Feisty Redhead Roselle, ILI know, the tea baggers will get right on that after they're done naming post offices, waging war on women & outlawing Sharia law!

You forgot about waging war on the Fleabaggers, number one priority...

Monthly premiums would have ranged from $235 to $391, even as high as $3,000 under some scenarios, the administration said.

Workers would pay an affordable monthly premium during their careers, and could collect a modest daily cash benefit of at least $50 if they became disabled later in life.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/obama-pulls-plug-on-troubled-long-term-care-program-citing-design-flaws/2011/10/14/gIQAX3oNkL_story.html?wprss=rss_national

So under the fed, I would have to pay 3k per month in order to receive 50 dollars per month if im disabled?!!!! Im very very scared of whats going to turn up next!!! This is probably why Nancy said we had to pass it in order to read..

Whats next 10k monthly payments for 50 dollars worth of medical coverage?!!! Yet somehow this is Obama and liberals center piece of accomplishments..

Very Poor Leadership again by Obama! Did anyone really believe Obamcare would reduce the national deficit?? This is what happens when inexperienced voters elect and inexpirenced leader......

I am really confused. When does the President decide what laws he (or she) should execute or not. They are sworn to uphold the Constitution and the Laws of this nation. Apparently Obama decides now... This is absolutely unreal...

Sam ... that's a $50.00 DAILY benefit.

Workers would pay an affordable monthly premium during their careers, and could collect a modest daily cash benefit of at least $50 if they became disabled later in life.

That means that a beneficiary would receive at LEAST $1,400 per month (February in a non-leap year) and up to $1,550 per month (in 31 day months). That is a minimum not an absolute number. That's on top of whatever SSD they receive which is entirely based on the person's INCOME during their working years. That would make conceivably an income OVER $3,000 per month.

@Redhead... Replace it with your own health insurance, that's what! The federal government is BROKE, and next thing you know, everyone will be broke.

These programs coming out of la la land aren't going to solve America's problem, they just add to the deficit! It's pretty obvious a community organizer has not enough experience to be prez... I hope he heads back to Chicago in 2012!

Feisty - get a grip. This portion of the law was never thought through and would have been a complete financial disaster. Even the liberals admit it was financially unsound. As much as I know you want to, you can not blame Bush, the TP, or the Republicans for this. This poorly written legislation was entirely a product of the Democrats and the Obama administration. Of course I am not sure what authority Obama has to scrap part of a duly passed law without congressional action to repeal it. This has become a recurring theme lately with the administration scrapping all or parts of laws they do not agree with or refusing to enforce them. This is more like a dictatorship than a representative democracy with the way things are being done. Under our constitution, passing and changing laws is the purview of the legislative branch, i.e. the House and Senate, not the executive branch. Also, since this law was specifically written without a severability clause, in other words it is all or nothing, I am not sure that only part of it can be dropped without starting over on the whole thing. This was done because of two factors. First was the requirement for it to be revenue neutral and second, because it was the only way to get the insurance companies on board. This is because without the individual mandate, the elimination of pre-existing condition exemptions that is in the law becomes a complete disaster. The only way to eliminate the pre-existing conditions was to require everyone to get health insurance. This is because without that, people could just wait until they got sick to get insurance and the insurance companies would go broke or premiums would have to go up to ridiculously unaffordable levels.

And thus begins the unraveling of a 2,000-page bill nobody read. I suspect we'll be hearing about other provisions we can't afford as these things reach their enactment dates.

Get Real: Yes, I was wondering the same thing.

zoroaster: While I agreed with the need to reform healthcare in this country, I'd have preferred a system for reducing costs, not finding a way to pay for ever-increasing ones. The chances of reforming this white elephant are pretty dim with a divided Congress.

Sharia law should be outlawed. plain and simple

Two words!

A JOKE!

That describes the Obama Administration in the most simplistic of terms. This will make it easier for the SC to squelch the whole unconstitutional law.

"We must pass it to find out what's in it"

What a bunch of incompetent morons.

FXSTC,

How informative. I'm sure that you can sleep well tonight after spending all afternoon thinking up that creative bit for the rest of us to admire.

