their parents policies longer, etc. It's not single payer, unfortunately, but maybe it will improve matters. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[Wise]

It's government control of health care. If you like that, it's good. If you don't like that, it's bad. I don't like it.

 

[dick0236]

Most of the changes will have little impact on me since I am on medicare, but my belief is that many of these changes are too long in coming. When I was active in the health insurance business I saw, for example, too many situations where chronic and/or preexisting conditions would preclude individuals and small groups from obtaining health insurance when they had to answer health questions......as well as how my own heart surgery at 31 impacted my career choices throughout my working life.

 

[Kathy McCain]

The whole process of this vote smells to high heavens. I feel like I just gave up more of my freedom. Now I have not only insurance companies between my Dr's and myself, but government bureaucratts. This of course, will hurt the middle class, and our standard of living. I feel we are already taxed enough. My husband works very hard, and puts in long hours. Believe me, we are far from being well off. I myself am sick and tired of entitlement programs. If you are too stupid, or just too lazy, why should we have to foot your bill???

 

[hensylee]

Thank goodness it's finally here. Too long in coming for too many who could not get insurance for one reason or another. Yes, it's a nightmare, but we have been through nightmares before.

 

[olefin]

How new health care will affect "ME"

How new health care will affect "ME"

IRS Needs Additional $10 BILLION to Be the Nation's Health Enforcer.....

 

[Wise]

IRS Needs Additional $10 BILLION to Be the Nation's Health Enforcer.....

If that's not an eye opener, then nothing will be. Also, those instrumental in crafting the bill are exempt from the bill. Quite telling.

 

[Superbob]

IRS Needs Additional $10 BILLION to Be the Nation's Health Enforcer.....

Excellent point, olefin! You have a knack for getting right to the heart of a matter.

 

[baradonai]

http://biggovernment.com/egeorge/2010/03/23/depend-on-the-government-for-your-health-care-good-luck/

 

[Kathy McCain]

Again, I am not against health reform. I DID NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT ONE. It's not about health reform at all. This nightmare, was not necessary. It' not free either. Our taxes are going to increase drastically. Don't we have enough IRS in our life folks??? Do you really want the government involved in your health care? I do not feel comfortable with any of this. Yes, the politicians are EXEMPT from this bill!

 

[Kathy McCain]

Thanks for that link. Dr George is right on target.

 

[Ross]

This sums the whole thing up in a nutshell:

It seems that the ultimate goal of this exercise is to eventually make all physicians government employees under a single payer system. As it stands the system created by health care reform is a give away to the pharmaceutical industry and the health insurance industry (you just need to look at the rise in their stocks today). It certainly can be seen as the first step on a slippery slope towards single payer. The powers that be are banking on physicians going along like lemmings, but I have no doubt that if we don’t they will institute some sort of draconian policy to make us do it like they have in Massachusetts (medical licensure is tied to taking the state insurance plan). If that happens, good luck finding a physician who will want to deal with this.

Pharmaceutical and insurance stocks helped the stock market move higher today after the House of Representatives late Sunday approved a $940 billion health care reform package in a 219-212 vote.

Health stocks are among the leaders

But health shares grabbed the spotlight. Hospital company Tenet Healthcare (THC) saw its shares jump 9% to $6.27, the top performer among S&P 500 stocks.

Aetna (AET) shares were up 0.5% to $34.64, and Cigna (CI) was up 0.5% to $37.28. Pfizer (PFE) shares were up 1.4% to $17.15. Merck (MRK) added 0.6% to $38.30.

Centene (CNC) jumped 10.6% to $24.14 because it's a big player in Medicaid plans and could gain perhaps millions in new customers. Rival Amerigroup (AGP) rose 4.6% to $32.82.

Wonder what will happen when Wall St. figures out it's all smoke and mirrors?

At any rate, it's going to affect each and everyone of us. Unfortunately, I don't see how it's going to positively affect any of us.