We Are in Trouble

[ABC]

I just got word from Insurance Lobbyist that the house could deliver their bill to B.O. by September.

B.O. was suppose to come out with his budget by 7-14-09 and he has not. They are going to push this bill through so that its approved before B.O. releases his budget and before the Nov election.

It gets worse. The bill is going to federally mandate that Doctors can not charge anymore than 5% over medicare fees. You can kiss the PPO plan design good buy.

So the health exchange is going to be a federal mandated plan. Where all the carriers have to offer the same plan. These plan will be GI but it will not matter what carrier you use because there will be no networks. This is also going to pertain to small groups under 50 lives.

They bill also states if a company does not provide health insurance then they will have 8% payroll tax. I can tell you right now most large companies 1000+ lives that 8% is cheaper than what they are paying now. Small group will also follow suite. To qualify for free health insurance a family of 4 has to make less than $88,000 a year.

We broker/agents will most likely be removed from the equation. We are being considered adminstration cost.
This includes you medicare sup agents.

If this bill goes through as is we are dead and so is the entire health care community. 2013 we will see large exodus of Doctors retiring.

So boys lets see what happens by the end of the month.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

I have faith that the Senate will alter the current House plan.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I would think "tweak" would be a better word - but some form of this is likely to pass. When it's implemented? That's the real question.

 

[Winter_123]

I just got word from Insurance Lobbyist that the house could deliver their bill to B.O. by September.

Obama is not going to wrap this up by August recess and I will only say, again, and emphasize in the strongest possible way, that the same Congress that goes home to their districts for August recess will be a vastly more educated and sensitized Congress when they return. By September, California will be a glaring example of what the dems do not want anyone to be thinking about while contemplating a trillion dollar expenditure. In addition the stimulus expenditure will continue to prove to be total waste. Obama sees a bill that needs to be passed but we have entered the zone where Congress also can see the 2010 elections from where we are now. They need to reform health care but they also need to be able to face their districts.

Regular viewers know that I have believed for years that reform is coming so it is not a matter of being in denial and thinking that it is going to go away. It isn't. I am simply saying that if Obama does not nail it before August recess (and he can't) that he is going to be up to his arse in counter-revolutionary movements. It won't be enough to stop reform. It will be enough to keep Obama from getting something all of what he wants. What that is, we shall see.

Look, this is a socialist government now. The way socialist governments works is they either nationalize you or they let you do your thing but threaten you every step of the way to do what they want or they will nationalize you next year. And so it is with the US now. Barry can give a little but also tell everyone (healthcare, autos, finance, housing) whatever that they are on probation and he will just get you next year if he needs to. This is not your father's country where it was presumed that the Constitution precluded the feds from frigging with the private sector as long as no crime was being committed. Au contraire, you must now make a case as to why the feds should not be running your industry.

Change you can believe in.

 

[bill3173]

Obama is not going to wrap this up by August recess and I will only say, again, and emphasize in the strongest possible way, that the same Congress that goes home to their districts for August recess will be a vastly more educated and sensitized Congress when they return. By September, California will be a glaring example of what the dems do not want anyone to be thinking about while contemplating a trillion dollar expenditure. In addition the stimulus expenditure will continue to prove to be total waste. Obama sees a bill that needs to be passed but we have entered the zone where Congress also can see the 2010 elections from where we are now. They need to reform health care but they also need to be able to face their districts.

Regular viewers know that I have believed for years that reform is coming so it is not a matter of being in denial and thinking that it is going to go away. It isn't. I am simply saying that if Obama does not nail it before August recess (and he can't) that he is going to be up to his arse in counter-revolutionary movements. It won't be enough to stop reform. It will be enough to keep Obama from getting something all of what he wants. What that is, we shall see.

Look, this is a socialist government now. The way socialist governments works is they either nationalize you or they let you do your thing but threaten you every step of the way to do what they want or they will nationalize you next year. And so it is with the US now. Barry can give a little but also tell everyone (healthcare, autos, finance, housing) whatever that they are on probation and he will just get you next year if he needs to. This is not your father's country where it was presumed that the Constitution precluded the feds from frigging with the private sector as long as no crime was being committed. Au contraire, you must now make a case as to why the feds should not be running your industry.

Change you can believe in.

So, would you say that there is really no safe haven, other than working for the government at this point?

If what you say is corrrect, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then the standard of living in this country will have to fall and fall hard.

A lot of thinking people are scared to death, and I'm not referring to insurance agents.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Agreed. This is indeed a Socialist government but in Barack's defense the govt's been expanding long before he took office. One of the largest expansions of gov't was actually under Reagan however he had a "let the big dog's roll" theory.

This is what we're about to trade; easy quick access to health care for those who have it to rationing access but everyone will have it.

What's the lesser of two evils? I honestly don't know. You can write an article on the Canadian who had to wait a year for surgery. You can also write an article about someone who lost their job when their business folded, no COBRA, no risk pool, uninsurable and can't even get treatment.

"Go out and get another job" is a laughable statement and a lot of people are up the health care river without a paddle.

My advice? You'd better damned well do you best to keep yourself healthy because "change you believe in" is coming.

 

[Winter_123]

So, would you say that there is really no safe haven, other than working for the government at this point?

If what you say is corrrect, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then the standard of living in this country will have to fall and fall hard.

Unfortunately, it is the nature of socialism that some parts of the market will actually make a killing by cozying up to the government. You play ball- you get the contracts and your competitors feel the long arm of the law or regulations. You saw Walmart coming out and supporting Obama's plan and the pharmaceuticals offering to cover in the doughnut hole. They are buying protection and favors.

In regard to the standard of living falling sharply. It is inevitable. We are printing money, and a larger and larger per cent of the GDP is going to government expenditures with nothing but red ink as far as the eye can see between stimulus, health care, and the medicare and social security shortfalls coming right up.

Frigging Clinton gets credit for balancing the budget and creating a surplus. Yeh, welcome to California. He did it by robbing the Social Security fund.

Bush spent a pantload but Obama had a choice of running on a platform that pushed us into the stratosphere instead of helping to turn the tide. I dont want to hear anymore crap about what Bush did. Probably some smart person here who can google can show what Obama has added to the deficit/debt in six months compared to the last two hundred years.

Welcome to France everyone. Soyez bienvenue. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

 

[somarco]

Never fear.

CA will legalize weed and balance the budget.

We should do likewise in the other 56 states.

 

[Dave020]

Not so sure on this.

To quote D-Ark Mike Ross -- "No way they can pass this bill on the House floor now," he said. "No way. Not even close."

Democrat: Obama slowing down progress on health care reform - CNN.com

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Never fear.

CA will legalize weed and balance the budget.

We should do likewise in the other 56 states.

Legalizing weed at the same time as passing this bill would be brilliant. Then we'd all be screwed but wouldn't care.