Fiesty,

When the Healthcare debate was happening I did post that I was for dumping the program and adding a universal basic coverage program funded by tariffing imports.

US manufacturers sent our jobs overseas, partially because labor and benefit costs are less, resulting in laying off people in this country that had health insurance.

The result, more uninsured people, and those left paying higher premiums or losing the benefit.

I find it only fitting that since China has taken our jobs, and we, those now without insurance are the paying customer for imported products, we should have them at the very least pay for our health insurance.

IRESPOND-2315268,

The opening line of the article: "The Obama administration announced Friday that it has suspended one piece of the landmark health care law which the president signed last year."

When did Obama become Republican?

Good to hear from you again cdahl!

When the Healthcare debate was happening I did post that I was for dumping the program and adding a universal basic coverage program funded by tariffing imports.

Would you do us all a favor and send a copy of your plan to DC?

That's the most reasonable idea I've ever heard...

Have a great weekend! ;o)

This is vile and arrogant....

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/tester-takes-iran-linked-company-cash

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/10/13/new-obama-metric-jobs-supported/

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/pay-abortion-or-women-die-floor

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/occupy-boston-protesters-spit-on-coast-guard-member-20111013

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/ed-cain-says-what-white-gopers-want-hear

Post #1 Another post with no sign of human Intelligence

Wasn't CLASS part of what CONGRESS, not the president, inserted into the bill as their way of trying to FUND the entire thing (after all of the Republican amendments and efforts to totally destroy the bill)? There is only ONE way to go with health care, and that is Medicare for All (Single Payer). Everyone pays into it and everyone gets coverage.

Joe

Why should the government be replacing this entitlement? If you want it, go out and purchase a Long Term Care policy and take care of yourself. How about getting some personal responsibility liberals?

I know...the concept of personal responsibility totally escapes the liberal mind so therefore I'm probably wasting my time suggesting it.

Because if we do NOT replace it with something else, then we go BACK to the old way of using our tax dollars to pay for the healthcare of the uninsured.

You do realize that we have been paying for the uninsured with our taxes, right? Please tell me you are not THAT stupid.

So if we completely repeal it, we go back to paying for the uninsured.

This bill FORCED people to be PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for their own insurance, instead of making us pay for their medical care.

So your "concept" of "personal responsibility" is NOT requiring people to get insurance for themselves, and instead you want to pay for their health care with your taxes. Really?

I don't think you understand the definition of "personal responsibility"

I'm not a fan of HCR, but going BACK to the old way is no better. You will pay for the uninsured either way. We need something new.

The Republicans are the most arrogant and vile people in this country.

And constantly the progressive liberals state their brilliant opinions. This is the part where I say that I hate your guts too and I hope that you die in a fire. I don't see any progress in this type of discussion behavior. Just more blind idealogy worship.

I really find the amount of name calling on this site deplorable. Last year it was more of an honest sounding board. Granted, there were slants left and right but the name calling was nearly absent.

As a fiscal conservative, I've often disagreed with Fiesty's views. However, I've respected her argument. To simply call her derogatory names, or myself for that matter who leans right not only accomplishes nothing, but actually further entrenches each into immobile positions.

This is the problem we have in Washington today. The Republicans shouldn't be wrong. They should have a viewpoint that is representative, and defensible. The Democrats shouldn't be wrong. They should have a viewpoint that is representative, and defensible.

Unfortunately, this has given way to one side warring with the other, which accomplishes nothing. It furthers our economic disparity.

The vast majority of us can stand up to the childish name calling. However, I would ask out of hope that we all could up our level of Character and stick to points, consider and learn from the other's point of view and make this one day count a little more in our political lives because we actually took the time to learn something, or at least consider it.

When the Healthcare debate was happening I did post that I was for dumping the program and adding a universal basic coverage program funded by tariffing imports.

Awesome idea

To all of you having a hissy fit....President Obama always said that there would be things that would need to be tweeked once the bill was passed. Did you miss that? I'm sure there are other areas that will be tweeked too. President Obama just wanted to get a healthcare bill passed; then it could be discussed and adjusted where needed until everyone agrees with it. Be patient, okay?

