Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care

**Jason** · 05-17-2009, 08:09 AM

WASHINGTON - Senators are considering limiting — but not eliminating — the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's overhaul plan and provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans.

Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday that there are no easy options. Senators began grappling with how to finance guaranteed coverage for all Americans, even as independent experts put the costs at about $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

Obama sees a world in which doctors and hospitals compete to offer quality service at lower costs, and the savings help cover the uninsured. Turning that vision into reality remains the biggest challenge for the president and his backers, because hard cash — not just ideas — is required to cover upfront costs of expanding coverage.

The final package is likely to include a mix of tax increases and spending cuts in federal health programs. Among the possibilities: tax hikes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and sugary soft drinks, and restrictions on other health care-related tax breaks, such as flexible spending accounts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30704119/

**Drew1369** · 05-17-2009, 09:26 AM

Raising taxes on the poor anyone?

tax tax tax... spend spend spend

tax tax tax... spend spend spend

hope hope hope... change change change

bry623 · 05-18-2009, 06:39 AM

IF that were the case, I'd cancel my health insurance and get on the govt. plan. Save me some mega jack.

yustr · 05-18-2009, 09:50 AM

I think the elephant in the room is elimination of the insurance industry. (Yes, I live in the "insurance state".)

After all insurance is really only risk sharing - the many pay so a few can get sick. We've evolved to a employer based system because that's where the groups of people are. Why not a town based system? Not big enough? Maybe a county or state? Hey wait! Maybe the whole country. No can't do that. That would be socialistic.

How many people around the world, if looking to establish a health care system for their country would look to our's as their model?

bry623 · 05-18-2009, 10:44 AM

Who's is perfect?

yustr · 05-18-2009, 12:08 PM

Perfect? No one of course.

Quote:

While good at expensive, heroic care, Americans are very poor at the low-cost preventive care that keeps Europeans healthy, said Princeton University health economist Uwe Reinhardt.

Take prenatal care, vital to a healthy start in life. Reinhardt called France the world's role model, while many poor Americans never get prenatal care. HERE

Old report but I doubt we've moved up very much (WHO isn't ranking anymore). And yes, I know it depends on how you measure it.

bry623 · 05-18-2009, 02:17 PM

Exactly, so the world pretty much just takes it chances with whatever system is allowed to run in their society.

05-17-2009, 08:09 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jason Faugh a ballagh Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pasco, FL Posts: 8,415 OS: Windows Vista My System Blog Entries: 2	Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care WASHINGTON - Senators are considering limiting — but not eliminating — the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's overhaul plan and provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday that there are no easy options. Senators began grappling with how to finance guaranteed coverage for all Americans, even as independent experts put the costs at about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Obama sees a world in which doctors and hospitals compete to offer quality service at lower costs, and the savings help cover the uninsured. Turning that vision into reality remains the biggest challenge for the president and his backers, because hard cash — not just ideas — is required to cover upfront costs of expanding coverage. The final package is likely to include a mix of tax increases and spending cuts in federal health programs. Among the possibilities: tax hikes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and sugary soft drinks, and restrictions on other health care-related tax breaks, such as flexible spending accounts. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30704119/ __________________ Posting Tips \| Advice for New People \| Common Fixes \| Agus na damnaithe fágtha gan focal Glaoigh ormsa i measc na naomh

05-17-2009, 09:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
Drew1369 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 3,366 OS: Win7 Ultimate	Re: Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care Raising taxes on the poor anyone? tax tax tax... spend spend spend tax tax tax... spend spend spend hope hope hope... change change change __________________ We humans have a primal urge to kill because, thanks to natural selection, all the homo sapiens who didn't have a primal urge to kill, were themselves killed. http://obamaclock.org/

05-18-2009, 06:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 11,581 OS: winxp pro sp2	Re: Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care IF that were the case, I'd cancel my health insurance and get on the govt. plan. Save me some mega jack. __________________ I won a nobel prize too!!

05-18-2009, 09:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 5,981 OS: XP Pro My System	Re: Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care I think the elephant in the room is elimination of the insurance industry. (Yes, I live in the "insurance state".) After all insurance is really only risk sharing - the many pay so a few can get sick. We've evolved to a employer based system because that's where the groups of people are. Why not a town based system? Not big enough? Maybe a county or state? Hey wait! Maybe the whole country. No can't do that. That would be socialistic. How many people around the world, if looking to establish a health care system for their country would look to our's as their model? __________________ If there are lawyers or politicians involved, logic may be a very poor tool for reaching a conclusion.

05-18-2009, 10:44 AM	#5 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 11,581 OS: winxp pro sp2	Re: Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care Who's is perfect? __________________ I won a nobel prize too!!

05-18-2009, 02:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 11,581 OS: winxp pro sp2	Re: Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care Exactly, so the world pretty much just takes it chances with whatever system is allowed to run in their society. __________________ I won a nobel prize too!!