I can't believe I missed such a ripe opportunity.
Included in the Healthcare Reform Bill is a new tax on indoor tanning salons. Do you think that's an attempt by evil Democrats to make John Boehner pay for the whole thing himself?
Showing posts with label healthcare reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthcare reform. Show all posts
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
From Society of HR Mgmt
It's a mixed bag - lots of gloom and doom from the usual Repub suspects, and lots of wait-n-see from the analysts, and lots of No-Really-It's-Gonna-Work-We'll-Fix-It-Later from the Dems.
Employer Mandate?
Today's Quote
"Some of my libertarian friends balk at what looks like an individual mandate. But remember, someone has to pay for the health care that must, by law, be provided: Either the individual pays or the taxpayers pay. A free ride on government is not libertarian," - Mitt Romney, April 11, 2006. (hat tip to Sully)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
On What Just Happened
Some analysis of What Just Happened.
Some things to remember - like Cenk says, the bill addresses some of the worst aspects of Healthcare Insurance Coverage, but does precious little about the root causes. One thing Cenk doesn't mention is that if you attack Big Insurance and Big Pharma and Big BioMed, then you're attacking the people who work for those companies. The suits in the executive suites aren't going to sacrifice themselves in this battle. They're gonna put their workers on the line first; workers who have hopes and dreams and kids and mortgages and Voter Registration Cards.
Also, Dems who wanna gloat need to be ever-mindful of the simple fact that SCOTUS gave the hammer to Big Corporate in the Citizens United decision. I'd like to believe the current meme - that Repubs are in deep denial mode; they're in total disarray; that they're indulging in wishful thinking, probably just to put on a brave face for the party faithful; but I know for a stone fact that it's always a bad idea to underestimate the opponent.
Some things to remember - like Cenk says, the bill addresses some of the worst aspects of Healthcare Insurance Coverage, but does precious little about the root causes. One thing Cenk doesn't mention is that if you attack Big Insurance and Big Pharma and Big BioMed, then you're attacking the people who work for those companies. The suits in the executive suites aren't going to sacrifice themselves in this battle. They're gonna put their workers on the line first; workers who have hopes and dreams and kids and mortgages and Voter Registration Cards.
Also, Dems who wanna gloat need to be ever-mindful of the simple fact that SCOTUS gave the hammer to Big Corporate in the Citizens United decision. I'd like to believe the current meme - that Repubs are in deep denial mode; they're in total disarray; that they're indulging in wishful thinking, probably just to put on a brave face for the party faithful; but I know for a stone fact that it's always a bad idea to underestimate the opponent.
What Just Happened
1) Children cannot be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. (adults included starting in 2014)
2) Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
3) Seniors will get a rebate to fill the so-called "donut hole" in Medicare drug coverage, which severely limits prescription medication coverage expenditures over $2,700. As of next year, 50 percent of the donut hole will be filled.
4) Children can stay on their parents' plan until they turn 27.
5) Lifetime caps on the amount of insurance an individual can have will be banned. (Annual caps will be limited, and banned in 2014)
6) A temporary high-risk pool will be set up to cover adults with pre-existing conditions. Healthcare Exchanges will eliminate the need for that program in 2014.
7) New plans must cover checkups and other preventative care without co-pays. All plans will be affected by 2018.
8) Insurance companies can no longer cut someone when he or she gets sick.
9) Insurers must now reveal how much money is spent on overhead.
10) Any new plan must now implement an appeals process for coverage determinations and claims.
11) Tanning Salon Tax - this tax will impose a ten percent tax on indoor tanning services. This tax, which replaced the proposed tax on cosmetic surgery, would be effective for services on or after July 1, 2010.
12) New screening procedures will be implemented to help eliminate health insurance fraud and waste.
13) Medicare payment protections will be extended to small rural hospitals and other health care facilities that have a small number of Medicare patients.
14) Non-profit Blue Cross organizations will be required to maintain a medical loss ratio -- money spent on procedures versus money coming in -- of 85 percent or higher to take advantage of IRS tax benefits.
15) Chain restaurants will be required to provide a "nutrient content disclosure statement" alongside their items. Expect to see calories listed both on in-store and drive-through menus of fast-food restaurants sometime soon.
16) The bill establishes a temporary program for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55‐64 in order to help reduce the often-expensive cost of that coverage.
17) The Secretary of Health and Human Services will set up a new Web site to make it easy for Americans in any state to seek out affordable health insurance options The site will also include helpful information for small businesses.
18) A two‐year temporary credit (up to a maximum of $1 billion) is in the bill to encourage investment in new therapies for the prevention and treatement of diseases.
2) Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
3) Seniors will get a rebate to fill the so-called "donut hole" in Medicare drug coverage, which severely limits prescription medication coverage expenditures over $2,700. As of next year, 50 percent of the donut hole will be filled.
