Wyden's vision for health care reform begins with making sure everyone is covered

[SMOKE 1,426]

I think the aim of this proposal is to encourage employers to provide health insurance ...

If that's the aim, I'm not reading this right

Hope you're right.

Otherwise, this just sounds like a giveaway to the insurancemedical industry.

why will they not attack the root of the problem?....the medical indusrty raping the Amerian people's bank accounts. they charge what they want & if you don't like it or at least pay it ...you die.

[Marilyn. 340]

By Ivan Oransky in 60-Second Science Blog

SEATTLE -- If the U.S. wants real health care reform, it needs to make sure everyone is covered. The way to pay for that coverage? Limiting the tax-exempt status of health insurance premiums, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said yesterday at the annual meeting of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Here are the basics: The government would pay the costs for those at or below the poverty line, and that subsidy would decrease as a family's income increased. Employers would still be welcome to provide coverage, but if they didn't, each employee would get a check for the amount that coverage his or her coverage would cost. But as the WSJ's Seib points out, employers "would pay a fee -- a tax, really -- for each employee to help fund those federal subsidies to help families buy their policies."

How those numbers work out, and just what percentage of this insurance "rebate" check would be taxable for the employees who got them, remains to be seen, particularly as Congressional committee members mark up the bill and make changes. But Wyden is convinced that whatever health care reform costs, it will pay for itself. And the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) agrees with him -- to a point. They'll "score" some of the cost savings he's claiming for his bill, but not others, particularly those directed at prevention -- eg lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Overall, however, the CBO says the proposal will in fact pay for itself.

Wyden also says the time is right because "there has never been the opportunity for bipartisanship that there is today." He notes that the Wyden-Bennett measure is the first time in history so many Senators from both sides of aisle have signed onto a bill.

http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-scienc...efor-2009-04-18

well according to the bolded , it seems like you could still keep the employee insurance you have..

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Good point, SMOKE.

Here's another interesting detail. Abortion services are listed under 'family planning' in the full text.

(3) COVERAGE FOR FAMILY PLANNING-

(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph ( B ), a health insurance issuer shall make available supplemental coverage for abortion services that may be purchased in conjunction with enrollment in a HAPI plan or an actuarially equivalent healthy American plan.

( B ) RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EXCEPTION- Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require a health insurance issuer affiliated with a religious institution to provide the coverage described in subparagraph (A).

well according to the bolded , it seems like you could still keep the employee insurance you have..

Right. I'm actually reading the actual text of the legislation which may be why I'm confused

Edited April 20, 2009 by Randomizer

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I think the aim of this proposal is to encourage employers to provide health insurance ...

If that's the aim, I'm not reading this right

Hope you're right.

Otherwise, this just sounds like a giveaway to the insurance industry.

Do you happen to know how much your employer pays to provide insurance for you? Do you pay a premium on top of that for your wife to be covered?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Do you happen to know how much your employer pays to provide insurance for you? Do you pay a premium on top of that for your wife to be covered?

Yes, I know. I just looked it up actually so these numbers are precise approximations.

Medical, 2-person coverage. I pay 2600, employer pays 7400.

Dental, 2-person coverage. I pay 400, employer pays 600.

And I no longer recall how much the delta was for adding my wife to the policy. That was years ago, sorry

Edited April 20, 2009 by Randomizer

[Ban Hammer 13,360]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

I am confused. You are not in the military anymore, but you have their health insurance, right? If that is so, this proposition would not change things for you at all. Unless I am missing something (which is possible since I ran out of Dr. Pepper last night )

read the part i bolded again. as i'm not in the military, but retired military, it could well apply to me. i read it as active duty military.

i see aj found it already. so steven, is this nhc sounding so great to you now? how about you, aj?

Edited April 21, 2009 by charles!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

How about those who need the Wealthy Americans Act? Will those who are rich enough to not need health insurance be compelled to buy some anyway?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

You just need coverage which you already have, so you don't have to buy anything additional.

Not so fast, big guy. Charles may remember this thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...8&hl=legion

[Ban Hammer 13,360]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

You just need coverage which you already have, so you don't have to buy anything additional.

Not so fast, big guy. Charles may remember this thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...8&hl=legion

good point

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

I am confused. You are not in the military anymore, but you have their health insurance, right? If that is so, this proposition would not change things for you at all. Unless I am missing something (which is possible since I ran out of Dr. Pepper last night )

read the part i bolded again. as i'm not in the military, but retired military, it could well apply to me. i read it as active duty military.

i see aj found it already. so steven, is this nhc sounding so great to you now? how about you, aj?

LOL...Charles, you are employed, correct? And your employer provides your health care, right? You don't have to buy anything additional. Amazing, I know.

[Ban Hammer 13,360]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

I am confused. You are not in the military anymore, but you have their health insurance, right? If that is so, this proposition would not change things for you at all. Unless I am missing something (which is possible since I ran out of Dr. Pepper last night )

read the part i bolded again. as i'm not in the military, but retired military, it could well apply to me. i read it as active duty military.

i see aj found it already. so steven, is this nhc sounding so great to you now? how about you, aj?

LOL...Charles, you are employed, correct? And your employer provides your health care, right? You don't have to buy anything additional. Amazing, I know.

care to try again?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wyden's Healthy Americans Act -- co-sponsored with Republican Robert Bennett of Utah -- would require all Americans except those covered by Medicare or in the military to buy a health insurance policy. (The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib has an excellent summary of the bill here; you can see Wyden discuss the plan here and read the full text here.)

that in bold is what i have a problem with.

Why?

i'm not in the military. i have health insurance, yet i'm gonna be forced to buy something i already earned thru military service?

I am confused. You are not in the military anymore, but you have their health insurance, right? If that is so, this proposition would not change things for you at all. Unless I am missing something (which is possible since I ran out of Dr. Pepper last night )

read the part i bolded again. as i'm not in the military, but retired military, it could well apply to me. i read it as active duty military.

i see aj found it already. so steven, is this nhc sounding so great to you now? how about you, aj?

LOL...Charles, you are employed, correct? And your employer provides your health care, right? You don't have to buy anything additional. Amazing, I know.

care to try again?

If you have insurance, you won't have to buy insurance. I'm not sure why you keep insisting that that's what this proposal would make you do as that is not the intention of the bill.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Bat guano your so full of shite! If I dont have insurance whos gonna pay? hmmmmmmmmmm aaaaaaaaaa maybe YOU! Yeah! its all gonna be FREE!

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Bat guano your so full of shite! If I dont have insurance whos gonna pay? hmmmmmmmmmm aaaaaaaaaa maybe YOU! Yeah! its all gonna be FREE!

Only one person here is full of it.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Bat guano your so full of shite! If I dont have insurance whos gonna pay? hmmmmmmmmmm aaaaaaaaaa maybe YOU! Yeah! its all gonna be FREE!