Healthcare Passes

[Kythas]

Here's something else to chew on. There are differing opinions so far on just how much authority the IRS will have in enforcing this new law once the regulations are drawn up. But consider the situation where a person with forty acres refuses to byy the mandated insurance. IRS will assess a fine, and under it's current modus operandi, the agency will assess penaties and interest. When those are not paid, today's IRS would then secure a lien against the entire forty acres and proceed to have it sold at auction to the highest bidder. The amount due the IRS would be taken from the sale proceeds and the balance given to the landowner. Rather, the former landowner. Now, this poor hypothetical sap still does not have gubm't health insurance. So you have private property being sold to support the general population as beneficiaries.

I'd like to get the reaction of Colonial America circa 1775 on this.

Not only that, but while the ObamaCare law has no provision for prison time for not having insurance and only assesses a fine, failure to pay that fine can have the IRS assess penalties and interest. Failure to pay the penalties and interest assessed by the IRS will subject you to prison time under current tax law.

[The Annoyed Man]

Cuban leader applauds US health-care reform bill
Dubious endorsement? Cuban leader endorses US health care reform, says it's about time
Paul Haven, Associated Press Writer, On Thursday March 25, 2010, 12:39 pm EDT
Yahoo News

HAVANA (AP) -- It perhaps was not the endorsement President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress were looking for.

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform "a miracle" and a major victory for Obama's presidency, but couldn't help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago.

"We consider health reform to have been an important battle and a success of his (Obama's) government," Castro wrote in an essay published in state media, adding that it would strengthen the president's hand against lobbyists and "mercenaries."

But the Cuban leader also used the lengthy piece to criticize the American president for his lack of leadership on climate change and immigration reform, and for his decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, among many other things.

And he said it was remarkable that the most powerful country on earth took more than two centuries from its founding to approve something as basic as health benefits for all.

"It is really incredible that 234 years after the Declaration of Independence ... the government of that country has approved medical attention for the majority of its citizens, something that Cuba was able to do half a century ago," Castro wrote.

The longtime Cuban leader -- who ceded power to his brother Raul in 2008 -- has continued to pronounce his thoughts on world issues though frequent essays, titled "Reflections," which are published in state newspapers.

Cuba provides free health care and education to all its citizens, and heavily subsidizes food, housing, utilities and transportation, policies that have earned it global praise. The government has warned that some of those benefits are no longer sustainable given Cuba's ever-struggling economy, though it has so far not made major changes.

In recent speeches, Raul Castro has singled out medicine as an area where the government needs to be spending less, but he has not elaborated.

While Fidel Castro was initially positive about Obama, his essays have become increasingly hostile in recent months as relations between Cuba and the United States have soured. Washington has been increasingly alarmed by Cuba's treatment of political dissidents -- one of whom died in February after a long hunger strike.

Cuba was irate over the island's inclusion earlier this year on a list of countries Washington considers to be state sponsors of terrorism. Tensions have also risen following the arrest in December of a U.S. government contractor that Havana accuses of spying.

In Thursday's essay, Castro called Obama a "fanatic believer in capitalist imperialism" but also praised him as "unquestionably intelligent."

"I hope that the stupid things he sometimes says about Cuba don't cloud over that intelligence," he said.

Well, maybe since he calls Obama a "fanatic believer in capitalist imperialism," we could surmise that Castro's cancer has gone to his brain, and he's not long for this world. Unfortunately, he's actually doing quite well for a sick guy, so we have to assume that he knows a fellow traveler when he sees one.

[father]

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysi ... ?id=528137

If you are a physician owner and you want to expand your hospital? Well, you can't (Section 6001 (i) (1) (B). Unless, it is located in a county where, over the last five years, population growth has been 150% of what it has been in the state (Section 6601 (i) (3) ( E)).

Son, I am disappoint.

[Kythas]

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysi ... ?id=528137

If you are a physician owner and you want to expand your hospital? Well, you can't (Section 6001 (i) (1) (B). Unless, it is located in a county where, over the last five years, population growth has been 150% of what it has been in the state (Section 6601 (i) (3) ( E)).

Son, I am disappoint.

