Healthcare (Obamacare) Bill Passes House

[Echewta]

The bill, which passed 219 to 212 without a single Republican vote, would make a nearly $1-trillion commitment in taxpayer money over the next decade to help an estimated 32 million uninsured Americans get health coverage.

And it would establish a broad new framework of government regulation to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage and, advocates hope, to begin making healthcare more affordable to most Americans.

But the legislation would dramatically expand federal regulation of healthcare. Federal law would for the first time require insurance companies to cover all Americans, regardless of their health status, and would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to people who become sick.

Individuals would also be required to buy insurance. And large employers would have to provide employees with health benefits or in some cases face penalties.

The bill would open the nation's 45-year-old Medicaid insurance program for the poor to all Americans earning less than 133% of the federal poverty line -- $14,404 for an individual or $29,327 for a family of four.

The government would also create new state-based insurance marketplaces for millions who do not get coverage through work.

Commercial insurers would offer plans in these marketplaces, or exchanges, and be required to provide a minimum set of benefits, including mental health services, maternity care and preventive care.

The most expensive feature is a commitment by the federal government to provide nearly $500 billion in subsidies over the next decade to help millions of low- and moderate-income Americans buy insurance in an exchange.

To pay for their legislation, Democrats approved a new 3.8% tax on investment income for individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples earning more than $250,000. In 2018, people with high-end "Cadillac" health plans would be subject to a new tax on their benefits.

And medical device makers, pharmaceutical companies and insures would be subject to new excise taxes.

The bill would also cut more than $400 billion over the next decade in what Medicare pays to hospitals, nursing homes and insurance companies that provide Medicare Advantage plans, a provision that proponents hope would ultimately help make the system more efficient.

http://www.latimes.com/features/heal...3.story?page=2

[kaiser soze]

I guess the teabaggers spitting and insults had no influence



Well I won't miss Rush Limaugh - but will he take his Viagra with him?

[Echewta]

Ha, Costa Rica has universal health care.

[RobMoney$]

Maybe we can just open the borders completely and provide health insurance to the world.
Think of how much we could reduce the deficit, if insuring 30M people cuts it by a hundred million or so.
We'll be rolling in money.

Viva La Obama!!

[Burnout18]

i'm just amazed the democrats actually got something accomplished. amazed

[Burnout18]

Tax on tanning salons? Hmmmm sounds like a tax burden to WHITE america, if you ask me! Racist Tax? Yes, No?

[Drederick Tatum]

tanning salons? more likely then it's a CANCER TAX. omg cancer is bad.

[venusvenus123]

healthcare statistics from around the world...

[Echewta]

Provide health care for the rest of the world? Opening boarders? I didn't realize this bill was doing that.

[Whatitis]

Yea...it passed......can we get back to working on the economy...please.

[travesty]

The only reason I have to feel good about this is that I was alive to witness the process and I know exactly who hold responsible. So when the day comes that my children ask me what liberty is, I will at least be able to tell them about "the good ole days" before the country was forced into bankruptcy and Chinese servitude by Democratic Party entitlement programs.

On a side note, I am going to start blaming Bush for this. Had he not fucked up so badly this Administration would never be in office. I officially blame Bush for Obama.

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by Echewta

Ha, Costa Rica has universal health care.

Ha, you'll soon be getting the same level of healthcare as Costa Rica.

[RobMoney$]

Serious question for anyone who is excited about this bill, can you please tell me why?
I mean how are YOU benefitting?

[cj hood]

better question: who here has read the 400 some page bill?

[Bob]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

Serious question for anyone who is excited about this bill, can you please tell me why?
I mean how are YOU benefitting?

some people get excited about the idea of people other than themselves benefiting as well

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by cj hood

better question: who here has read the 400 some page bill?

Judging by this Congress' past performance, they themselves didn't even read it.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

Serious question for anyone who is excited about this bill, can you please tell me why?
I mean how are YOU benefitting?

So if YOU was MR JONES - I'm not american so it'll have to MR JONES instead of YOU.

MR JONES feels a little unwell, he doesn't have insurance, he goes to the GP and they give him some modest health care and MR JONES feels better goes back to work and pays his taxes feeling happy

If there was no Obamacare
MR JONES feels a little unwell, he doesn't have insurance, he carries on working and starts to feel iller and iller. MR JONES goes to the ER and has to spend some time in hospital at the cost of the TAX PAYER for now as he cannot pay. He misses out on work and his family go looking for government hand outs as the bread winner can't earn anymore. Meanwhile the hospital are spending more money in chasing the bill MR JONES cannot pay costing the TAX PAYER more. The stress causes more time off work. All he ever wanted was to get back to his normal life.

The TAX PAYER is in caps could that could be YOU.

