Atlas Puked...
Posted on 01/27/2009 7:42:55 PM PST by Libertarian444
WASHINGTON — The stimulus bill working its way through Congress is not just a package of spending increases and tax cuts intended to jolt the nation out of recession. For Democrats, it is also a tool for rewriting the social contract with the poor, the uninsured and the unemployed, in ways they have long yearned to do.
With little notice and no public hearings, House Democrats would create a temporary new entitlement allowing workers getting unemployment checks to qualify for Medicaid, the health program for low-income people. Spouses and children could also receive benefits, no matter how much money the family had.
“It’s raining money,” said Representative Michael C. Burgess, Republican of Texas.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Temporary....snort, yeah good one, riiiight......
Pretty soon it will pay more to be unemployed than employed.
Then they need a ‘temporary’ tax to fund it, rinse, repeat.
“This is as urgent as it gets,” said Representative Anna G. Eshoo, Democrat of California.”
Yet another “crisis” to ram through bad legislation and hook the public and states on the Federal drug of money.
Republicans wanted to deny the premium subsidies to people who had annual incomes of more than $100,000 or assets of more than $1 million. They also wanted to prevent people with more than $1 million of family income from taking advantage of the Medicaid option for the unemployed.
Democrats voted down those proposals in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Representative Nathan Deal, Republican of Georgia, said “the poorest of the poor” had long been subject to income and asset tests when applying for Medicaid. But, Mr. Deal argued, under the new option, a millionaire could get Medicaid benefits, financed entirely by the federal government, without being asked about such matters.
Unbelievable!!!!
How about cable TV and broadband internet for workers laid off ?
A variation on the old healthcare quote. If you think your jobs pays you a lot now, just wait till you are unemployed !
I may very well be out of work on April 1st-new cuts. No way I can afford insurance...I have a pre-existing condition so that’s that. What is wrong with temporarily letting the unemployed keep some form of insurance during this economic tsunami?
Man, that's a relief! I thought us taxpayers would have to pay for it.
Good thing the federal government has got its own money to pay for this sort of thing...
Atlas Puked...
Yeah, that’s the ticket, the federal government will pay! /sarc
The cost of this program will be huge. COBRA runs at least a thousand a month, 65% will be around $650 per month that the government will pay. There has to be influence by the insurance lobby in there somewhere.
Another thing is with expanding Medicaid, it will make the list of doctors who don’t take Medicaid grow, IMHO. Seeing an occasional Medicaid patient is one thing, being inundated with Medicaid patients would force a doctor to shut down his practice (not enough money in Medicaid alone to run a practice.)
Wow, if I got really sick and needed expensive medical treatment, it might be better for my boss to lay me off and just pay the unemployment.
Does anyone in our government actually have any activity between their brain cells that might fire off a real thought? This road show gets more stupid by the day.
Just wow.
Only if you're not white.
You know, there is nothing wrong with a lifeline when you need it. I had a nice, growing business for almost 10 years providing advertiwsing photography to the RV and Marine industry. Both of those industries crashed in the blink of an eye takng my business and many others with it. That crash cost me dearly and while Im not proud of th3e fact, unemployment for both the wife and I are all thats keeping us afloat. Health insurance is a big issue, its cost us 60o bucks a month for $2500 deductable insureance, insurance I MUST retain due to the fact my medical history will preclude me from ever getting another policy.
I’ve never needed nor ask for govermental help in my 56 years but things are nearly out of control.
So cut good, conservative people some slack....
That is exactly what the programs were created for. If that is what they were used for, I cannot think of one conservative who would say a word. If they would make it temporary, lifetime maximums, and disallow any children conceived AFTER benefits began to discourage lifetime appoinntments to welfare(workfare would be a better description) this country would not be in the mess it is in. I feel your pain, hubby out of work 3.5 months now, no unemployment, my job and Gods good grace keeping us going. No health insurance, but he is supposedly starting a job w/the fed govt next week. Did not yet get the call for the start date, either the 2nd or the 17th, hoping for the former. Good luck to you in this downturn. Hubby was out of work b/c we had to close hvac company we started 3 yrs ago.
Most “regular” people will be fairly appalled by the state of public healthcare. The lines and waits for care are amazing in most facilities. The poor folks there have learned to live with it, and often brag of the “free” medicines, etc.
However, regular, unemployed folks may take the wrong lessons their peek at the inside of the public system.
The reason the lines are long are NOT because of a lack of funding. It’s because “free” public care is ALWAYS this way, everywhere in the world.
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