In the new health care bill released in the Senate, among other provisions, two are that insurance companies can no longer discriminate based on preexisting conditions (guaranteed issue), and individuals will be required to buy insurance (individual mandate). If they don’t, they will be subject to a $95 penalty in 2014 and it goes up to a $750 penalty in 2016. To understand why this penalty is insufficient, we first need to understand why these two principles don’t work unless both are in place…
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Today House Democrats unveiled their Health Care bill which includes a “robust” public option. Fueled by ressurging confidence from progressives on the left, House Democrats are moving forward with what is clearly the most comprehensive health care plan to date. Unlike the Baucus bill which leaves millions without insurance, the House bill will cover 96% of Americans extending coverage to nearly 45 million uninsured. Forcing private for-profit insurance companies to compete with a public option will reduce costs without sacrificing quality – a win-win scenario. New regulations and requirements will make insurance companies cover those with pre-existing conditions, cap out-of-pocket expenses, and protect people from being dropped when they need it most. The bill will also allow parents to keep their children on their plans until they are 26, giving us young folk time to find a job with benefits.
At first glance the price tag seems daunting coming in at an estimated $896 billion dollars, however Democratic leadership has made it clear that it won’t add to the deficit. To cover its costs the bill will raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans (those earning $500k individually, or $1 million combined), instead of taxing what have become known as “cadillac plans.” Increased tax revenue led the congressional budgeting office to predict that the bill will reduce the federal deficit by $30 million over the next 10 years.
Loading ...In an effort at transparency, Democrats have agreed to publish the 2000 page bill online for a period of 72 hours starting Monday. This means we can expect floor debate on the bill as early as next week.
The “no party” is already attempting to frame the bill as a government takeover of the health care industry, which worked early on when we were just becoming educated on the issue, but now with over 60% of Americans in full support of a public option it seems like a losing strategy. Hopefully some Republicans will have a change of heart when it comes time to vote, if not for bipartisanship, than just to prove that they’re empathetic human beings. Given the saliency of the issue if the “no party” chooses not support the bill and it’s successful, than we can expect several years of Democratic leadership on the Hill and in the White House.
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Right now, Congress is considering cap-and-trade, which would limit the amount a pollutant can be used, in this case, carbon. Companies would need to have carbon credits to pollute, and the credits represent one ton of carbon dioxide. If companies wish to increase their pollution, they would need to buy credits from those who pollute less than their credits allow. All these policies might be better than nothing, but that says very little. A carbon tax is the better solution, due to its incentives and the fact that it treats the disease, not the symptoms.”
Some thought electing a comedian would make a joke out of congress, they were wrong. As it turns out Al Franken, the Freshman Senator out of Minnesota, is handling his new position with the professionalism and respect it deserves. That’s more than we can say about some of his Republican colleagues, thirty of which voted against his Rape Amendment. The bill would end any government contract with companies that force women to sign agreements preventing them from fairly suing their employer after being sexually assaulted. Jon Stewart did a good bit pointing out the moral deficiencies of the Republican members who voted against the bill.
Today, Senator Franken’s hard at work again, trying to make sure this country gets adequate health insurance.
It’s nice to have at least one Democratic Senator that asks serious questions, even if he’s a comedian.
With the 2010 mid-term elections not far away pundits have their eyes on the Governor races in Virginia and New Jersey; their outcomes might be an indicator of how successful Democrats will be next November.
Creigh Deeds
During the Obama campaign, students from across the nation bussed to different states, phone-banked for representatives in district’s that weren’t their own, and effectively worked together breaking traditional boundaries in an extraordinary effort that gave us a majority in both houses of Congress and a democratic president. This year the University of Oregon College Democrats will extend the paradigms established in the 2008 election by helping elect Creigh Deeds, the democratic candidate for governor in Virginia.
As Olympia Snowe so delicately put it last week, one person can make a big difference in politics. If Mr. Deeds Republican opponent were elected, it would be a clear reversal of the momentum we all worked so hard to achieve. As Democrats living in the 21st century, we have an opportunity to help make sure this doesn’t happen. If you’re available Sunday Oct 25th from 1pm-3pm you can help phone-bank for Creigh Deeds, and prove to the pundits that 2010 will be a good year for Democrats.
On 09.23.09, In Federal Politics, Health Care, By admin
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