As for Long Term Care insurance, both my husband and I have purchased this through Genworth Financial (recommended also by AARP). We pay reasonable prices for this...about $500 each quarter for the two of us (I'm 65; my husband is 51). It also includes a cost of living adjustment so that it'll be worth more than today's dollars if necessary. Well worth the money to have this. We also had a choice as to what we wanted; i.e., in-home care, retirement home, etc. Of course, we chose in-home care (and who wouldn't?).

Didi - It was poor legislation to begin with. I remember the Bird Brain From Alcatraz saying, "We have to pass the bill so we can find out what's in it." Any one who would pass legislation without letting the people know what it entails gets what they deserve. It was so unpopular they had to pass it on procedural grounds because it would not have survived a vote. It should be completely dismantled and scrapped.

So make your monthly payments for 40+ years,....and then......Oh Yeah,just like I did for Social Security...by then they'll make it part of the general fund cookie jar like Johnson did in 1963.....and we all know how that's working out.....A program I paid into for all that time now tells me I'll only get 75% of what I should be getting because too many deadbeats.....are not paying into it....so somehow it's my fault they're not working.....maybe the 96 week unemployment check thing isn't working out....great incentive to look for a job...I had to re-invent/retrain myself years ago when the UNION job I had went south.....Sooooo..I did some research as to pay/benefits/job openings.I got alot more training,got sent all over the world met some people who shot at me,...met some more I was able to help...worked with some great men and women....all one race....GREEN...ok,..then we were all tan.....chocolate chip...then we were all DSU......now it's all digital......In the long run,..I'm not apoligizing for taking responsibility for my family's healthcare insurance...........U.S.Army Disabled Veteran

" unworkable since no actuarially sound way could be figured out to run the program"

maybe that should have been revealed (or even researched) before these bafoons included it in the bill that our liberal Congresmen and Congresswomen DIDN'T read before they shoved it up our collective arses...more to come I can assure you , but hell you asked for it

Repeal Obamacare, this Democrat law is a fiasco, 3000 pages of garbage made behind the door, for lobbyist and groups of interest and Obama donors .

Medicare for everyone! Make it an option, you can choose private health insurance if you choose. But, there should be a scale where younger individuals pay a set premium, and as you age your premium decreases if you live a healthy lifestyle. Once you hit 65 (maybe 70 for those under 45) it becomes free to you.

So, the HCR was a means of balancing the budget, really?

cdahl

You call people out for such vile language regarding the redhead but say absolutely nothing of her potty mouth and degrading remarks.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, still thinking Hmmmmmmmmmmm Still thinking ...

Damn this whole thing is messed up my conclusion .....

this part of the HCA is about a voluntary insurance program to help people with disabilities or in need of care to help with daily needs. This long term care program is being scraped.

Currently , Medicaid pay for people who need to be in a care facility, after their personal money has run out. Some seniors have purchased long term care insurance, but they pay only so much per diem for so many years . Many elderly have outlived these payments. Those who suffer from dementia and cannot be cared for at home or are without family are the greatest population in many of these care centers.

This population will only grow in the coming years. So back to having only Medicaid and its rising cost to federal and state budgets the only answer.

He also has another problem. The administration can say they aren't doing something all they want to, but the bill was passed by the democratic controlled House and the Senate. He does not have the authority to chop the bill that is now legally authorized. It will have to be brought before the House and Senate, and you can bet with the Supreme court waiting to ax his bill for forcing people to buy medical coverage or be penalized, the House is going to bury him.

@ Get Real

"-you are right . It is pretty basic."

Care to explain the basic understanding of this provision of the HCA?And then give your solution?

I guess Obama was in favor of CLASS before he was opposed to it.

This is one of our big problems. Our government (both parties) keeps trying to rush to a solution without first adequately defining the problem or making sure the proposed solutions are viable.

Think about how the Community Reinvestment Act played out. How could forcing banks to make loans based on anything other than the borrower's ability to repay the loan ever have made any sense? And then here we go again. Another "Community" blunder. This time the “Community Living Assistance Services and Supports” which from its inception was nothing more than an accounting fraud in which the premiums would be collected in the early years with payouts prohibited by the act so deficits could be artificially reduced, and then when the payouts began in the later years, the plan would run in the red forever and add to the deficits. How could this ever have been passed by an intelligent congress?. Talk about fraud. People need to remember this stuff when next November comes around and we have to decide who is to be in charge.