4) Children can stay on their parents' plan until they turn 27.
5) Lifetime caps on the amount of insurance an individual can have will be banned. (Annual caps will be limited, and banned in 2014)
6) A temporary high-risk pool will be set up to cover adults with pre-existing conditions. Healthcare Exchanges will eliminate the need for that program in 2014.
7) New plans must cover checkups and other preventative care without co-pays. All plans will be affected by 2018.
8) Insurance companies can no longer cut someone when he or she gets sick.
9) Insurers must now reveal how much money is spent on overhead.
10) Any new plan must now implement an appeals process for coverage determinations and claims.
11) Tanning Salon Tax - this tax will impose a ten percent tax on indoor tanning services. This tax, which replaced the proposed tax on cosmetic surgery, would be effective for services on or after July 1, 2010.
12) New screening procedures will be implemented to help eliminate health insurance fraud and waste.
13) Medicare payment protections will be extended to small rural hospitals and other health care facilities that have a small number of Medicare patients.
14) Non-profit Blue Cross organizations will be required to maintain a medical loss ratio -- money spent on procedures versus money coming in -- of 85 percent or higher to take advantage of IRS tax benefits.
15) Chain restaurants will be required to provide a "nutrient content disclosure statement" alongside their items. Expect to see calories listed both on in-store and drive-through menus of fast-food restaurants sometime soon.
16) The bill establishes a temporary program for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55‐64 in order to help reduce the often-expensive cost of that coverage.
17) The Secretary of Health and Human Services will set up a new Web site to make it easy for Americans in any state to seek out affordable health insurance options The site will also include helpful information for small businesses.
18) A two‐year temporary credit (up to a maximum of $1 billion) is in the bill to encourage investment in new therapies for the prevention and treatement of diseases.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Whatever Will We Do?
The handwringing over at RedState.com is really fun to watch right now. This post is classic. And there's quite a little spat that breaks out in the comments. It gets to be a real hoot about 1/3 of the way down when the poster (Neil Stevens) gets into it with a reader AKA'd as eastbaylarry.
It could be interesting - especially so if Erick Erickson continues what looks like an attempt to widen the Republicans' appeal (I assume to attract the ever-elusive Independent Voter), while at the some time narrowing the party's identity by chasing out The Birthers and The Nullifiers, etc.
It could be interesting - especially so if Erick Erickson continues what looks like an attempt to widen the Republicans' appeal (I assume to attract the ever-elusive Independent Voter), while at the some time narrowing the party's identity by chasing out The Birthers and The Nullifiers, etc.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Who Speaks For "The Church"?
Catholic nuns urge passage of Obama's health bill
WASHINGTON — Catholic nuns are urging Congress to pass President Barack Obama's health care plan, in an unusual public break with bishops who say it would subsidize abortion.
Some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns Wednesday sent lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the Senate health care bill. It contains restrictions on abortion funding that the bishops say don't go far enough.
The letter says that "despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions." The letter says the legislation also will help support pregnant women and "this is the real pro-life stance."
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
As usual, big organizations have factions; people who aren't just gonna go along with whatever the suits decide. So the nuns are standing up and calling 'bullshit' on their leadership. Go nuns!
As usual, big organizations have factions; people who aren't just gonna go along with whatever the suits decide. So the nuns are standing up and calling 'bullshit' on their leadership. Go nuns!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Cost Of "Living"
"Healthcare Reform" right now is all about "reforming" the way we do the insurance part of it. I've been thinking the process has to deal with 2 main parts - the cost of insurance, and the cost of care itself. Now I think we're looking at breaking it down a little further and directing the effort first at getting as many people covered as possible, and then taking another look at what it all costs so we can start trying to figure out ways to push down on those costs.
Here's a look at what's been happening to the premiums we pay if we get insurance thru our employers:
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Taibbi On Healthcare Reform
As much as Obamacare sucks, though, the alternative is even worse. For one thing, the defeat of Obama's health care initiative would set a decisive precedent: that even a transcendently popular new president armed with a congressional supermonopoly is forbidden to so much as put a regulatory finger on an organized, politically connected industry. For another thing, Obama's pukish bungling of health care may achieve what previously seemed impossible: exhuming the syphilitic corpse of George W. Bush's Republican Party, and, shit, who knows, maybe eight years of President Sarah Palin.
Read it all here.
Friday, February 19, 2010
We Are So Fucked
So WellPoint in California decided to postpone their 30+% increase in premiums because there was quite a bit of backlash (ie:outrage across the land), but guess what? The Blues of Michigan are planning to announce an increase of up to 56%, and Anthem in Maine is asking the insurance regulators for a 23% pop.