There are a ton more conditions to hospital expansion. Off the top of my head:

1. As mentioned, population growth in the county must be 150% or more of the state as a whole.
2. You must have at least as many inpatient admissions as all other hospitals in the county. If even one other hospital has more admissions than yours, you don't qualify.
3. Expansion depends on community input. After requesting permission to expand, there will be a six month waiting period while the "local community" expresses their opinion. By "local community" read 'community organizations' and 'unions'.
4. You must have a certain average percentage of your hospital beds filled on a continual basis. I don't remember the percentage.

There are at least 5-6 other criteria I can't remember without doing some research, but you get the idea.

[Kythas]

An internet search for "Republican lies about health care" returns 4.3 million hits. On many lists the number one lie is that Obamacare is an intermediate stop on the way to single payer nationalized health care.

In a column in today's Cambridge Chronicle, "Here's what health care reform will bring us," (http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/fe ... l-bring-us) Congressman Michael E. Capuano (D-MA, 8th District) in essence apologizes to what he assumes are his liberal constituents. "As you all know, I support single payer and I wanted a strong public option in this bill," the Congressman writes. He concludes: "It is my hope that this landmark legislation will...serve as a starting point for further needed reforms."

So $940 billion (and counting) is just a starting point?

[boomerang]

So $940 billion (and counting) is just a starting point?

"In every generation, there are those who want to rule well - but they mean to rule. They promise to be good masters - but they mean to be masters."

[Oldgringo]

Failure to pay the penalties and interest assessed by the IRS will subject you to prison time under current tax law.

On the bright side, prisoners get 3 squares a day, room and board, free medical, dental, hearing and vision care plus do not have to pay property taxes, school taxes or worry about the price of diesel and somebody else will take care of the family. They also have PT facilities, free CATV, internet and library facilities. Last rite expenses are also no longer a concern.

What's the problem?

[boomerang]

Depends what kind of prison I suppose.

[Oldgringo]

Depends what kind of prison I suppose.

Surely, you don't think that the very people who would try the mastermind of the 911 attacks in a civil court in NEW YORK CITY or appoint an Income Tax Evader Secretary of the Treasury would put a mere insurance evader into more than a federal prison. Good Grief!

EDIT:

Attack date corrected thanks to er, uh, well...you know?

[marksiwel]

Depends what kind of prison I suppose.

Surely, you don't think that the very people who would try the mastermind of the 1911 attacks in a civil court in NEW YORK CITY or appoint an Income Tax Evader Secretary of the Treasury would put a mere insurance evader into more than a federal prison. Good Grief!

What happened in 1911? Those dudes must be OLD!

[boomerang]

Surely, you don't think that the very people who would try the mastermind of the 911 attacks in a civil court in NEW YORK CITY or appoint an Income Tax Evader Secretary of the Treasury would put a mere insurance evader into more than a federal prison. Good Grief!

[Kythas]

Timeline for health care changes and taxes.

http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.g ... elinel.pdf

I had no idea about this before I saw this timeline:

2014: Government board (IPAB) begins submitting proposals to cut Medicare

[marksiwel]

Timeline for health care changes and taxes.

http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.g ... elinel.pdf

I had no idea about this before I saw this timeline:

2014: Government board (IPAB) begins submitting proposals to cut Medicare

So wait, now you are mad they are cutting Medicare?

[Kythas]

Timeline for health care changes and taxes.

http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.g ... elinel.pdf

I had no idea about this before I saw this timeline:

2014: Government board (IPAB) begins submitting proposals to cut Medicare

So wait, now you are mad they are cutting Medicare?

I'm not mad about it, just surprised. All the rhetoric I heard from the Dems leading up to the vote said they're going to improve Medicare by cutting 'waste, fraud, and abuse' and the $500 million they cut from Medicare to fund Obamacare would be paid for this way (actually, they counted that $500 million twice but let's let that slide for the purposes of my comments). I suppose cutting out Medicare entirely would be one way to cut this 'waste, fraud, and abuse'.

It's just disingenuous based on what the people pushing this bill have been telling us for the last year.

Also, notice all the Medicare cuts in the timeline. There's absolutely no doubt their intention all along was to eliminate Medicare and replace it with this, which will become the only show in town (i.e., public health care) for insurance, eventually.

[marksiwel]

Also, notice all the Medicare cuts in the timeline. There's absolutely no doubt their intention all along was to eliminate Medicare and replace it with this, which will become the only show in town (i.e., public health care) for insurance, eventually.

Yep.
This is just a first step, the next step is a Public Option.