Which of these clowns isn't lost without a teleprompter? GW was a mess even with a teleprompter. Republican fanboys trying to make Obama sound bad because of a teleprompter seem to have the memory of a goldfish and certainly couldn't point out a single republican candidate who does without a teleprompter. Another non-issue by the republican fanboys.

I think the birth certificate conspiracies and secret muslim bit had more bite. Not that republicans have teeth anymore. We need a viable third party now more than ever.

This, like all then other "savings" in the health care bill, was a sham.

Clock's ticking on the worst presidency ever.

Obama shelved in 2012.

Yes! We who pay the taxes understand very well! Obama has managed to divide us and conquer us in less than 3 years. He is awesome at staying with his word to transform us. He has! Are you better off now than you were 3 years ago, is the nation?

Glad to see the Unions join the OWS protests and taking over and democrats in high office supporting the protesters as well. Unions and fatcats who benefit from them will take over the protests now. Just step aside and let the games begin.

It's a great start!! So when do they repeal the REST of it??? Can't be soon enough...

I always knew there would be changes. If there were no changes, then I would be scared. This is the way anything works. You get your foundation, then you add, change, and delete what works and doesn't work. I know some of you will want to make a big deal of it, but any person with any experience in life, knows this is the way you do things. If you are looking for a reason to be upset you will find one, if you are looking for change, then buckle your seat belt, because it is never smooth.

At least it is finally coming out that this whole health care thing was a LIE. You progressive/liberals could never have passed it if the American people were told the truth. There is no way that it is going to reduce the deficit and everyone in this administration knew it.

Where will they get the $86 BILLION to replace what is going to be lost with eliminating this portion?

IRESPOND - Why do you call a person selfish if they have their own insurance? Because they won't buy yours too? Get a job.

Medical costs will always be high and doctors will always be in short supply because of all the lawsuits. They aren't the only factor obviously but they play a huge role. Some people are certainly deserving when they sue for loss of limb, wrongful death, or misc. Others are definitely questionable at best and in both cases the payouts can be huuuuuUUUUUUge.

If that issue had been addressed in HCR I think many people would have given it a more fair glance. It wasn't, so HCR is more or less feel good legislation. Repeal it and replace it with nothing at all or perhaps something better.

Voting Independent. A 26 year old is not a CHILD. Is there a reason he isn't going out to get a job where he can get his own insurance.

Voting Independent

Tell your lazy kid to get his own policy. Conservatives believe that a person who is 21 years old is not a child. Did you know that he could have an insurance policy even without the Obama POS? I never understood the logic behind why keeping your adult offspring on your policy was such a selling point. Policies for young people are not costly.

Obama admits CLASS cannot work.

Obamacare is now deficit negative, upside down $86 billion and counting.

And Feisty and others start by complaining about Republicans?

Obama rammed this down our throats.

Even his administration CANNOT make it work.

It is an unmitigated DISASTER.

100% DEMOCRAT created, and 100% DEMOCRAT failure.

Go ahead and rant about Republicans again, it's sad, but typical.

Voting independent - did it ever occur to you that having everyone else pay for your son's health care is kinda like stealing???

Helping is one thing but I am in a position that I interview a lot of these CHILDREN coming out of school. They are so used to their parents doing everything for them, they do not know how to take care of themselves. I even had the parent of one 24 year old call me after I did a performance review her daughter thought was too harsh. I was astounded to say the least. There is a whole generation of college kids whose parents have not prepared them for the real world where things don't always go their way and everyone does not get a trophy.

IRESPOND

You are one far left person. You and your ilk want everyone else to take care of anyone who you feel needs help. Guess what, some of us are sick and tired of leeches! The way the left is today I can't wait for everyone on the right to just stop contributing to any cause that has a progessive/liberal agenda. As a business owner I would NOT hire anyone who is participating in OWS. From now on when I walk into a store I just might ask who owns the place and what their political leanings are. If they're left I walk out.

