HRA & National Health Care Revisited - Costs

OK. Let's continue the evaluation based on following some money:

►The bill includes a new tax starting at $280,000 of income. If that tax doesn’t generate enough revenue to cover the government’s costs by 2013, the tax automatically doubles. Don't you wish you could do that with your income?

►This tax is negative to small biz because their biz income is their personal income.
Will higher taxes force job loss, less capital investment, or perhaps shutting down the business?

► If you make less than $280,000 per year, section 401 of the bill includes a tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage. Don't have ‘approved’ health insurance? Shut up and pay the tax!

►The bill also includes a new “fair share” tax to pay for a federal health board. These political appointees will be deciding if you need the new hip or knee or heart valve or… you fill in the blank. Oh yes, it will not be your doctor! Far fetched? Ask a Brit.

► The bill requires individuals to buy health insurance. That’s when you find out the definition of 'approved' health insurance!

►Big business must buy the government-approved insurance for their employees. At over $11,000 per year, that may be the straw that breaks the business financial backbone. If not, you know those ‘evil business owners' will figure some way to save money to pay the bill. Layoffs? Oh yeah...if they don’t buy then they will pay a new payroll tax of 8%.

►The bill establishes a government-run health plan that will undercut the private market and force people to lose their private health insurance. It would be like medicare for everybody and would not operate on the same legal and economic basis as private health insurance companies must.

►Could employers see that as their way out? Could they simply cancel the current group plan and send all employees to the government plan? Isn't that the real motivation of the national health plan?

►Oh yes, lest I forget, you need to know that it won’t apply to members of Congress, who will keep their top of the line health plan.

All right. That’s enough. I’ve just ruined my weekend… I don’t want to ruin yours!