So, I'm driving to the doctor's office yesterday, and listening to NPR. And, they're doing this interview that talks about Bush's proposed health plan. You know, the one that gives you a $7500 deduction (for singles) for your health plan? The one that also taxes your health benefits as income from your employer. That one?
Now, I was in a huge amount of pain, but that didn't stop the words from creeping in and presenting themselves to me. The part that first alarmed me was the part about being taxed. See, if you're only covering yourself on your insurance policy, chances are good that this will be of benefit to you. But. If you're covering more than yourself, like, say a spouse or a few kids, then you're going to have some problems.
I'm a State employee, and as such, have extraordinarily good coverage. My employer pays $100% of my insurance costs, including medical, dental and optical, and they will cover one dependent for free as well. Unheard of coverage in this day and age, and the primary reason that I'm loathe to quit the job, even though the job is what sent me to the doctor in the first place. (I am job hunting, but that takes time.)
My doctor's visit yesterday, including meds, cost me less than two dollars more than the trip I made to McDonald's immediately after. Believe me, I know I'm one lucky bastard when it comes to this topic.
But Bush is working to change this.
I'm going to be married this year, and my fiancé will have health coverage for the first time in almost a decade. Under Bush's proposed plan, we will still fall under the $15k tax credit, so we won't have any additional tax liability.
However, should we have a child next year? Well, then we'll receive more benefit than the tax credit allows, and so in addition to having to pay for the premium, we'll also owe taxes on a benefit that is not currently being taxed. And should we have more than one kid? Well, then we're really fucked. I'll be paying over $100 a month for the additional premium, and will owe taxes on the additional $4k "income" that we're receiving in health benefits. Looking around my organization, I can see hundreds of families who are going to be affected by this. Those who are married with children, and worse, those who are single with children. I can almost hear BushCo now: Those single-parents are a bunch of slackers. They should be paying more, not less! Turdblossom? Work on that, willya?
I've long wondered why large companies weren't pushing harder for nationalized health coverage. Now I know. By shifting the burden onto the individual, the company will eventually get out of paying anything at all. I see this as opening the door for employers to begin offering plans that are worse and worse, and finally for eliminating the "benefit" altogether.
On the news bit I listened to yesterday, they estimated that 20% of the policies written would be adversely affected by this plan. Not 20% of the people, but 20% of the policies. In other words, millions of people will find themselves paying more for the same coverage they have today.
BushCo. Working hard to make working families work harder.
(Apologies if this is a little incoherent. I'm on some serious muscle-relaxers for my sprained neck. How do you sprain your neck while sleeping? Sheesh.)