Tax break for employer health plans a target again

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

Job-based health care benefits could wind up on the chopping block if President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans get serious about cutting the deficit.

Budget proposals from leaders in both parties have urged shrinking or eliminating tax breaks that help make employer health insurance the leading source of coverage in the nation and a middle-class mainstay.

The idea isn't to just raise revenue, economists say, but finally to turn Americans into frugal health care consumers by having them face the full costs of their medical decisions.

Such a re-engineering was rejected by Democrats only a few months ago, at the height of the health care overhaul debate. But Washington has changed, with Republicans back in power and widespread fears that the burden of government debt may drag down the economy.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40408085/ns/politics-more_politics/

[Newsjock]

1. "Die quickly"

Too bad that so many Democrats have also bought into this bullshit.

[Lasher]

2. This is a middle class tax increase to help pay for extension of the GWB tax cuts for billionaires.

Robin Hood in reverse. The rest of the article doesn't get any better.

[PSPS]

3. "with Republicans back in power"

Such a re-engineering was rejected by Democrats only a few months ago, at the height of the health care overhaul debate. But Washington has changed, with Republicans back in power and widespread fears that the burden of government debt may drag down the economy.

Well, there you have it. M$NBC has called the final results of the last election and the republicans are now, apparently in charge of everything. In a way, though, they're right. The senate apparently needs 100 votes to pass anything and, as for Obama, well, you know.

[dkf]

4. Which goes to show that HCR was a joke.

The problem with these decisions is that there will never be full disclosure of all the plans with all their different pay structures, much less a disclosure of all costs of tests and all doctors fees. There simply is not enough info out there as to usual and customary charges of each medical plan for each procedure nor do we have a list across the board going doctor by doctor, hospital by hospital with success rates of each entity out there.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

5. Unbelievable...

"The idea isn't to just raise revenue, economists say, but finally to turn Americans into frugal health care consumers by having them face the full costs of their medical decisions."

FINALLY turn Americans into frugal health care consumers? I have excellent insurance and I am a frugal health care consumer because I can't afford the deductible! Show me one American who *isn't* a "frugal health care consumer". In fact, one of the biggest problems that we have with health care in this country is that people don't go to the doctor often enough and put off nagging symptoms until they become severe, possibly fatal, problems. I just find this statement so incredibly insulting.

And yeah, do you really think I'd be purchasing health care if I didn't have my employer help me pay for it? Um, no. I would take my chances because I can't afford the cost of insurance on my own. I suspect there are many millions like me... so we'd be increasing the number of uninsured in this country exponentially. Great idea.

The only way this can possibly work is if you eliminate employer-supplied health plans and replace them with... tax-funded single payer healthcare for all! And we know that isn't going to happen anytime soon... if ever.

This is class warfare, pure and simple. They want to steal every last morsel from the working class. When are we going to start fighting back???

[area51]

6. Agreed.

The part about "to turn Americans into frugal health care consumers...." is straight out of GW Hoover's playbook; he used to complain that we "used too much health care". With 273 people dying per day / 100,000 dying per year, I don't think this is a problem in this country. We have a shortage of doctors and nurses, and it's a national security issue that our health care delivery system is so broken. Stop the two wars of choice, bring the soldiers home, offer them work in repairing the broken infrastructure of this country and training in the medical professions for those who want it.

We need single-payer health care, not a welfare bailout for the serial-killer insurance agencies.

We don't need the GingrichCare of mandated, unregulated, for-profit insurance that is still too expensive, only pays parts of medical bills, denies claims, bankrupts and kills people.

Republinazi '93 plan:

"Subtitle F: Universal Coverage - Requires each citizen or lawful permanent resident to be covered under a qualified health plan or equivalent health care program by January 1, 2005."

"We will never have real reform until people's health stops being treated as a financial opportunity for corporations."

"Any proposal that sticks with our current dependence on for-profit private insurers ... will not be sustainable. And the new law will not get us to universal coverage ...." -- T.R. Reid, The Healing of America

[Vinca]

7. Maybe the only path to single-payer is EVERYONE out on the street.

[xchrom]

8. shrug -- which way is the wind blowing today?

that's what the spine of political leadership is made of anymore.

[raccoon]

9. What are employer health plans? :sarcasm: nt

[David__77]

10. No new taxes? Or just for the commoners?

This is obscene. Yeah, let's mandate you buy something, then take away the associated tax exemption.

[ramapo]

11. OK to end if....

If employers were required to provide a high percentage back to employee as salary increase

If there was affordable group-like individual policies available to all.

If there were premium controls.

If we actually had a choice of affordable policies that are regulated,

[hughee99]

12. Kind of weird, but "with repukes back in power"

it's now a concern? As if repukes have a history of taking away corporate tax breaks for anything? I see they got an elected Dem on record as considering this, but I didn't see any comments from elected repukes.

If repukes want to repeal "Obamacare" they can't also support removing the tax breaks for employer based health insurance, which might force many into using the government health exchanges when they come online.