We Just Want the Information for Record Keeping

Q: Does the new health care law require workers to pay income tax on the value of employer-provided health insurance?
A: No. The value will appear on employees’ W-2 forms for information purposes, but will not be considered taxable income.

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Everyone who thinks the government just wants this information for record keeping raise your hand.

Everyone who thinks the government is entitled to know the private dealings between an employee and employer raise your hand.

Everyone who thinks the government is entitled to this information raise your hand.

If you believe the government will not use this information at some point in the future, I have a bridge in Brooklyn and some oceanfront in Arizona I can let you have cheap.

BREAKING: On Monday, AMA delegates will vote to withdraw endorsement of House Health Care Bill.

From the Ladies down in Atlanta at Bury the Blue.

The House plans to vote on Pelosi's health care bill this Sunday - just 2 days away! Tonight AMA announced that they will vote on Monday to withdraw their endorsement of this outrageous bill. Because Monday will be too late to affect the House's vote, I STRONGLY encourage you to email the AMA and ask that they hold an EMERGENCY meeting to vote on reversing this endorsement ASAP!AMA

Contact Info: http://webapps.ama-assn.org/contactus/contactusMain.do;jsessionid=30054D46170E2D7BD247FC27037C0A4F

Stay Strong!
Tracy

Reduction of Supplemental Medicaid in HR 3962

H/T The Dillard Doctrine

Today's Virginian-Pilot reports that one of the provisions under consideration to fund HR 3962-the healthcare bill that will be voted on in the House tomorrow-is a reduction in supplemental Medicaid payments to hospitals that serve a substantial amount of poor and uninsured patients.

One of the hospitals that could lose funding under this bill is Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. This hospital sets the standard for neonatal and pediatric care in Hampton Roads.

People trust CHKD with their children's care in both emergent and non-emergent situations.

As a citizen, I would question the support of my representatives who choose to support this bill. I would want them to explain to me why, in the words of one representative, it "makes sense to keep [the bill] moving forward," knowing that one of our region's best hospitals could suffer as a result.

It Will Still Raise Taxes

Family Research Council on the Senate version of the takeover of 20% of the Nation's economy.

.....The CBO managed to put the bounce back in Baucus's step after it announced that the Committee's idea would cost less than $900 billion over the next ten years without adding to the nation's monster $1.4 trillion deficit.

If the news sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. What the American people may not realize is that the CBO's score is only a partial estimate, because no one has seen an actual bill. The Committee and the Congressional Budget Office are working entirely from a concept. Even the CBO acknowledges that most of this is an educated guess. Its report warned of "significant changes" to the estimate when the language is finally released.

Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander (R) urged voters not to be fooled by the CBO's report, which the Wall Street Journal blames on "new math." "What we know at this point is that [their idea] cuts Medicare, raises taxes, and increases insurance premiums for tens of millions of Americans. We need to see the actual bill... and know its exact [wording] before we begin a lengthy debate about whether it's the right direction for our country."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) dismissed the news altogether. "This Finance Committee proposal will never see the Senate floor," he said, "since the real bill will be written by Democrat[ic] leaders in a closed-to-the-public conference room somewhere in the Capitol." He's pointing out, as FRC has, that what comes out of the Senate Finance Committee is not nearly as important as the final product, which will be merged with the radical version from the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

"The real bill will be another 1,000-page, trillion dollar experiment... that vastly expands the role of the federal government in the personal health care decisions of every American," Sen. McConnell said.

If the fine print of the Baucus plan actually existed, Americans might be surprised to see how the Committee plans to pay for its reform.

The Washington Times blog uncovered a "new mommy tax" that would help Uncle Sam cover costs. Sen. Baucus has recommended that the government hike taxes on Class II medical devices--which includes basic necessities like breast pumps, pacemakers, ventilators, wheelchairs, needles, and much more.

Wanda Moebius, a spokeswoman for the Advanced Medical Technology Association, just shook her head. "Health care reform is supposed to make it more affordable, not raising costs... on the end user."

Veterans Paying Their Own Medical Costs?

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars to be treated and appreciated by their nation.”—George Washington.

I guess we know for sure how the Annointed One, may peace be upon him, feels about treating the Veterans of earlier wars.

It will decimate the ranks and keep future warriors from making the decision to join.
That is the driving force behind this decision to make veterans pay for their own medical costs.

The loonies will have their socialist utopia with no military. I'll have more thoughts on this later today. I have to go to work now and pay my fair share.