Quote:
Originally Posted by spence
There would be no "free national plan" as they would pay the 8% tax. The argument, which I believe is a valid argument, is that the cost of coverage under the private plans will increase faster than the government will increase the 8% tax...but the net result would be the same as you have suggested.-spence
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Thanks for the civil response. I appreciate that. Although I knew the PLAN was not free (that's why I put it in quotes), I certainly deserved to be slapped down for suggesting it was. I had just begun to read the bill and am finding it to be a heavy plow. I did find your reference to the 8% tax on employers with annual payroll of over $400,00 who choose not to participate, and also a descending 6%, 4%, 2% tax on smaller payrolls of $400,000, $350,00, $300,000, and 0% tax on payrolls of $250,00 or less. Your reference to normalizing costs in order to "qualify" assured me that I correctly interpreted that Insurance companies had to meet standardized specs to be acceptable. Not only is the legaleze thick but you have to read sections of The Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, The Public Health Service Act--as in "A qualified health benefits plan may not impose any pre-existing condition exclusion (as defined in section 2701(b)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act or otherwise impose any limit or condition on coverage under the plan with respect to an individual or dependant based on any health status related factors . . ."--(take note, JohnnyD). I found it a bit jolting to read under the section "Retiree Reserve Trust Fund" this--"There are hereby appropriated to the trust fund, out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount requested by the Secretary as necessary to carry out this section, except that the total of all such amounts requested shall not exceed $10,000,000,000"--nice number! I found reference to a start-up funding for the plan of 2 trillion dollars to be amortized and repayed in 10 years. Does that mean that monies collected by the PLAN will not only pay for medical costs but also repay the start-up fund? I will continue to try to read the thing, but it may take some time to digest. I agree that some of your suggestions would be better, but I fear they are too simple and sensible for politicians to implement. Also, they don't give them power or votes. So far, I am not seeing the need for a competing government plan. The Gov could just ram the PLAN'S regulations on the Ins. Cos. and force those who presently choose not to be insured to get insurance and provide another medicade type of insurance for the remainder of the presently, so called, uninsured. What's the need for a Government plan for the rest of us?