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Baucus Unveils $856 Billion Health-Care Legislation
Wall Street Journal ^ | September 16, 2009 | Gregg Hitt

Posted on 09/16/2009 7:22:56 AM PDT by La Lydia

WASHINGTON -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus formally unveiled a 10-year $856 billion bill that would extend health insurance to tens of millions of Americans not now covered, moving an important step forward on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. The sweeping measure is designed to steer a more moderate course on health policy than other major bills moving through Capitol Hill, and doesn't propose to create a new government insurance plan to compete with private insurers, as proposed in rival House legislation and favored by many liberals. Instead, the Montana Democrat is proposing to expand coverage by creating a network of nonprofit health insurance cooperatives.

More than a year in the making, the bill would overhaul the nation's health-care system and has sparked a sharp battle between Republican leaders and the White House over the size and role of government in the nation's economy. The measure would create a new national insurance exchange, where individuals and small businesses can purchase insurance. Individuals would be required to purchase insurance, but those at the lower end of the income ladder would receive federal tax subsidies to defray the cost.

Moreover, insurers would be barred from using a range of practices -- such as denying health coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions -- that critics say have created economic turmoil and emotional hardship for millions of families....

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Politics/Elections; US: Montana
KEYWORDS: 111th; baucus; baucuscare; bhohealthcare; democrats; fantasy; healthcare; maxbaucus; nonoandno; obamacare; socializedmedicine
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To: Macgedos
"Most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson
61 posted on 09/16/2009 9:54:33 AM PDT by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: tobyhill

Can someone explain to me what is considered a “high end” insurance plan and the rationale for a 35% tax on it?


62 posted on 09/16/2009 9:57:38 AM PDT by VA40
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To: La Lydia

Props to the 3 GOPers who didn’t sign on to this.


63 posted on 09/16/2009 9:58:45 AM PDT by ScottinVA (This Revolution will be peaceful if possible; other than peaceful if necessary.)
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To: MTMS
I am embarassed to be from Montana right now. Actually, the way this state is going, I am embarassed quite frequently.

Montana folks vote decided GOP up there for Prez, but are a lot more sketchy when it comes to Senator and Governor. What gives up there? Do they really LIKE Baucus and Tester?

64 posted on 09/16/2009 10:01:07 AM PDT by ScottinVA (This Revolution will be peaceful if possible; other than peaceful if necessary.)
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To: ScottinVA

decided=decidedly


65 posted on 09/16/2009 10:01:45 AM PDT by ScottinVA (This Revolution will be peaceful if possible; other than peaceful if necessary.)
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To: La Lydia

He’s spinning this bill as something that will help the average working American, but this bill won’t help the average person. His speech is a load of BS. This bill uses a collectivist approach that forces all young people and healthy responsible people into a system where they’ll have to pay for relatively expensive health insurance, to subsidize the poor, illegal immigrants, and people with pre-existing conditions. It’s galloping socialism...European style. Welcome to Sweden...and get ready for much higher taxes and inflation to pay for all of this, if it passes in congress.


66 posted on 09/16/2009 10:13:01 AM PDT by your local physicist (Gridlock is good...in Washington.)
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To: MTMS
I am embarassed to be from Montana right now. Actually, the way this state is going, I am embarassed quite frequently.

It's Big Sky New York.

67 posted on 09/16/2009 10:17:44 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: La Lydia

NO public option

NO co-opts

NO trigger legislation

PERIOD!!


68 posted on 09/16/2009 10:21:41 AM PDT by Kimberly GG
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To: babble-on
Baucus is on TV now and I heard him mention something about uber-taxing the insurance companies (so they stop being naughty, I guess). Does this dimwit not realize that those added costs will be passed down the line to employers and then on down the line to employees with additional health care benefit deduction from their paycheck???? That the employers will eventually say it's cheaper to pay that 8% penalty every year than health care plans for employees. That the employers will say "sorry workers, go get the government plan. Oh, and since Cap and Trade is costing us megabucks, we can't afford to give you all a raise again this year."

No matter what, if all this goes through, the average American will be like a candle burning at both ends - increased costs for food and other necessities, wages that will be lowered or not increase, and increased taxes. If this monstrosity is passed, you know that this administration will be pushing for a national sales tax to pay for this down the road. Americans will be working just to exist and get through another day with food, water, clothing, utilities and gas in the car to go back and forth to work.