This current administration breeds your type and it isn't good for the United States of America.

1/20/2013 - the end of an error

"They Republicans always collapse the comments that disagree with their policies and ideas."

Irespond, oh, you mean just like the Democrats do when they out number the Republicans that disagree with their policies and ideas on these same boards? Or did those slip your mind...........conveniently? Are you trying to sell BS to people who really know better?

This was very poor legislation to begin with. I remember the Bird Brain From Alcatraz saying, "we have to pass the bill so we can find out what's in it." That is the mentality that went into this monstrosity, which was so bad the Dems had to pass it on procedural grounds because they knew it couldn't stand up to a vote. It should be dismantled and scrapped.

Ha, ha!

"Are you that stupid or arrogant not to understand that reality?"

Irespond, read my post above before you start calling others stupid or arrogant, you know, it's something you really don't have any room to be throwing at others.

IRESPOND

MOST middle class Americans are doing fine. If you are having trouble making ends meet you are doing something wrong. Try living within your means.

Just for your information, all of my employees do just fine. In fact they stay with my compnay for years. All are paid at least double the minimum wage, get a minimum of $1,000.00 bonus at the end of the year. The ones who have been with me for more than 10 years are getting at least $5,000.00. So take you cheap talk and put it where the sun don't shine. And grow up and take better care of yourself because I don't want to help people like you.

NorthstarDFL - Glad to see someone has a clue here. Thank you, because you've got it all right.

Long-term care insurance on the open market is so expensive, only the wealthy can afford the premiums. Medicare, along with any available "Medigap" or "Advantage" plan and ordinary health insurance do not begin to cover long-term care. Maybe six weeks of total time in a skilled nursing facility. Most everybody else rely on Medicaid to foot the bill.

Where do these nincumpoops get their ideas and misinformation? Having a premium based program protects the beneficiary from having to sell or have a lien on their home, where their spouse may need, in order to qualify for State/Fed Medicaid payments. The potential to be totally wiped out is very real, especially for the working class, not the deadbeats and welfare cheats as other commentaries imply.

These "personal responsibility" fools cannot have a clue. I have my own story of responsibility: As a successful, mid-level executive, I had fantastic employer-based health insurance, equity in my home, and over $400,000 in a variety of investment/savings instruments. Then I was diagnosed with late stage, but treatable breast cancer. Oops.

It was immediately evident that I would not return to work for quite some time. My employer was incredibly generous: Paid severence equal to one year's wages, gifted my lease vehicle, and gave me early retirement. Huge problem is that I was employed in New York as a resident of Pennsylvania. The health insurance carrier does not offer group insurance in Pennsylvania and were not required to offer COBRA. Fortunately, my professional organization offers health insurance with better benefits and cost than any privately purchased policy. Because I had already been diagnosed, I could not get a certificate of insurability and was held up by a pre-existing condition exclusion for my cancer related treatments. Of course, bought the insurance plan to cover any other illness and to start the clock on the p.e.c. exclusions.

The hospitals and my physicians were fair, as well, by offering to charge only the discounted rate available to insurance providers. Within a few months, I burned through nearly a half-million of my savings and IRAs purchased with 401k rollover. How much more responsible should I have been? Because I could not afford the additional expense of a "re-fi", I sold my little house, using the proceeds to continue my medical care.

I try to be philosophical by believing that I used my future to buy a future; and I am generally okay with that. One thing that truly infuriates me is the assinine attitude of a public that thinks they are "safe"; or that the HRA is "unconstitutional" for requiring a mere $700 penalty for opting out; or calling out deadbeats. The term "Obamacare" is no more than a perjorative, used by the "ignorati", who haven't a clue beyond talking points that are provided by political operatives.

A message for Ron Paul is: Don't get sick. Period. Okay, adding perjoratives of my own. As far as requiring participation in any legitamate health insurance plan: The high cost of hospital care is due to the real deadbeats, who stick it to the hospital or government. A public option is the sensible solution to cost sharing.

Sick of the pricks, who will stop at nothing to de-legitimize the president and his policies...at the expense of our nation's well being.

So there.

