Just when I thought I couldn't get any more discouraged and depressed about the health care bill set to be unleashed on the country, I read this:
On Tuesday, Democratic officials said House and Senate negotiators appeared likely to drop a proposed income-tax increase on high-wage earners and possibly jettison a requirement for large businesses to offer coverage to their employees.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/...
WTF? If there was ever any doubt who is writing this legislation, there sure isn't anymore. The plastic surgeons bought their way out of being taxed, the insurance companies are getting their precious mandates, and now the rich and big business are succeeding at lobbying their way out of any responsibility at all. Leaving guess who! to cover the huge costs of this bill.
Imagine: a big employer like Wal-Mart is no longer required to provide health care insurance to their employees. Employees with no income to spare are now forced to buy insurance they can't afford in the first place, at prices way out of sync with the actual cost of health care. They'll be covered by tax credits you say? Just how many people are we talking about here? Health insurance premiums are unaffordable for the vast majority of the American public, and this bill does zip to contain those costs. This bill has the potential 1) to balloon the deficit, and 2) to create an even bigger drag on the economy than we have now.
And all so that we can make sure the insurance companies stay in business.
The most frustrating thing is that this is all going under the radar. Congress will pass this bill under the name of "Health Care Reform" when it is anything but--and the consequences will be felt for years.
And can I add just one more thing?
60% of bankruptcies are filed because of health care costs. But more importantly, three-quarters of bankruptcies caused by health-care related costs are filed by people WITH INSURANCE
http://www.cnn.com/...
This bill does nothing, nothing to actually help the sorry state of health care reform in this country. And if you think Congress cares what YOU think, well, show me the money.