69 posted on 09/16/2009 10:28:41 AM PDT by 3catsanadog (If healthcare reform is passed, 41 years old will be the new 65 YO.)
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To: La Lydia
Here is a microcosm of a typical government program, the federally run National School Lunch program.

My child in public school now pays $6.18 per day for a lunch that costs $1.98 to prepare. Why? Because a full 50% of kids get a free lunch. The rest goes to pay for the government to run it.

Here is the track record of the cost of the program in representative years:

1950 - $119M
1960 - $225M
1970 - $565M
1980 - $3.2 Billion
1990 - $3.7 Billion
2000 - $6.1 Billion
2008 - $9.3 Billion

Over 30 million kids get their lunch for free, and my kid pays $6.18 for a lunch that costs $1.98

Just factor all these numbers up and you will have the economics behind Obamacare.

70 posted on 09/16/2009 10:32:54 AM PDT by Gabrial (ObamaCare: The efficiency of the Post Office, the compassion of the IRS, the costs of the Pentagon)
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To: IndyTiger

Yeah, I saw this somewhere today about medical equipment companies being heavily taxed also. This is freakin’ unbelievable. They want to tax health care insurance companies and medical equipment companies above and beyond what other industries are taxed. Does our Constitution allow for this?


71 posted on 09/16/2009 10:33:43 AM PDT by 3catsanadog (If healthcare reform is passed, 41 years old will be the new 65 YO.)
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To: La Lydia
Moreover, insurers would be barred from using a range of practices -- such as denying health coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions -- that critics say have created economic turmoil and emotional hardship for millions of families....

Even forgetting the all other awful measures in the bill, if this is implemented it will kill insurance. Hey, let's lobby congress for the same on auto insurance!

This measure is also their justification for fining those who don't want insurance and getting the IRS et al to give bureaucrats every bit of information they have on you. Still, even with the fine, it may still be worth forgoing insurance until something bad hit and then getting a plan that year (with the bonus that it also gets you out of a 'fine' for that year). I still see insurance companies getting creamed, leaving everyone with one option...

72 posted on 09/16/2009 10:43:33 AM PDT by batter (Wolverines!)
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To: Rutles4Ever
Nicked LOL! As in “stolen”?

No, as in bled out from the Carotid artery.

73 posted on 09/16/2009 10:48:34 AM PDT by savedbygrace (You are only leading if someone follows. Otherwise, you just wandered off... [Smokin' Joe])
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To: batter
...if this is implemented it will kill (private) insurance...

That has been the plan all along.

74 posted on 09/16/2009 10:53:16 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: Gabrial

“Over 30 million kids get their lunch for free, and my kid pays $6.18 for a lunch that costs $1.98”

There are a couple of solutions to that outrage.


75 posted on 09/16/2009 10:54:33 AM PDT by listenhillary (A "cult of personality" arises when a leader uses mass media creating idealized/heroic public image)
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To: La Lydia

The plan...

2009 - Set up a government plan, without a government option...

2011 - quietly modify the plan to include a very small government option in rare instances

2013 - quietly modify the plan to expand the government option

2015 - quietly modify the plan to balloon the government option out significantly

2017 - quietly modify the plan so that private insurance becomes impossible to obtain/retain if you have to change jobs or insurance coverage

2020 - Single payer is achieved...

Remember ‘War Games’, the movie? The only way to win, is not to play the game.

Republicans who cooperate to contribute to a sound fix of health care are only insuring that they can never win.

KEEP THE GOVERNMENT’S HANDS OFF HEALTH CARE PERIOD!


76 posted on 09/16/2009 10:54:40 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Wearing neck brace in commemoration of Ted Kennedy's contribution to our society.)
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To: La Lydia
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
77 posted on 09/16/2009 11:00:33 AM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --"God help us all, and God help America!!" --my new mantra for the next 4 years)
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To: La Lydia

Live Free Or Die


78 posted on 09/16/2009 11:04:36 AM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (ALSO SPRACH ZEROTHUSTRA)
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To: La Lydia

And taxpayers will pay for abortions.


79 posted on 09/16/2009 11:09:02 AM PDT by sarasota
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To: La Lydia
***While only legal residents would be able to buy coverage through the exchanges, illegal immigrant parents would be able to get insurance for their U.S. born children.***

There lies the catcher. How is our idiots in Government going to prove where a baby is born and even if they are born here, the incentive increases for illegals to come here just to have babies and get their babies free healthcare.

80 posted on 09/16/2009 11:14:50 AM PDT by tobyhill (The Communist has arrived)
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