Will Obama Tax Health Benefits?

Institute a government federal insurance OPTION, then tax the crap out of the private industry that has let us down. That's my solution.
 
LadyT said:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1908250,00.html?xid=rss-politics-cnn

"Many of those generous health plans are also part of union contracts — and in many cases were negotiated in lieu of higher wages — which means Obama might have to go back on his campaign promise not to raise taxes on those earning less than $250,000 a year."

Here's a solution:

Don't freakin' do it!
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this is going to be done, no doubt about it. It will be explained away and apologists will all tell us that they are actually taxing the companies payment portion and NOT the employee, even though it reduces the employee salary to do so.
 
I think once a viable federal insurance option is offered the private insurers will fall into line or eventually loose all of their business.

Taxes aren't necessarily the answer, they need to be held accountable for deaths and conditions that are due to failure to insure to a degree that they won't pull the crap they've been pulling.

1) people should have the right to have their cases resolved within a year unless there are unusual circumstances in the the insurance company can't go to trial. None of this dragging cases out for 3 or 4 years.

2) tort limits need to be abolished

3) criminal charges should be filed against individuals at insurance companies responsible for initiating failure to insure. If there's going to be personal responsibility - you better believe they are going to get inline.
 
Obama scored a lot of points during the debates when he accused McCain's plan of doing this.
 
cawacko said:
Obama scored a lot of points during the debates when he accused McCain's plan of doing this.
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That would be fucked up if he went ahead with this. The limit's he's talking about is certainly higher than McCain's was, but yes, this could substantially hit the middle class.
 
cawacko said:
Obama scored a lot of points during the debates when he accused McCain's plan of doing this.
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... considering it was the ENTIRE McCain plan to tax benefits and give you a $6000 tax credit with which to buy a family policy that costs on average about $12,000, yeah, he scored points.

Fortunately, Obama's plan isn't LIMITED to this, as McCain's was.
 
Yurt said:
thiis will be obama's bush I, read my lips....

by by obama :)
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yeah, what with all those other republican contenders emerging its going to be a rap for the dems right? I mean Sanford, "Quitter" Palin, Limbaugh, and Steele. And this is just a rumor, but I hear Larry Craig is making a come back too. Look out dems!!!!!!!!!!!:p
 
LadyT said:
I think once a viable federal insurance option is offered the private insurers will fall into line or eventually loose all of their business.

Taxes aren't necessarily the answer, they need to be held accountable for deaths and conditions that are due to failure to insure to a degree that they won't pull the crap they've been pulling.

1) people should have the right to have their cases resolved within a year unless there are unusual circumstances in the the insurance company can't go to trial. None of this dragging cases out for 3 or 4 years.

2) tort limits need to be abolished

3) criminal charges should be filed against individuals at insurance companies responsible for initiating failure to insure. If there's going to be personal responsibility - you better believe they are going to get inline.
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Al health costs should be tax free or benefits should be taxed. There's no reason that people who happen to get their insurance as part of their pay should get a free ride.
 
ib1yysguy said:
... considering it was the ENTIRE McCain plan to tax benefits and give you a $6000 tax credit with which to buy a family policy that costs on average about $12,000, yeah, he scored points.

Fortunately, Obama's plan isn't LIMITED to this, as McCain's was.
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True. McCain offered no solutions whatsoever. But dems went on the attack for McCain's plan which would effectively raise taxes on the middle class.

Employer benefits are one of the few silver linings in our system. Getting rid of the tax benefits for the company and for the individual is a bad move period. Its coming out of our pockets and there are no two ways about it. Its a bit of a slap in the face especially when the administration acknowledges that tax payers need every cent they can get at this point (stimulus packages). It sends an inconsistent message and it has the potential to go back on campaign promises.
 
ib1yysguy said:
... considering it was the ENTIRE McCain plan to tax benefits and give you a $6000 tax credit with which to buy a family policy that costs on average about $12,000, yeah, he scored points.

Fortunately, Obama's plan isn't LIMITED to this, as McCain's was.
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The McCain plan was invented with the intention of applying more free market magic to healthcare. I have no doubt it would've just made the situation far worse, with employers just dropping health benefits and insurance companies charging just as much as ever in the horrible non-group health market. Without the negotiating power of being in a group, insurance companies would be free to charge basically as much as possible. It's sort of like being a union worker vs. not being a union worker. You're going to be a hell of a lot worse off alone.

If anything, any McCain-like right wing plan would only vastly increase the incentive insurance companies have to deny you coverage through vast loopholes. The job of an insurance company in the health market is to charge you as much as possible and give you as little in return as possible. According to the free market, insurance companies who do this poorly go out of business. That's why we need to get as much market out of the healthcare industry as possible.
 
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Watermark said:
Al health costs should be tax free or benefits should be taxed. There's no reason that people who happen to get their insurance as part of their pay should get a free ride.
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Completely wrong. All healthcare costs should be tax deductible. Its a broken system and the gov't has let the insurance companies screw us over time and time again. Premiums, copays, check ups, you name it, it should be completely deductible.

If you're concern is that when un/underinsured have to pay medical costs they don't a tax benefit, include them in it. Don't screw over the rest of middle class.
 
Watermark said:
The McCain plan was invented with the intention of applying more free market magic to healthcare. I have no doubt it would've just made the situation far worse, with employers just dropping health benefits and insurance companies charging just as much as ever in the horrible non-group health market. Without the massive negotiating power of an organization, insurance companies would be free to charge basically as much as possible.

If anything, it would only vastly increase the incentive insurance companies have to deny you coverage through vast loopholes. The job of an insurance company in the health market is to charge you as much as possible and give you as little in return as possible. According to the free market, insurance companies who do this poorly go out of business. That's why we need to get as much market out of the healthcare industry as possible.
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We all agree that McCain's idea was shitty.

Taxing health benefits is a shitty idea no matter which party proposes it.
 
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