Timing is everything - these guys are pushing up the premiums for what I think are probably some logical "business" reasons.
1) They believe they've beaten back the parts of the reform effort that push them into "competing" harder against one another - or against the government.
2) They figure that whatever piece-of-crap makes it outa the US Congress, it'll carry an Individual Mandate, and in return, they'll have to accept all comers so they're trying to boost the revenue now in order to deal with the losses later. (Ya gotta remember; the mandate carries the guaranty that tax dollars will be available to help buy insurance for people who can't afford the premiums that are being jacked up right now)
3) They're asking for big increases now so they can give a little on the price later, which makes 'em look a little more like the good guys they need us to think they are, and still turn a nice profit. This is every used car manager's favorite gimmick - a day before the "Big Blowout Sale", they boost the price by $2500, and then allow the prospect to beat 'em out of a $1200 discount.
BTW: If any of Our Esteemed Representatives get outa line, the big money on K Street now has the hammer - SCOTUS took care of that one a little while back.
In the end, we're gonna pay the cost of healthcare insurance for everybody (almost everybody) one way or another. "Conservatives" want us to pay for insurance plus profit margin plus administrative costs plus shareholder equity plus management bonuses and perks. "Liberals" wanna pay for insurance plus administration costs. I wonder which approach makes more sense from a Smart-Business-Practice perspective.
Timing is everything - these guys are pushing up the premiums for what I think are probably some logical "business" reasons.
1) They believe they've beaten back the parts of the reform effort that push them into "competing" harder against one another - or against the government.
2) They figure that whatever piece-of-crap makes it outa the US Congress, it'll carry an Individual Mandate, and in return, they'll have to accept all comers so they're trying to boost the revenue now in order to deal with the losses later. (Ya gotta remember; the mandate carries the guaranty that tax dollars will be available to help buy insurance for people who can't afford the premiums that are being jacked up right now)
3) They're asking for big increases now so they can give a little on the price later, which makes 'em look a little more like the good guys they need us to think they are, and still turn a nice profit. This is every used car manager's favorite gimmick - a day before the "Big Blowout Sale", they boost the price by $2500, and then allow the prospect to beat 'em out of a $1200 discount.
BTW: If any of Our Esteemed Representatives get outa line, the big money on K Street now has the hammer - SCOTUS took care of that one a little while back.
In the end, we're gonna pay the cost of healthcare insurance for everybody (almost everybody) one way or another. "Conservatives" want us to pay for insurance plus profit margin plus administrative costs plus shareholder equity plus management bonuses and perks. "Liberals" wanna pay for insurance plus administration costs. I wonder which approach makes more sense from a Smart-Business-Practice perspective.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
We Are So Fucked
News outa California has Well Point ready to raise their rates by as much as 39%. They say the cost of healthcare is jumping up big - it takes a lot to keep somebody in a hospital bed; younger people choose to spend their paychecks on something other than health insurance; people who get laid off can't afford insurance; so the pool of insured people shrinks, and on average, gets older and sicker and cost the insurer more (duh).
So what do we need to do? Let's raise taxes on the middle class. That's what's happening, guys. Say it any way you wanna say it, but the system of mostly private; under-regulated mini-monopolies behaves like any unelected bureaucracy behaves when it's not really accountable to anybody. The Executive Committee takes a look at the marketing numbers, and they decide you've got a few extra bucks that you're currently spending on movies or weekend hobbies or whatever; and they decide you'll prob'ly sit still for an increase in your premiums of about x%. They're taxing you, plain and simple, and you've got nothin' to say about it.
And let's not kid ourselves about how the virtues of the free market will balance things out for us because if one company goes overboard, another will rise to challenge it. Bullshit. Markets in this country are anything but free. They've long since been captured by a few very giant conglomerates. And since SCOTUS decided companies are the same as people, the path is clear for them now to finish the job of taking us back to the good old days of aristocracy and noble entitlement - everything and everywhere is owned by some private entity, with a ruling class making all the laws and all the decisions; and handing down the power and the wealth to their semi-literate offspring.
Welcome back to the 18th century.
So what do we need to do? Let's raise taxes on the middle class. That's what's happening, guys. Say it any way you wanna say it, but the system of mostly private; under-regulated mini-monopolies behaves like any unelected bureaucracy behaves when it's not really accountable to anybody. The Executive Committee takes a look at the marketing numbers, and they decide you've got a few extra bucks that you're currently spending on movies or weekend hobbies or whatever; and they decide you'll prob'ly sit still for an increase in your premiums of about x%. They're taxing you, plain and simple, and you've got nothin' to say about it.
