WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama's plans to overhaul the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry got a boost on Tuesday in the House of Representatives where Democrats predicted passage on schedule by August.
House leaders from Obama's Democratic party were set to release the final proposal in the afternoon with a planned tax on the wealthy to raise an expected $540 billion over 10 years to help pay for expanded care.
Health insurance is a top priority for Obama, who took office in January. Millions of Americans are without health insurance, even though the country spends more on healthcare per capita than anywhere else.
"The president made it very clear that this was his Number One priority," and wanted it done prior to the congressional August break, House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer told a weekly news conference.
"We believe this can be done," he said.
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21 comments:
Can't wait. My company spends in excess of $100k per year on health benefits for our employees. I'm going to cancel and let them go to the free stuff!! More money for me!!!
Rich people own businesses, sure we want to piss them off right now?
I can't want for FREE Health Care. They won't be taxing my broke butt. A big thanks to the rich folk... I love Obama!!! and Socialism!!! Give Me, Give Me, Give Me
I have never seen a man talk so much and say so little , Obama
will be and is the downfall of this country.
Healthcare for all. It's a right. Nuff said.
There goes the end of the best health care in the world. Someone will be paying for it and we know who. Every hard working American that has a job or two jobs trying to ma
ke ends meet, will be paying in taxes. Nothing is free my friend the money has to come from somewhere.You will not find federal government employees on the free system. Because they know the best doctors won't accept peanuts for pay. So we will have all the second rate quacks. Then we will wait in lines just to see the quacks. And god forbid we need an operation because we may have to wait six months for that even though we only have one month to live without it. Not only that when the government controls health care
you will see them controling all of your life. Oh yeah smoking causes too much disease therefore it is costing us too much money in health care. So we better just outlaw smoking, and on and on and on. Yeah and when my grandfather needs an operation to save his life Denied because he is too old he is just going to die anyway we will need that spot for someone younger. How do you like that.
If Healthcare is a "right" do you also think that food is a right, that shelter is a right? If thats the case then it would be our right to waltz into Giant and take food? To saunter into any house and take up residence? That everyone deserves to be taken care of regardless if they contribute or help any type of productive service?
4:05,
Yes, yes, no, no, and "it depends"
Obama and Hitler, there's really not that much difference Obama's finale
solution is going to take a little longer to achieve that's all
You people need a clue. We currently spend more per capita on healthcare than we would if everyone were on Medicare. We spend much more than other countries with universal coverage and which are well known for quality care and innovation.
You are shooting yourselves in the foot.
It's not going to be free, no one with a brain says it's going to be free. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is going to derail Single Payer which would make the most sense of all the plans, But those who buy into the public option, employees and employers, self employeds et al, will be paying their premiums into the same program they will use when they retire, instead of handing over 50 years of premiums to insurance companies, only to end up in Medicare anyway.
The way we are doing it now is what's hurting you. Wake up.
Think the dems will even read it before they sign it this time???
4:32,
Really? Obama's going to kill over 10 million people, and bring a vicious war to the entire planet? Do you REALLY believe that?
Anon 2:33
It will NOT be just rich people paying for this healthcare,it will also be lower to middle class working people,those who make too much money for any assistance but are struggling to pay premiums on already sub-par coverage.
Exactly djh. I simply don't understand why more people don't just look at the plan before their knee-jerk "guv'ment bad!" reaction kicks in.
4:32 - Correct
8:43 - absolutely! like 4:43 said, its going to take more time for him to destroy America then it would have taken Hitler.
What ever happens with the Health Care Bill, the richest people on earth will get their way.
Our government is not capable of looking out for us. Get real. They are told how to vote, and the bills are 1000's of pages long sometimes. Most of the time, the Congress doesn't even read the bills before voting on them. The corporate interests will be taken care of. Once the government starts paying for the insurance it will become hugely expensive. The government pays 100's of dollars for toilet seats, etc, Remember?
I don't believe for a minute that the majority of the middle and lower class are asking for FREE health care.
I am middle class, or at least used to be and what I'm looking for is AFFORDABLE health insurance. Give ma policy with a reasonable premium, a reasonable deductible and I will gladly buy a policy because I will be able to afford one.
It HAS to be cheaper this way than having all these people uninsured and filing bankruptcy due to medical bills.
As I see it, if you do this, EVERYBODY wins, the patient, the doctors, the hospital AND the government.
There USED to be policies like this out there but not anymore. Now, in order for me to be able to afford the premiums, I'm looking at a $5,000 deductible with an 80/20 split, no prescription coverage and no co-pay. I cannot afford $5,000 in medical expenses in a year's time along with over $400 a month in premiums.
THAT is what is wrong with the health insurance industry, they got greedy, just like a bunch of other big companies and now we're all paying for it in the end.
Several years ago, I had a policy which carried a $1,000 deductible, no prescription card, no co-pay but it paid 100% after the deductible and my premium was less than $300/month. I didn't run to the doctor for every little ache and pain because it still cost me money to go to the doctor. That was fine. I knew that if I broke a bone or had some other non-minor illness that I would not find myself in bankruptcy court due to not being able to pay the medical bills.
I just wish someone within the powers that be would realize this is all a SIMPLE fix when you get right down to it, atleast is is IMO.
10:35,
wow. you REALLY believe that, don't you? Insanity.
I wanted to add something to my previous comment on this post....sorry its long but I hope you will print it.
I just found out today that because my husband was diagnosed with diabetes just a month after getting BCBS thru his employer,they have deemed him "pre-existing" and will not pay any claims related to his illness.Great,huh?We pay approximately $90 a week for coverage and still get stuck with doctor bills.My husband busts his a*s to take care of his family and is trying to do the right thing by paying for health insurance and gets penalized because he had the audacity to get sick before this "pre-existing time period" was up.If either of us are diagnosed with any serious illness before this time period is up in November,we are screwed because it will fall under "pre-existing".How many other Americans are dealing with this same problem?How many people have lost their homes and had to file bankruptcy because they HAD insurance and claims were denied?
The funny thing is if he refused to work and had a medicaid card,he would be %100 covered,no pre-existing clause,no denial of coverage.Am I daft,or is there something very wrong with this picture?
Nationalized healthcare is not the cure all,but reform is sorely needed.People are dying and/or going into debt because their health is being micromanaged by insurance companies.What effect is THAT having on our economy?
Bluto,
You hit the nail on the head.
The poor get health care, the rich get health care, but the middle class like you and me are squeezed out.
We need a public option to pick up the pieces in the middle that keep getting dropped by the insurance companies.
Not to mention cost (like you alluded to). How many small businesses are saddled with the cost of health care? How many otherwise healthy workers can't get good health care, then get sick, and now can't work as efficiently.
BILLIONS lost
Thanks for the reply,Chuck.Heres another Catch 22,in order for them to pay up,we have to prove hubby did not have diabetes before this.Well prior to this his last physical was 2006-he did not have one in 2007 because we had no insurance!Gotta love it.Now he cannot even ditch them and get his own policy because he has this condition.Something has got to be done.
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