Health Care Bill passes House

[Sam]

The Democrats received enough votes to obtain a majority in the House. They can vote in anything they want and there's nothing we can do about it. That's our system of government. We can vote them out next election but the damage has been done.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Sam

The Democrats received enough votes to obtain a majority in the House. They can vote in anything they want and there's nothing we can do about it. That's our system of government. We can vote them out next election but the damage has been done.

Not quite done - we still have the Senate.

The only reason they brought this to passage, in the House, is because they had to keep moving centrist. We'll also see what they do with the Stupak Amendment when it gets to the Senate. They don't have to include it, we'll see if they do.

[Twisp]

I am excited about this. On paper, it is going to try and make health insurance companies stay honest, while giving the public an option for a low-price health care option. I don't like the fact that people might be penalized if they do not have health insurance, but systems like that are already in place for health insurance and for other programs, so nothing new there.

Hopefully it gets past the senate. I like what Cao said after the vote:

"I felt last night's decision was the proper decision for my district even though it was not the popular decision for my party," said Cao, a first-term representative from Louisiana's traditionally Democratic 2nd District. "A lot of my constituents are uninsured, a lot of them are poor. It was the right decision for the people of my district."

That is how elected officials need to vote, for the good of their constituents, not just for the party.

[RevDWW]

Originally Posted by Twisp

I am excited about this. On paper, it is going to try and make health insurance companies stay honest, while giving the public an option for a low-price health care option. I don't like the fact that people might be penalized if they do not have health insurance, but systems like that are already in place for health insurance and for other programs, so nothing new there.

Hopefully it gets past the senate. I like what Cao said after the vote:

"I felt last night's decision was the proper decision for my district even though it was not the popular decision for my party," said Cao, a first-term representative from Louisiana's traditionally Democratic 2nd District. "A lot of my constituents are uninsured, a lot of them are poor. It was the right decision for the people of my district."

That is how elected officials need to vote, for the good of their constituents, not just for the party.

Seriously, do you think the Country can afford this monster of a bill 1.7 Trillion? I firmly believe this Administration and the Party in charge is trying to kill capitalism and do damage to the Constitution. Never waste a crisis, right? Even if you have to manufacture it.........

[Twisp]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

Seriously, do you think the Country can afford this monster of a bill 1.7 Trillion? I firmly believe this Administration and the Party in charge is trying to kill capitalism and do damage to the Constitution. Never waste a crisis, right? Even if you have to manufacture it.........

According to one AP article I read, "The bill was estimated to reduce federal deficits by about $104 billion over a decade". The article did not elaborate, but I am using my google-fu to see how, if that is true. The government is going to spend money either way. At least this money will be spent on providing low-cost health insurance.

Ideally, the government should be ran like my household, sans the buying copious amounts of ice cream part. Pay with cash, save while you can, and make your wife work her butt off, lol. But really, they aren't going to do that. If they are going to run us into (more) debt, at least we can all be healthy while they do it.

As for the current administration in charge blowing money, the blame falls on both sides of the aisle, and with the previous administration also.

[Pressing-On]

What the government will require you to do:

• Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or benefit.

• Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it. That's like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.

• Sec. 303 (pp. 167-168) makes it clear that, although the "qualified plan" is not yet designed, it will be of the "one size fits all" variety. The bill claims to offer choice—basic, enhanced and premium levels—but the benefits are the same. Only the co-pays and deductibles differ. You will have to enroll in the same plan, whether the government is paying for it or you and your employer are footing the bill.

• Sec. 59b (pp. 297-299) says that when you file your taxes, you must include proof that you are in a qualified plan. If not, you will be fined thousands of dollars. Illegal immigrants are exempt from this requirement.

Read more:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...055918380.html

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Twisp

According to one AP article I read, "The bill was estimated to reduce federal deficits by about $104 billion over a decade". The article did not elaborate, but I am using my google-fu to see how, if that is true. The government is going to spend money either way. At least this money will be spent on providing low-cost health insurance.

Ideally, the government should be ran like my household, sans the buying copious amounts of ice cream part. Pay with cash, save while you can, and make your wife work her butt off, lol. But really, they aren't going to do that. If they are going to run us into (more) debt, at least we can all be healthy while they do it.

As for the current administration in charge blowing money, the blame falls on both sides of the aisle, and with the previous administration also.

The current leadership rigged the legislation so that 60 percent of the total cost wouldn't be made public by the CBO in advance of the House vote. Here's how they did it.

The centerpiece of the bill is not the "public option" but the "individual mandate". You purchase insurance on penalty of fine and/or imprisonment.

Obama tells a joint session of Congress that the rest of the legislation won't work unless the government forces Americans to purchase health insurance.

Clinton's healthcare plan (1994) also had a mandate. The CBO decides that since "the mandatory premiums . . . would constitute an exercise of sovereign power," the agency would treat all premiums as federal revenues, including them in the federal budget.

That revealed the full cost of the Clinton's health plan. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (Donna Shalala) calls the CBO's decision "devastating". That helped to kill the bill.

In order to move on and not admit to the unpopularity of an individual mandate, congressional Democrats ensured that the costs would not appear in the federal budget this time around. They gamed the CBO's rule for what constitutes "federal revenues".

If the individual mandates leave the consumers with what the CBO considers a "sufficient", "meaningful" or "substantial" degree of choice among health plans, they won't count mandatory premiums as federal revenues. It's very arbitrary and hides the costs by pushing them off-budget.

While the CBO is estimating that the coverage expansion in the House Democrat's legislation would be approximately $1 trillion of new federal spending over a ten year period, it will actually cost more like $2.5 trillion.

So, again, the House Democrats gamed the CBO. Aren't you happy it passed in the House?

[drummerboy_dave]

I'm interested in reading how each member voted on this. Any links?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by drummerboy_dave

I'm interested in reading how each member voted on this. Any links?

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll886.xml

[drummerboy_dave]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll886.xml

tanks.