obama promised the redistribution of wealth and he is definitely keeping that promise.

...or just let Goldman Sachs pay for it. ;-)

Why do they not just instute a pole tax.

The runway premiums might explain why the middle class and housing market collapsed. Today the costs running out of control have led the people worrying about losing their job, coverage, and denial of care to save the stimulus money increasing the unemployment index.

I don't see how charging the rich for health benefits is the answer to our problems. I don't make a million dollars but I can't support this. It goes way beyond that. We need to stop allowing the drug companies to advertise their poison on TV every 5 minutes, improve our food by removing much of the stuff that makes us sick to begin with, educate the people on preventative and nutrition, and introduce alternative medicine as a competitor of drugs since it's so much cheaper and very affective from my own personal experience. This is the basics but it goes much deeper. Our goverment just doesn't get it.

CONGRESS IS TAKING YOU ALL FOR A RIDE

ask yourself why Congress is making this issue so expensive and complicated?

the bill is 1,000 pages, and it's not done yet

it will not cover all uninsured

and CONGRESS WANTS TO EXCLUDE THEMSELVES from it


Consider this:
Look at how the cost has come down and the quality has gone up on vision correction surgery, with no federal or state intervention

Only basic regulations are in place, and tort laws were not reformed

think about that example, while you read this

Part of the problem is that Congress wants to take 500 - 1500 pages to establish some simple, 1 to 2 page issues.
They seem to like 1500 pages, because they can then slide other things into a bill, and leave parts unwritten, like with Cap and Trade

what would change the whole system in a gradual manner, and not add tons more debt would be the following:

- eliminate the pre-existing clause for health issues, like has been done in multiple states already
now people can get coverage - no matter what the issue

- allow reduced premiums for healthy lifestyles, so smoking and unhealthy lifestyles only penalize the ones who have them, such as the industry already does
If you want to be a chain smoker, and gain 300 lbs - go for it - the only one you hurt is you

- mandate coverage on all citizens, using a basic catastrophic plan as a minimum, such as the existing HSA approved plan structure, which are high deductible and no cap plans
now no one goes bankrupt because they have no coverage, or capped coverage

- phase out employer health plans, since the overall cost per person is higher than individual plans, and layoffs and terminations cause so many to loose coverage going from employer to individual coverage
Now no one looses insurance because of job issues - it's your coverage, so you pay for it
mandate Disability riders in the policy if need be - so a permanently injured person has coverage for the 36 months it takes to go on SSI
Employers are free to compete on the global economy, employees do not have salary caps that automatically factor in health care costs - even when they decline coverage

- make transference of cost illegal, so that private plans are not forced to pay the non-reimbursed costs that Medicare and Medicate do not cover: I should not have to pay for the federal government's refusal to pay.
If Medicare and Medicaid's payment schedule is not enough, providers can choose not to participate, which is the free market system

- set up a fail safe program, that allows people to move to Medicare and Medicaid when legitimate changes in income happen.

- keep the existing COBRA rules in place until the laws take effect

- Keep SCHIP in place to cover lower income children,

- keep means testing, so only people with a real need qualify for assistance


those simple changes will eliminate all but about 16 million uninsured,
those 16 million are here without legal documentation, and that is a different issue to resolve first

net cost to the tax payer - almost nothing

the states can continue to manage plans and benefits, but some federal intervention will be needed to keep things like hair transplants and fertility treatments for 60 year olds of of the mandated coverage list, so that costs stay in line

If you think this is crazy - and it can't be this simple

remember what happened when it really is a free market - like vision correction surgery, like cosmetic surgery, with no federal or state intervention

why is this not happening?

because we are all so stupid as to fight with each other, while the people we elected keep on passing bills that PROFIT THEM AND THEIRS

Don't worry -- there will be plenty of loopholes for dem rich folk tucked into dat bill, and the major costs will end up being borne by the middle class.

This is just Bam-Bam's campaign rhetoric transferred to the Congressional level to gain support for passage of the bill -- "Yeah, go fer it! The rich is gonna buy us all healthcare!"

But when the smoke clears, you and me'll be holdin' the bag.

How many times y'all gonna bite on the same slimy worm?

John your plan looks pretty good to me, even if it means an increase in my taxes.