Many thanks, NorthstarDFL and to the citizens who actually read and study before running with their idiot rants.

The part fully implemented now, child policies, has gotten to the point in a very short time well over half of all states have either drastically reduced the coverage or you can't get it at all any more. Because it is not financially feasible the way they have it written. More unintended consequences.

Another consequence seen in Mass. is that instead of emergency room visits going down, they are going up. Because of doctors leaving and more people put on the rolls. Longest time for doctors appointment in the country i believe is Boston.

As we wrap-up another week and I head to the DDI, I have a question for my FR friends...

How many executives, C-level, law firm partner-type professionals do you know who constantly share personal details about their material wealth, like RVs, boats, jet ski, quads? And if they mention anything maybe it's about their kids, or a social event like a wedding, but they try to keep their personal life separate and private.

And how many of these professionals, even just management-level with staff, are lacking in writing skills, and who have a college education but seem to know nothing of history, literature, and core classes everyone is required to take?

My intention is not to be mean, but just questioning what does not seem plausible. Please stop enabling posers, especially ones that bully because the Mrs. is really an over-bearing mother, and they spend all their time in a basement taking on-line courses and posting in FR as their outlet. Thanks.

Back to the topic... Everyone knew the Affordable Care Act would require some fine tuning. Social Security and all other programs have gone through the same process. The difference between progressives and conservatives is progressives keep working to improve things. Conservatives always want to throw the baby out with the bath water and start from scratch, unless it's their agenda -- Then they repeat the same mistakes expecting different results.

We will see, maybe the mandate will have to go too, though I don't think so. But these are only parts of a larger, worthwhile program. And though it's not single-payer, it's better than nothing.

Many thanks, NorthstarDFL and to the citizens who actually read and study before running with their idiot rants.

*stands & applauds*

Many thanks to you Forgot Password for sharing your story... I'm happy to hear you beat the horrendous disease.

All to often these keyboard warriors neglect to realize what goes on in the real world.

My mothers story is very similar to yours, she battled cancer for 5 1/2 years both emotionally, physically & financially (she worked for a leading cancer treatment center)...

Unfortunately, with the very best health care available, she lost her battle...

IRESPOND

I am with you all the way, all these TEA Party people want is to keep to their selves and don't give a DARN about any body else in America, especially if it comes to trying to help those who are not as FORTUNE as they are, especially if they are part of the 1%. I usually don't like to wish bad things to happen to MY FELLOW AMERICANS, but some times it may be warranted.

"My type is any middle class American out there trying to amke ends meet...."

I'll finish your sentence for you,........by taking what I can from others even if they don't like it, you know, I'm entitled to it.

MOST middle class Americans are doing fine.........

Really?

I rest my case......

,........by taking what I can from others even if they don't like it, you know, I'm entitled to it.

Wrong: For asking to have a health insurance that all Americans can afford.

Because every time that any Democratic president has tried to change the "health care" of this country, the majority of the senate and the house have been Republican. He had to do it when he had the chance. Otherwise it would have NEVER be done...

And now all of you, selfish people with insurance, want to destroy it, instead of asking your masters the Republicans to make it work somehow.

You think that this country can keep up with the cost of health care the way it is? Get a grip!

Actually, Bill Clinton attempted to reform health care in 1993-1994 when he had a Democratic congress. Some argue that the botched reform effort contributed to the defeat of so many Democrats in the 94 elections, thus giving the House to the Republicans for the first time in almost fifty years.

I agree that something needed to be done with health care, but the bill that was written by Nancy & co, and supported by Obama was not it. It did little to control the costs of health care, forced a possibly unconstitutional mandate and didn't even make any serious effort towards a public option, which is probably the only way we'll ensure that everyone has a decent health care plan.

JH apparently doesn't live in the same country I do. The only jobs available in my area that would employe my kids is part-time minimum wage (thanks GWB). No insurance. I really hate the arrogance of the repugs on this board - claiming the unemployed are lazy, anyone getting "entitlements" are taking their money and it is just ridiculous. I can't believe so many people are that stupid and arrogantly throw their cluelessness at the rest of us like we are going to swallow it. It just amazes me.

OWS stay strong!!!

