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| Thread: Well, the US now has an insurance mandate |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 · NEXT» |
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mvassilev
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posted March 22, 2010 05:47 AM |
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Well, the US now has an insurance mandate
Which means we have universal health care of sorts.
I hope you leftists are happy. 
Among other things:
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WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT
*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.
*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011
*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.
*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.
*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012
*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.
*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013
*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.
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Binabik
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posted March 22, 2010 05:58 AM |
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Yea, I just saw that. Congress has to pay for this. Somebody is going to die. Hopefully a lot of somebodies will die. This CAN'T be allowed to happen no matter what the cost.
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Mytical
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Chaos seeking Harmony
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posted March 22, 2010 06:07 AM |
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We knew it was coming unfortunately. The 'ram it down our throats' mandate. Doesn't matter what anybody thought or had to say about it.
Do I like the idea of health care for everybody? Heck yes! Even I am a bit Ill about this, however. It is a bloated mess, and we really had no say in what happened.
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mvassilev
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posted March 22, 2010 06:44 AM |
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Quote:
Hopefully a lot of somebodies will die.
That's not a good thing to hope for.
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Binabik
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posted March 22, 2010 07:08 AM |
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Maybe not, but maybe they should have thought of that before voting on this atrocious legislation.
Governments exist only by permission. The US government no longer has permission to exist.
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Xerox
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posted March 22, 2010 07:21 AM |
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YES!
A very good step forward. Now the US can spend some money on helping their own country instead of wars.
Everybody should always have the right to health care.
Even though the US still has a long way to go compared to other countries in the west.
I really hope it works out.
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Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
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Binabik
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posted March 22, 2010 07:34 AM |
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You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. And no, I'm not going to explain it. There have been multiple threads about this subject.
The time for discussion is over. The time for democracy is over. The people who voted for this are enemies of the state and will be treated as such.
Keep in mind that my views are VERY mild compared to tens of thousands of others.
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DagothGares
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No gods or kings
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posted March 22, 2010 07:37 AM |
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It's the people's fault for electing Obama and those senators, bin, you have the possibility to correct that mistake in two years. If the same people stay in power, then the people doesn't mind as much as you say.
This is how democracy works.
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JoonasTo
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What if Elvin was female?
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posted March 22, 2010 07:45 AM |
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Universal health care of sorts? Not even close.
Good thing? Yes and no. Corrects some issues. Not nearly all of them and still keeps the bureocracy that costs humongously. 400 billion dollars a year if I recall correctly.
A big fail for Obama and his team. Badly taken care of. This should have been handled professionally, not like this. It got populous, misinformated and complicated with the process taking too long without clear information from the government itself.
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Mytical
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Chaos seeking Harmony
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posted March 22, 2010 07:45 AM |
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Unfortunately (and I know what I am going to say will be unpopular) it doesn't matter who would have gotten elected. Special interests control the government. Republicans and Democrats are the same animal in different suits. People give the President WAY too much credit (or blame)...
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DagothGares
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posted March 22, 2010 07:50 AM |
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Quote:
Unfortunately (and I know what I am going to say will be unpopular) it doesn't matter who would have gotten elected. Special interests control the government. Republicans and Democrats are the same animal in different suits. People give the President WAY too much credit (or blame)...
Politicians put through legislation.
You elect politicians.
This isn't naive, this is what it is.
Don't go crying about the politicians, because all of you put them there.
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If you have any more questions, go to Dagoth Cares.
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Mytical
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Chaos seeking Harmony
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posted March 22, 2010 07:53 AM |
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Oh really? Then explain Bush's second term? How he LOST the popular vote, but STILL got into office? Hmm?
Oh wait, I am just a concpiracy nut. *shrugs*. I think a lot of people are naive about our so called political system.
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DagothGares
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No gods or kings
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posted March 22, 2010 07:56 AM |
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Quote:
Oh really? Then explain Bush's second term? How he LOST the popular vote, but STILL got into office? Hmm?
Oh wait, I am just a concpiracy nut. *shrugs*. I think a lot of people are naive about our so called political system.
Well, that's just your system of voting... You need to win states, not the majority of the people...
About that particular election...
I wouldn't know much for certain...
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Mytical
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Chaos seeking Harmony
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posted March 22, 2010 08:07 AM |
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There is question on the validity of him winning the states needed also..but again it really doesn't matter.
See, yes..we elect the people who get in, but they are not the people we elect. Let me explain. We elect the people who come accross as the person who would best represent us, but often as soon as they are elected..they turn 180 degrees. Not for abortion rights pre election, suddenly for it post election, or vice versa. They change their mind on a whim (or .. for money depending on who you ask), and change it back just as quick..so if NOBODY can be trusted..it comes down to the best of the worst.
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del_diablo
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Manifest
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posted March 22, 2010 08:16 AM |
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So going thread after this:
*Armed revolution?
*Or wait until hell is over?
Can't say that Bush did anything better either 
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Binabik
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posted March 22, 2010 08:46 AM |
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From the US Declaration of Independence from Britain. These are the principles upon which this country was founded. (bold is mine)
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
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bixie
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my common sense is tingling!
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posted March 22, 2010 09:11 AM |
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jesus, what are people so up in arms about? the obama admin has just saying, really "insurance companies, you can't worm you're way out of not paying up to the plaintives, do your job!"
"the leftists are happy" HAH! obviously politics in america is on the right side of the spectrum.
everyone knows that I'm from the UK, and it is just hilarious to see people from the USA moan and get outraged at having steps to get free healthcare. This could save alot of lives, you do realise that. frankly the american conservatives make maggie thatcher look like an amateur, its brilliant!
oh gods I think this has to be one of the funniest threads out there. this bill is helping people who can't help themselves, the poorest of the poor, and rather than agree with it, you moan and whine that it's going to come out of you're taxes, despite the fact that you guys have the lowest tax rate in 1st world countries.
Truly, this says alot about the american way.
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Mytical
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Chaos seeking Harmony
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posted March 22, 2010 09:15 AM |
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You obviously havn't seen the bloated mess they are calling universal health care. Hey, I am one of the uninsurable people that this bill 'supposedly' is going to help. I have pre-existing conditions that absolutely bar me from qualifying for medical insurance. I would LOVE universal health care.
Not this mess though. Tons of pork that has nothing to do with health care, and who knows what else is stuck in that whale of a proposal. I doubt if 1% of the people even have read it, let alone understand it.
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bixie
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my common sense is tingling!
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posted March 22, 2010 09:29 AM |
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then... shouldn't it be the job of the government to make the information readily available to everyone?
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Mytical
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Chaos seeking Harmony
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posted March 22, 2010 09:31 AM |
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Should be? Absolutely. Just understand that the average person could read it cover to cover, word for word, and still have no clue.
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