Wall Street Journal: What's in the (ObamaCare) Bill

Wall Street Journal ^ | March 22, 2010

[Zakeet]

The $940 billion health-care overhaul will take nearly a decade to roll out in full. A look at the key parts of the bill and when they go into effect.

2010

Coverage

• Subsidies begin for small businesses to provide coverage to employees.
• Insurance companies barred from denying coverage to children with pre-existing illness.
• Children permitted to stay on their parents' insurance policies until their 26th birthday.

2011

Coverage

• Set up long-term care program under which people pay premiums into system for at least five years and become eligible for support payments if they need assistance in daily living.

Taxes and fees

• Drug makers face annual fee of $2.5 billion (rises in subsequent years).

2012

Taxes and fees

• New Medicare taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and couples filing jointly earning more than $250,000 a year.
• Tax on wages rises to 2.35% from 1.45%.
• New 3.8% tax on unearned income such as dividends and interest.
• Excise tax of 2.9% imposed on sale of medical devices.

2013

Coverage

• Create exchanges where people without employer coverage, as well as small businesses, can shop for health coverage. Insurance companies barred from denying coverage to anyone with pre-existing illness.
• Requirement begins for most people to have health insurance. Subsidies begin for lower and middle-income people. People at 133% of federal poverty level pay maximum of 3% of income for coverage. People at 400% of poverty level pay up to 9.5% of income. (Poverty level currently is about $22,000 for a family of four.)
• Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor, expands to all Americans with income up to 133% of federal poverty level.

[Zakeet]

Much more about this piece of garbage is contained in the original article

[norwaypinesavage]

I doesn’t give the time when Medicare Advantage goes away (for everyone who does not live in Florida).

[tobyhill]

This won’t pass Constitutional muster.

[TheRobb7]

I got this in my inbox:

President Obama to speak on House passage of sweeping health care bill: Watch live

....more like “WEEP live”

[Diogenesis]

Tip of the iceberg alert:

DEATH -PANEL: Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever the Govt deems preventable (i.e...re-admissions). Page 280 Sec 1151
DEATH -PANEL: Govt mandates "Advance-Care Planning Consult." (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.) Page 425 Lines 4-12
DEATH-PANEL: Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again -- no choice!) Page 430 Lines 11-15
DEATH-PANEL: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing! Page 272 SEC. 1145
DEATH-PANEL: GOVT COMMITTEE decides what treatments/benefits you get Page 30 Sec 123
DEATH-PANEL: The Govt mandates a program for orders on "end-of-life." (The Govt has a say in how your life ends!) Page 427 Lines 15-24
DEATH-PANEL: Rationing Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans Page 85 Line 7
DEATH-PANEL: The Govt provides an "approved" list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death. (Also called 'assisted suicide.')(Sounds like Soylent Green to me.) Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3
DEATH-PANEL: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.Page 494-498 DEATH-PANEL: Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you Page 42
DEATH-PANEL: An "advanced-care planning consultant" will be used frequently as a patient's health deteriorates. Page 429 Lines 1-9 DEATH-PANEL: HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED Page 29 lines 4-16
DEATH-PANEL: An "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans.. (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?!?) Page 429 Lines 10-12
DEATH-PANEL: Govt mandates establishment of outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want -- rationing.) Page 335 L16-25 Pg 336-339
DEATH-PANEL: Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of 'special needs people!' Unbelievable! Page 354 Sec 1177
DEATH-PANEL: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.) Page 239 Line 14-24
DEATH-PANEL: GOVT will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.. (I wouldn't want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!) Page 429 Lines 13-25
DEATH-PANEL: Rationing Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members - your health care WILL be rationed!) Page 85 Line 7
DEATH-PANEL: Govt will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it's mandatory!) Page 425 Lines 17-19:

ACORN: Payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & ACORN Page 65 Sec 164
ACORN: Govt will use ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan. Page 95
ACORN: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations, ACORN Medical Services Page 469

Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what salary you can make.Page 127 Lines 1-16
Doctors: It doesn't matter what specialty you have trained yourself in -- you will all be paid the same! Page 241 Line 6-8
Doctors: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Govt tells doctors what and how much they can own!) Page 317 L 13-20
Doctors: Govt sets the value of a doctor's time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally-- the value of humans.) Page 253 Line 10-18
Doctors: Govt creates more bureaucracy via a "Tele-Health Advisory Committee." (Can you say HC by phone?) Page 379 Sec 1191
Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -- the Govt will penalize you. Page 298 Lines 9-11

Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! Page 149 Lines 16-24
Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!) Page 145 Line 15-17
Employer with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn't provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.Page 150 Lines 9-13
Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees AND their families. (Employees shouldn't get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.) Page 126 Lines 22-25
Employers: Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure - Page 22
Employers: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt monopoly. page 12 4 lines 24-25
Employers: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the 'Exchange.' Page 84 Sec 203

HOSPITALS: PROHIBITION on expansion. (The Govt is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.) Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3

ILLEGALS: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.) (Like always)Page 170 Lines 1-3
ILLEGALS: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise. Page 50 Section 152
ILLEGALS: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. (illegal aliens.) Page 91 Lines 4-7

MARRIAGE: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records. (I guess so the government can 'deduct' their fees from your bank account)Page 195
MARRIAGE: Govt will cover marriage and family therapy. Page 489 Sec 1308
MARRIAGE: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer. Page 59 lines 21-24:
MARRIAGE: Govt will have real-time access to individuals' finances & 'National ID Health card' - Page 58

MONOPOLY: Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Govt plan) Page 341 Lines 3-9
MONOPOLY: Govt mandates and controls productivity for "private" HC industries. Page 265 Sec 1131
MONOPOLY: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. Page 102 Lines 12-18
MONOPOLY: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?) Page 321 2-13

NEW TAXES: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.Page 167 Lines 18-23
NEW TAXES: The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." (Yes, it really says that!) ( a 'fee' instead) Page 203 Line 14-15

[homegroan]

Their egomaniacal signatures are so big they can barely fit them on one page.

[Thunder90]

We have incoming!

Cap and Tax by the end of next month
Immigration “Reform” by the end of May
Financial “Reform” by the end of June
Gun Control during the lame duck session

[ConjunctionJunction]

16,000 new I.R.S. agents/health insurance enforcers.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

It’s an outrage.

[RatRipper]

Democrats insist they passed this bill because healthcare is a RIGHT.

Can Death Panels arbitrarily eliminate that “RIGHT” because somebody reaches a certain age and a procedure ceases to be “cost effective”?

Seems to me the death panels, in spirit, violate their very justification for passing this monstrosity of a government takeover.

[ScottinVA]

Children permitted to stay on their parents' insurance policies until their 26th birthday.

My question on this point is... are parents REQUIRED to insure their children up to age 26???

[garbanzo]

New 3.8% tax on unearned income such as dividends and interest.

I hope everyone has enjoyed tuning into your favorite business news channel and seeing the DJIA > 10000. Take a picture, you might not be seeing that for a while.

[Eye of Unk]

The DOW is falling like a lead brick right now.

[Southack]

Watch our entire drug-making pharmaceutical industry move offshore as their $2.5 Billion in windfall profits taxes kick in next year.

Goodbye, high-paying U.S. pharm jobs.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

That seems to be a letter written last year, probably based on the House bill. The page numbers don’t match the senate bill.

[WriteOn]

I think some of the unintended consequences of this will include, medical tourism, and medical expatriation. Folks will be traveling to India, the Phillipines, and South America for treatment and long-term care, at least those who can afford it.

Those who can’t will be killed.

[svcw]

Well, personally I think we should send condoms to Washington and let them know if they are going to screw us, at least wear protection.
I’ll send mine to my rep and the president today.

[thulldud]

Democrats insist they passed this bill because healthcare is a RIGHT.

In their universe, rights come from government (i.e, themselves). Of course, rights that they give, they may also withhold.

This ain't your grandpa's America, where rights come from God, and government is there to protect them — it can't take them away.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

I think some of the unintended consequences of this will include, medical tourism, and medical expatriation.

But don't expats have to buy US insurance, even if it can't be used where they live? Anybody know the answer to this one?

[illinifan]

Soros and his buddies have fixed that - for now. It’s to lull us into complacency.