Alvin Lee Message & Discussion Board
I hope everyone can work for a thriving company and stay healthy until retirement and hopefully beyond. However, if things don't work out and you need a ride to McDonalds to interview with Skippy, the swing shift assistant to the assistant manager for an interview, this "bleeding heart" ( a pre- existing condition I'm told }will be happy to give ya a ride.
Paul, I honestly think that the people most opposed to this law are the ones that have never taken the time to truly understand it. I know I won't change your mind, but let me at least answer a few of your concerns.
First, the penalty "tax" will apply to only 2% of Americans - those people who can afford to purchase health care insurance but refuse to do so (and whom we all now pay for in higher insurance premiums). Other taxes that help pay for the plan are higher Medicare tax on those earning above $200,000 per year, a cap of $2500 pre-tax earnings used for HSAs, a higher threshold for deducting medical expenses (over 10% instead of 7.5% of earnings), and a tax to use tanning salons. None of those taxes affect the average wage earner - unless you're a tanning freak.
Next, it will reduce the deficit in the long run because federal expenditures for health care will eventually be lowered by cutting costs in Medicare (by trimming waste & fraud, by reduced payments to Medicare Advantage plans) and by the various taxes that will be collected.
Cost of premiums? Because you work for a large employer, you're lucky to have low premiums, and nothing in this law should change that. But there's a flip side - for example, my husband is self employed - we're both healthy, but we have two major drawbacks as far as insurers are concerned - we're not part of a large plan like yours and we're both over 55. As a result, we pay $1897 per month for a plan with a $5000 deductible each. We're lucky - we can pay it - but there are many who can not, and this plan puts people like us on a level playing field.
As to whether people will pay $300 - $500 for a plan, if they are self insured and can afford it, they certainly should, but if the cheapest plan in your state's health exchange costs more than 8% of your earnings, you're exempt. In other words, if you have to pay $500 per month for a plan, you would be earning $6300 per month.
And you're dead wrong about anyone buying "government coverage" - there is no such thing unless you're on Medicare or Medicaid. The PPACA is completely private enterprise based (too bad, in my opinion - I'm still hoping this will lead to a public option).
We also hear about how this is going to hurt small businesses, but again, if it does, the effect would be minimal. Businesses with less than 50 employees are exempt, businesses with less than 25 employees who choose to offer health insurance get tax breaks - and companies like yours offer health insurance already. Unless they are financially inept (which I doubt) they already figure the cost of your benefits into their payroll expenditures (meaning they pay you a salary that takes your benefits into account) so why would anything change?
Now, if you'd like to hear about all the benefits of the PPACA, let me know....because, you see I DO know how it is and Id be happy to explain.
Now, if you'd like to hear about all the benefits of the PPACA, let me know....because, you see I DO know how it is and Id be happy to explain...
Hey Toni, if you have the time, and the interest, please do explain the benefits. I will print it and keep a copy in my pocket for those times I am too tired to try to explain it myself.
Without getting into a debate about Single Payer systems, I think it is inevitable that we are heading that way. I see no alternative. Those who want to "preserve" the system as is and tweak it are trying to plug too many holes in the **** with too few fingers. I have a feeling you probably agree.
Right on to Robin, Toni, and Brian for their recent posts in this thread!! And Paul, I love ya, but please reconsider the "get a job", "hand-outs", and "bleeding hearts" byphrases. I remember back in the day when I first started noticing certain politicians non-liberally lacing their speeches with such talk, I felt to distract from complex interwoven social problems. What this country can't afford is to lose its heart and its conscience. There are people knocking themselves out to get jobs, desperate to keep their homes and get out of debt. Jobless people who aren't knocking themselves out aren't necessarily lazy-- some of them are undoubtedly paralyzed by clinical depression, and getting inadequate or no help for it without medical insurance. This bleeding-heart liberal feels for the many, many vicious circles so many good people end up getting lost in. Please don't put them all down.