The Worst Bill Ever

Beldar · 11-02-2009, 08:38 AM

At least according to the WSJ:

Nancy Pelosi's New Health-Care Bill - WSJ.com

catahoula · 11-02-2009, 10:00 AM

I'm shocked, just shocked, that the WSJ finds the official price tag for Pelosi's baby to be a laugh.

Quote:

Even so, the House disguises hundreds of billions of dollars in additional costs with budget gimmicks. It "pays for" about six years of program with a decade of revenue, with the heaviest costs concentrated in the second five years. The House also pretends Medicare payments to doctors will be cut by 21.5% next year and deeper after that, "saving" about $250 billion. ObamaCare will be lucky to cost under $2 trillion over 10 years; it will grow more after that.

They must have run dry of the official kool-aid.

Kei-o-lei · 11-02-2009, 10:10 AM

ohhhhhhhhhhhh

thought this was going to be an anti-Clinton screed

my mistake

Kei

blankmind · 11-02-2009, 11:31 AM

Why, Mr. President. Just....why?

poetgrl · 11-02-2009, 01:54 PM

What's really bizarre to me when I read these things is the idea of cutting medicare payments by 21.5% is seen as a good thing. Or, with the incredibly entitled boomer generation aging, does anyone not see how this will NOT happen and NOT work? I mean, that generation did not save for retirement, and now so many have been wiped out in the latest crash and retirement is zooming in on them like a gravity stunned asteroid and we are going to be CUTTING medicare by 21%. I just don't begin to see it.

Vderon · 11-02-2009, 04:31 PM

Even the most staunch democrat has to read this and pause:

"Taxes will need to rise precipitously, even as ObamaCare so dramatically expands government control of health care that eventually all medicine will be rationed via politics.

Yet at this point, Democrats have dumped any pretense of genuine bipartisan "reform" and moved into the realm of pure power politics as they race against the unpopularity of their own agenda. The goal is to ram through whatever income-redistribution scheme they can claim to be "universal coverage." The result will be destructive on every level—for the health-care system, for the country's fiscal condition, and ultimately for American freedom and prosperity."

And in our fragile economy, lets not forget to punish small business:

"Under another new tax, businesses would have to surrender 8% of their payroll to government if they don't offer insurance or pay at least 72.5% of their workers' premiums, which eat into wages. Such "play or pay" taxes always become "pay or pay" and will rise over time, with severe consequences for hiring, job creation and ultimately growth."

What I can see happening here is that employers will say: At 72.5 %, I can cover the worker, but not their spouse, or their kids. So sorry, employee, you will have to go out and buy whatever crappy policy that you can for your family. How else can the small business survive?

Kajon · 11-02-2009, 04:46 PM

There are two alleged items listed in this Bill that concern me. (I have tried to verify them, but for the life of me cannot figure out how - so I have no idea if this is true or false.) The Bill on the House website does not have page numbers.

1) - page 94, section 202 Effective 2013 bans the sale of private insurance forcing everyone onto the public option.

2) - page 1255 Forgives student loans for Veterinary students.

poetgrl · 11-02-2009, 05:18 PM

Kajon. You are hillarious. Rotflol.

jablalf · 11-02-2009, 06:01 PM

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Looks like it only bans sale of private insurance that does not conform to specific requirements set forth in the bill relating to 1) affordability 2) consumer protections and 3) benefits.

LogicWarrior · 11-02-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

I mean, that generation did not save for retirement

so that's what they call getting your savings wiped out in a stock market crash

romanigypsyeyes · 11-02-2009, 06:07 PM

^ Kajon, I found that for number two, loan forgiveness people who graduated from "an accredited school or program of nursing; health administration, management, or policy; preventive medicine; laboratory science; veterinary medicine; or dental medicine" were eligible for loan forgiveness up to $35k a year for each year worked in a Service Crops (a minimum of two years, with additional years allowed on a case-by-case basis).

poetgrl · 11-02-2009, 06:16 PM

okay. I thought Kajon was actually kidding. Wow. "Curiouser and curiouser...." or, an even better and more appropriate line from Alice...."Everyone has won and everyone must have prizes."

catahoula · 11-02-2009, 06:34 PM

Speaking of Alice - anybody else a "Pearls" fan?

Last weeks strips, with Rat as "Raterpillar", kind of made me think of Obamacare.

Kajon · 11-02-2009, 07:12 PM

Thanks guys! After spending an hour on the phone with my mom trying to "walk" her through how to reprogram her TV remote control, I was at my peak frustration level and couldn't navigate my way through that huge health bill.

I don't think the Veterinary student loan forgiveness belongs in this bill. I will need more time to "ponder" over the rest of the list.

Poetgirl......silly you!

BigG · 11-02-2009, 07:26 PM

Possibly somewhere in the bill there is a provision that allows veterinarians to treat people. The thing is so large there could be anything in it.

Some old folks have to eat cat and dog food...

The only ways to reduce healthcare costs are to train more caregivers, not require the equivalent of a research PhD to treat runny noses, and stop sueing caregivers as much.