Senator Baucus: what $856 billion buys you

The American Thinker ^ | September 17, 2009 | Linda Halderman, MD

[Scanian]

On September 16, 2009, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) offered some of the details of the healthcare reform proposal that will be presented for debate. The Senator's 223-page summary of the proposal, "America's Healthy Future Act," provided additional details for his committee members.

During the press conference, Senator Baucus called the proposal "one of the largest pieces of social legislation since the Depression."

He described the mandate that would be imposed on every American: buy health insurance or face an IRS-enforced penalty of up to $3,800 per family. Annual tax returns would be used to "ensure compliance" (Subtitle D-Shared Responsibility, page 28).

[Doogle]

.....sixteen tons and what do you get..another day older and deeper in debt......

[tobyhill]

No matter how the Rats slice it, it means higher taxes for the middle class. “Fine” means taxes. Mandatory insurance means taxes. No matter what, the middle class will be paying for everyone else.

[Sacajaweau]

Have said right along....This will create another “kitty”...just like SS, Medicare, Medicaid and before you know it...there will be a new deduction from your paycheck.

[SC DOC]

The desciption of the author tells a lot about the situation we physicians are in :

Dr. Linda Halderman was a Breast Cancer Surgeon in rural central California until unsustainable Medicaid payment practices contributed to her practice's closure. She now serves as the healthcare policy advisor for California's Senator Sam Aanestad while continuing to provide trauma and emergency services in rural communities.

[MissMagnolia]

He described the mandate that would be imposed on every American: buy health insurance or face an IRS-enforced penalty of up to $3,800 per family. Annual tax returns would be used to "ensure compliance" (Subtitle D-Shared Responsibility, page 28).

On this alone the bill should be killed.

[hflynn]

Baucus is nothing less than an al Obama suicide bomber.

[Rummyfan]

He described the mandate that would be imposed on every American: buy health insurance or face an IRS-enforced penalty of up to $3,800 per family.

Quite frankly, Max Baucus is insane.

[excalibur1701]

And not single line of tort reform.

[Vinnie]

Let’s see,
He wants to ‘squeeze’ $500B from Medicare
Add 12-50 mil folks to the government ins. rolls
Build a bureaucracy to administer the program.
Illegals will be covered (no way to avoid it)
35% of Dr.s considering quitting if this is instituted.
35% of population pays no taxes now.
Most of this doesn’t go into effect ‘til 2013, (that’s why it is so important we pass this on an emergency basis /s. Oh, AFTER the next presidential election /s)

And this will save money and improve healthcare????

Why am I skeptical /s

[RoadTest]

Senator Baucus - are you going to be using this insurance for your family?

Hm?

Senator Baucus? - I can’t hear you.

[LibLieSlayer]

It buys a one-way ticket to depression and communism.

LLS

[bert]

Here is the bill

He must be serious to put it out for all to see.

[frposty]

If government requires a citizen to buy health insurance, and government also agrees to pay the bill, then the government (us) is just insuring some people for free. The requiring-and-then-helping-to-pay scheme is a useless exercise in number juggling.

[Scanian]

“He must be serious to put it out for all to see.”

Seriously screwed up.