And let's not kid ourselves about how the virtues of the free market will balance things out for us because if one company goes overboard, another will rise to challenge it. Bullshit. Markets in this country are anything but free. They've long since been captured by a few very giant conglomerates. And since SCOTUS decided companies are the same as people, the path is clear for them now to finish the job of taking us back to the good old days of aristocracy and noble entitlement - everything and everywhere is owned by some private entity, with a ruling class making all the laws and all the decisions; and handing down the power and the wealth to their semi-literate offspring.
Welcome back to the 18th century.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Crystal Ball
Fixing healthcare will not fix the economy. But if you don't fix healthcare, you can't fix the economy.
Here's a nice peek into the future of the debt from a CBO report put out a year before Obama took office.
Here's a nice peek into the future of the debt from a CBO report put out a year before Obama took office.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Friday, December 18, 2009
White House Conference Call
This is the Q&A part.
David Axelrod makes a couple of great points:
1) If the Senate version of HC Reform is so bad, the insurance lobby wouldn't still be fighting so hard to kill it. There are some heavy regulatory reform items that should do good things for insurance consumers. For me, that's a pretty big deal.
2) Overall, getting something passed is better that getting nothing passed. I still have big doubts about the mandate, and they will stay with me until I hear something that balances it out.
The kicker is that this remains a must win for Obama.
David Axelrod makes a couple of great points:
1) If the Senate version of HC Reform is so bad, the insurance lobby wouldn't still be fighting so hard to kill it. There are some heavy regulatory reform items that should do good things for insurance consumers. For me, that's a pretty big deal.
2) Overall, getting something passed is better that getting nothing passed. I still have big doubts about the mandate, and they will stay with me until I hear something that balances it out.
The kicker is that this remains a must win for Obama.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Random Ramblings - Healthcare Reform
Obama has to get something passed that he can spin as Healthcare Reform - if he doesn't, it's hard to see how he isn't the new Jimmy Carter.
As it stands, the Senate version of HCR looks a whole lot like a siphon, transferring my tax dollars into the coffers of Big Insurance. There's a possibility that it's just enough to be a framework for something better down the road, but I have my doubts. We'll have to see what happens to it in Conference.
We can call it Lieberman's Revenge. As always, there's something going on here that we don't get to see, and prob'ly there are several somethings going on that we don't get to see; a hint of which is Howard Dean coming out against the bill, saying they should killl it and start over with the Reconciliation approach. That sounds like it's personal.
What else aren't they telling us?
As it stands, the Senate version of HCR looks a whole lot like a siphon, transferring my tax dollars into the coffers of Big Insurance. There's a possibility that it's just enough to be a framework for something better down the road, but I have my doubts. We'll have to see what happens to it in Conference.
We can call it Lieberman's Revenge. As always, there's something going on here that we don't get to see, and prob'ly there are several somethings going on that we don't get to see; a hint of which is Howard Dean coming out against the bill, saying they should killl it and start over with the Reconciliation approach. That sounds like it's personal.
What else aren't they telling us?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Like It Is
Old reliable, 60 minutes.
We have a ridiculously hard time even talking about issues of living and dying - especially when we allow politicians to freak us out with rhetoric aimed at making us afraid and distrustful. We are fast becoming a nation of whiny-butt pussies. Why do we continue to listen to anybody who deliberately misleads us in cynical attempts to manipulate our behavior?
Watch CBS News Videos Online
We have a ridiculously hard time even talking about issues of living and dying - especially when we allow politicians to freak us out with rhetoric aimed at making us afraid and distrustful. We are fast becoming a nation of whiny-butt pussies. Why do we continue to listen to anybody who deliberately misleads us in cynical attempts to manipulate our behavior?
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Healthcare Reform
OK, so we have a bill out of the House that costs a trillion dollars and covers about 96% of us; we're getting a bill from the Senate that costs about $850 billion and covers 94% (even tho' Schumer says 98%).
Whatever.
I'm not crazy about spending a lot more money on much of anything right now, but I'm willing to do it if we can do something worthwhile like getting out from under the burden of bigger and bigger insurance premiums - but what strikes me as odd is that it seems like people are expecting me to jump up and down cheering for a plan that costs a lot, puts a big pile of tax dollars in the pockets of big insurance AND still leaves somewhere between 6 and 15 million people without health insurance coverage. I'm unimpressed, and I'm wondering just what the fuck is wrong with us.
Whatever.
I'm not crazy about spending a lot more money on much of anything right now, but I'm willing to do it if we can do something worthwhile like getting out from under the burden of bigger and bigger insurance premiums - but what strikes me as odd is that it seems like people are expecting me to jump up and down cheering for a plan that costs a lot, puts a big pile of tax dollars in the pockets of big insurance AND still leaves somewhere between 6 and 15 million people without health insurance coverage. I'm unimpressed, and I'm wondering just what the fuck is wrong with us.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)