Health Care Reform bills

#1 - Not all "reform" is good, just like not all change is good .... its just .... well .... different

#2 - they lie .... they are politicians, and they lie - that's a given .... they are reporters and they "spin" - that's a given .... they are beneficiaries, and they are looking at the short run & how they benifit - no question ....

that said - here's the latest on the news:

• Senate/House bills need to be combined & signed by President Obama yet (look for a push right after winter holidays)
• some provisions won't take effect until 2014, but some will kick in ASAP

2010 will bring changes for insurance companies

• Bans companies from dropping customers
• must take anyone regardless of pre-existing condition
• rates will go up (gov won't start kicking in their share of the cost until 2014)

Taxes will be raised

• 2010: Senate version hits drug makers & importers with an annual fee, so expect prices to go up
• 2011: Taxes on insurance companies & device makers (any device, so that pace-maker, that artificial knee, those dentures, that crown, those braces - are all "medical devices" ... jury is still out on glasses/contacts)
• Families earning more than $1Million (lies, its much lower than that)
• Senate wants to tax those making more than $250,000 in 2013

Lies ....

It will effect families grossing around $80,000/yr (important to be specific, this is before taxes & deductions) despite what they say -- we are on the 'front lines' and have gotten the word ...

Companies who are offering insurance - even in a state like ours that already requires companies offer insurance to FT employees - will be penalized for daring to offer it already.

Insurance rates will go up an incredible amount - nearly 300% of 5 yrs ago (I've got those numbers now but need to put them up) .... people who didn't have to pay a premium before, will have to now.

Out-Of-Pocket expenses which have to be paid by the patients before the insurance company starts to pay will go up, as companies struggle to keep afloat (insurance has been shown to be one of the first things cut back on)

That's the truth ....

Its also the truth that the Federal Government getting involved in this - is unconstitutional. There is nothing in the Constitution about the government insuring or protecting the health of its citizens .... it does not fall under "life, liberty, pursuit of happiness" ....

Just like there is no "Right to Privacy" (really there isn't) there is no "Right to Insurance" ... its a bogus argument that the majoriy of America - and I hate saying it, but its true - is too stupid to learn about ...

They would rather have someone tell them ... so it becomes a "... they say ... " type of thing.

So do you think there are still places that read the Constitution every 4th of July like they did in the past? Not that they didn't have their versions of "they said"s in days of old (probably more so since more of the country couldn't read it for themselves) -- but I think it meant more to them then ...

we, as a people, have become .... disconnected ... from it.

So we believe what people tell us is in there -- and most of us will never look it up in a book ... hunt for it on the internet ... find the podcast of it ... do any sort of research --- will simply let others tell us what it says.

Sad.

Now -- we will have to pay ... our children will have to pay .... our great-grandchildren will have to pay -- for something that should be handled at the State level of government.