I really don't get why some of you are so against this type of system. Call it socialist if you want but its not a bad thing as trying to explain in another thread, it keeps the country going, drives down the cost of medicine and helps fix many problems before they get worse. Too many fucking shareholders have got into the american system of doing business and running its country. Its all about being as selfish as you can and getting as much money as you can right now rather than seeing any greater good for more than a 24 hour period - that breeds into society and in place people stop caring about those who are on harder times. I say stop caring, they more forget they exist.

I expect to be critted by a blue wall of links now saying how bad UK, Costa Rica and who ever else's health care is. But take a general look as a whole country for the better, don't spin the question to make it seem that their own selfish needs should come first because they'll never fall on bad times. Maybe they won't - but some will and in 20 years time when a new generation is earning money they'll look back at this time when the country grew a little - everyone outside america sees this but there must be something you can't see when looking out rather than looking in.

I say well done america, its still pretty weak from the little I've read about it but its something you'll be thanked for by millions who'll benefit from it in generations to come

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by Bob

some people get excited about the idea of people other than themselves benefiting as well

I realize you're a young guy and this probably isn't going to affect you significantly, taxwise.
But the others who are benefitting are doing it at someone else's expense.
Basically at YOUR expense, if you earn enough.

So, HOORAY for someone else!

[jabumbo]

i kind of like the idea that if i were to lose my job, i'd be able to even get insurance


even with relatively decent healthcare, i still spend ~$250 a month on prescription drugs that are necessary to my life. having healthcare is probably the single most important thing in my life.



after watching nbc nightly news go over some of the major things in this bill, it makes me wonder why anyone is against it. i mean, i've seen lots of people complain about it, but nobody has actually said why.

[RobMoney$]

Because it expands the federal government even further.
Because it forces American citizens to buy a good.
Because it taxes a select group of citizens to pay for another group of citizens.
Because the federal government is now the sole provider of student loans.

[yeahwho]

Originally Posted by kaiser soze

I guess the teabaggers spitting and insults had no influence



Well I won't miss Rush Limaugh - but will he take his Viagra with him?

When is the going away party for Rush Limbaugh happening? He can move to Africa perhaps Kenya. Or some other wonderful land on the map of countries without universal healthcare.

[Bob]

ah fuck it this never goes anywhere

[kaiser soze]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

Because it expands the federal government even further.

Would that be with ovals?

[Documad]

Originally Posted by cj hood

better question: who here has read the 400 some page bill?

I am going to try to read it if I can find the damn thing in a decent format. I don't think it's all in one bill. I wonder if I have to read the other bill too and wait to see what the senate passes. I'm confused by the whole thing. If I have to read more than one document at a time it will fuck with my head.

[b i o n i c]

i listened to this, i wonder what some of you guys who have strong views think about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdLpem-AAs

Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

[Burnout18]

Originally Posted by Bob

ah fuck it this never goes anywhere

atta boy, i spent 15 minutes typing how i really felt, had the same thought you did, deleted what i had written and just typed in the tanning salon tax thing.

[Burnout18]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

Because it expands the federal government even further.
Because it forces American citizens to buy a good.
Because it taxes a select group of citizens to pay for another group of citizens.
Because the federal government is now the sole provider of student loans.

not knocking you or your views, but i can honestly say nothing there bothers me to the point where i would be against obamacare.

I mean my loans are already under the federal govt, the take from the poor give to rich thing doesnt devastate me because id rather my tax money goes to public healthcare then lets say gee i dunno funding the mess in iraq.

[RobMoney$]

Because it will not only add to the Budget, but it will add to the Debt that is already at an unacceptable level.
Because new taxes = less revenue = weaker economy = less jobs.
Because people will change their behavior to get a handout. And that is also not good for the economy.
Because if you thought the GOP were uncooperative before, you ain't seen NOTHING!
Because there's no telling where and how this is going to expand.

Obama and the Dems are in control right now, they're the ones who created this bill with their vision for it.
But it won't be long until the GOP is back in power.
Ever wonder what direction they might like to take Government controlled medicine?
Picture if you will for a moment, guys like W and Dick Cheney having control over how medicine is applied in this country.

Am I reaching anyone yet?

[jabumbo]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

Picture if you will for a moment, guys like W and Dick Cheney having control over how medicine is applied in this country.

well after roughly 2 and a half years of having my own healthcare, my care has not improved and everything costs me almost double what it did when i started?

[DroppinScience]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

Serious question for anyone who is excited about this bill, can you please tell me why?
I mean how are YOU benefitting?

Well, here's ten immediate benefits of the bill...

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/wha...hen-hcr-passes

Oh yeah and Rob, paragraphs are your friend. You don't need to write one sentence per line.