History has been made last night. For nearly 100 years efforts have gone unsuccessfully to establish Universal Health care in America. TAXES!!!! I believe has been the main reason health care hasn't been passed. In this country we don't have Health Care we have SICK care. If you have never had insurance you constantly live in fear having some unknown condition or are stressed over impending medical bills. I was uninsured from aged 19-21, my dad lost his job when they moved to NJ, and I was already away at college. Thank god for the school's health center, but they had no eye care or dental. I have terrible eye site and wore glasses since age 7, I ended up paying 700-800$ for eye care out of pocket. I eventually found out I was eligible for Medicaid as a NY state student over a winter break.
Guess what? This plan is not going to happen tomorrow. Your taxes won't sky rocket next week. Last night it seemed like the Republicans were more concerned about Abortion than potentially saving the lives of Americans. One senator even shouted BABY KILLER! The infant mortality rate in this country is high due to lack of prenatal care and uninsured mothers. Hospitals are closing are being stuck with unpaid bills. (St. vincents)
Thank you Mr. President for finally making a change.
Even sooner, in 2013, affluent families with annual income above $250,000 would 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. And eventually, the most expensive insurance policies would be subject to a new tax.NY TIMES MARCH 21s 2010
The Uninsured
Although most Americans who do not obtain health insurance would face a federal penalty starting in 2014, many experts question how strict the enforcement of that penalty would actually be.
The first year, consumers who did not have insurance would owe $95, or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater. But the penalty would subsequently rise, reaching $695, or 2 percent of income.
Families who fall below the income-tax filing thresholds would not owe anything. Nor would people who cannot find a policy that costs less than 8 percent of their income, said Sara R. Collins, a vice president at the Commonwealth Fund, an independent nonprofit research group.
EXPANDED MEDICAID More lower-income individuals under the age of 65 would be covered by Medicaid, the federal health insurance plan for the poor. 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, would be eligible.
EXCHANGES AND SUBSIDIES Most other uninsured people would 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) would be eligible for premium subsidies through the exchanges.
Premiums would also be capped at a percentage of income, ranging from 3 percent of income to as much as 9.5 percent. Those With Insurance
EMPLOYER COVERAGE People who receive coverage through large employers would be unlikely to see any drastic changes, nor should premiums or coverage be affected. But almost everyone would benefit from new regulations, like the ban on pre-existing conditions that would apply to all policies come 2014.
There might even be cases where people would be eligible to buy insurance through an exchange instead of through their employer, Professor Jost said: those who must pay more than 9.5 percent of their income for premiums, or those whose plans do not cover more than 60 percent of the cost their benefits.
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 — would be eliminated by 2020. Starting immediately, consumers who hit the gap would receive a $250 rebate. In 2011, they would receive a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs.
HIGH-COST INSURANCE Starting in 2018, employers that offer workers pricier plans — or those with total premiums of $10,200 or more for singles and $27,500 for families — would be subject to a 40 percent tax on the excess premium, said C. Clinton Stretch, managing principal of tax policy at Deloitte. Retirees and workers in high-risk professions like firefighting would have higher thresholds ($11,850 for singles, or $30,950 for families), pegged to inflation.
