Health Care Bill

[MacUser]

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/d ... care-bill-

...the IRS provision in the bill "dangerously expands, in an ominous way the tentacles of the IRS and it's reach into every American family," he said today during a press conference.

Boustany said the bill would allow the IRS to confiscate refunds if there are penalties for not buying health care.

Lawmakers have questioned whether the IRS can handle the increased workload to oversee, administer and collect penalties for people who don't buy health insurance.

.. Assuming it becomes law, the Congressional Budget Office expects the IRS will need roughly $10 billion over the next 10 years and nearly 17,000 new employees to meet its new responsibilities under health reform.

*******

WHEN these Same Federal Employes owe Millions?
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Tax/1000 ... d=10125860

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is irked that nearly 100,000 civilian federal employees owe the IRS $962 million in back taxes. He thinks they should pay up or be fired.

Is this recent Health Care Ram a display of the worst in politics?

[MacUser]

Our United States Congress did the deed by a simple majority.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul

Obama states: "This is what change looks like," Obama said later in televised remarks that stirred memories of his 2008 campaign promise of "change we can believe in."

"We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people."


and to be fair and balanced:

Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," McCain, who was Obama's GOP rival in the 2008 presidential campaign, said that "outside the Beltway, the American people are very angry. They don't like it, and we're going to repeal this."

[MacUser]

And this if for the prolife Democrats among us.

A last-minute deal with a critical group of anti-abortion lawmakers Sunday afternoon sealed Democrats' victory. The leader of the anti-abortion bloc, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., didn't get to add stricter anti-abortion language to the underlying bill, but was satisfied by an executive order signed by Obama affirming current law and provisions in the legislation that ban federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother.

Obama's Executive Order Abortion Feedback:
President Obama’s Abortion Executive Order Pleases No One — Other Than Rep. Bart Stupak
http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2010/03/2 ... rt-stupak/

The executive order the White House has prepared for President Obama to sign to restate a prohibition of federal funding of abortion has won the support of an anti-abortion Democrat in Congress — but few other partisans on either side of the abortion debate.

.. Other than Stupak, Obama’s order appears to have won over scant other support. Indeed, Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.) — Stupak’s legislative partner in an earlier anti-abortion amendment to the reform bill — rejected the order as a solution. “An executive order … doesn’t trump a statute,” Pitts says, charging that the reform bill will allow abortion funding.


Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a prominent Washington social-conservative organization. “By offering an executive order as a so-called solution, President Obama is finally admitting there is a problem with a bill that would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions for the first time in over three decades,” Perkins says.

“However, there is no way that an executive order will protect the unborn or prevent the greatest expansion of elective abortion since Roe v. Wade.
“Pro-life lawmakers would be making a serious mistake to trust those who have repeatedly attempted to mislead the American people into believing that abortion is not in the bill,” Perkins adds.

NOW 'incensed' over anti-abortion executive order
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/21/no ... ive-order/

Slamming President Obama, saying that he had broken his faith with women by agreeing to issue an executive order that prohibits federal funding for abortions.

To pay for the changes, the legislation includes more than $400 billion in higher taxes over a decade and cuts more than $500 billion from planned payments to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and other providers that treat Medicare patients.

[MacUser]

ObamaCare Day One
Companies are already warning about higher health-care costs.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... ns_opinion

Caterpillar said it would cost the company at least $100 million more in the first year alone. Medical device maker Medtronic warned that new taxes on its products could force it to lay off a thousand workers. Now Verizon joins the roll of businesses staring at adverse consequences.

Most consulting firms and independent analysts say the higher costs will induce some companies to drop drug coverage, which could affect about five million retirees and 3,500 businesses. Verizon and other large corporations warned about this outcome.

So much for Mr. Obama's claim that if you like your coverage, you can keep it—even at Fortune 500 companies. A Verizon spokesman said the company is merely addressing employee questions about ObamaCare, not making a political statement.

*****

Interesting.

[MacUser]

Yet More Benefits:



‘Seeing’ Red at Reconciliation over Medicine Cabinet Tax

http://biggovernment.com/jberlau/2010/0 ... binet-tax/

But one of the first things millions of Americans will “see” is an effective 40 percent tax hike on the over-the-counter medicines – from an antihistamine such as Claritin for allergies, pain relief medicine such as Tylenol or Excedrin, Pedialyte to prevent their kids from becoming dehydrated when they are sick, and even prenatal vitamins if they are expecting another one.

All of these items have two things in common. One is that they are classified as “over the counter” (OTC) medicines and available without a doctor’s prescription. The other is that if you pay for any of these items with money in your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) – and according to this guide from FSA administrator Benesyst , all of these are eligible expenses — you will face an effective tax increase of up to 40 percent on these items in the health care bill that President Obama recently signed.

*******

Like Pelosi said.. "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it," ( 5th paragraph from bottom )

Whoo Hoo.. 40% more for OTC medication. Change we can believe in!

[MacUser]

AT&T to Book $1 Billion Cost on Health-Care Reform

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-0 ... ate1-.html

AT&T, the biggest U.S. phone company, joins Caterpillar Inc., AK Steel Holding Corp. and 3M Co. in recording non-cash expenses against earnings as a result of the law.

AT&T previously received a tax-free benefit from the government to subsidize health-care costs for retirees, who would otherwise be on a Medicare Part D plan. Under the new bill, AT&T will no longer be able to deduct that subsidy.

“As a result of this legislation, including the additional tax burden, AT&T will be evaluating prospective changes to the active and retiree health-care benefits offered by the company,” the carrier said in the filing.

********


I thought Obama said they could keep their health care plan if they wanted to?

[EagerBeaver]

WE GET IT ALREADY

[MacUser]

WE GET IT ALREADY

Hey.. this is just the beginning my friend.... and I want to chronicle all the fallout.

[Brian]

WE GET IT ALREADY

chris, I don't get why more people are not talking about this stuff!

[EagerBeaver]

WE GET IT ALREADY

Hey.. this is just the beginning my friend.... and I want to chronicle all the fallout.

Well you have fun, it's part of the reason I barely visit here anymore. I don't need more talking points from the political arena.

[MacUser]

WE GET IT ALREADY

Hey.. this is just the beginning my friend.... and I want to chronicle all the fallout.

Well you have fun, it's part of the reason I barely visit here anymore. I don't need more talking points from the political arena.

Eager
To each his own my young friend. Some of us here run businesses and need to be prepared for the real world.

Peace and Grace to you in all your future endeavors!