"I usually don't like to wish bad things to happen to MY FELLOW AMERICANS, but some times it may be warranted."

So Derf, that makes you the better person, because you only "wish" bad things to happen to your fellow Americans? What's the difference between the act of doing a bad thing to a person, or wishing something bad to happen to them? You may just as well do the act if your going to think it.

terriels

Are your "kids" to good for a part time, minimum wage job? That's the problem with most progressive/liberals today. Just too good to start at the bottom. They all want everything NOW!! Well, tough sh*t, you have to earn it.

I live in the same country as you do if you live in the United States of America. I started out at the bottom and now am doing just fine. I have never taken a penny of entitlements in my life and hope I never have to. But if I do, I will be happy that I contributed plenty so I am not a drain on the system.

Monday morning quarterbacking is always a fun game, but the fact is the President used a Republican idea to get health reform moving. And as soon as the President embraced "Romneycare" as the solution, the republicans immediately declared it socialist and ran away from it like it wasn't their idea in the first place. This would have happened on any issue the President chose. The republicans were itching for a fight to salve their bruised egos after the whipping they took at the polls in 2008, and they really didn't need any excuse at all to shut everything down in what amounts to a political version of a toddler's temper tantrum.

The President was the bigger man here. He went with a republican idea and disposed of a great many promises to his voters to find a middle ground with republicans. But you can only avoid a fight if both parties want to avoid a fight. And the as far as the republicans are concerned, there is no such thing as a compromise, even when the other side agrees to what you want.

The GOP isn't looking for policy victories. They simply want to humiliate the man who beat them in 2008. It's all ego and vanity. And that's a shame because the country suffers as a result.

And btw, I'm a lifetime registered republican.

@2.43

I think you meant "squats and drops it"

A lot if not most people, myself included, start out in life without insurance. We do not have the resources as a country to insure every person for everything craddle to grave.

@voting

most parents try to teach their children a little thing called self-reliance and not wait around for handouts from anyone including their parents , but then if your children are cool with living your basement I guess that's cool to.

"lifetime republican" haha - LA even funnier

ForgotPassword, thank you for sharing your real life experiences. It speaks volumes as to what is wrong with the current health care system. It is not until you really need to collect on your benefits that all the fine print,exclusions, co-pays raise their ugly head.

You did everything right, self sufficient, great job, living your life. Then you have a heath crisis. Everyone in this country will face something like sometime in their livfe. It is just a manner of when.

the "I got mine, personal responsibility " attitude always has it limits when it comes to one's health. Disease happens. Sometimes chronic, life threatening, terminal disease.

Most of these one line posters are indeed clueless, but time will tell for all of us.

I supported heath care reform, the new law and any changes it needs to provide coverage for you and all those with a pre existing condition. The cost of our broken system you have already paid in a dramatic life change. The least I can do as a fellow American is support those who are changing the system with my vote, and my money in form of taxes. It is the least I can do for the common good.

Again, thank you and be well, a day at a time....

Thank you WisconsinDad. We The People need to stop acting like such pawns in this false Left/Right paradigm.

Sign the petition to get money out of politics (nearly 200,000 strong so far): getmoneyout.com

"All to often these keyboard warriors"

like that doesn't describe her...haha drivle

The big question is what is affordable. This present health care is not. Simple things like settin up community clinics and charging a moderate co-payment, eliminating the sueing of Doctors and facilities and speeding up the SSI process for those who are disabled or injured due to a botched system. How can a doctor still be sued when he didn't authorize that test that one in 10,000 may come up positive. This MUST cost big bucks.

As for 26 year olds covered under their parents insurance, perhaps the voting age needs to be increased to 26 or until your self sufficient. Peace Out.

"Get back to us when master nbasic spelling... K?"

haha...nbasic?

damn, shoe meet other foot

get back to us when you master basic common sense...K?

We can only pray the rest of the bill is scraped before it hits full-force in 2014.

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

JH, Maybe you missed the part where the kid couldn't get insurance because of a pre-existing condition. It doesn't matter where they start or finish, it's not available at any price.

"I have never taken a penny of entitlements in my life and hope I never have to."

No sir, I guess that entitlement of freedom that was paid for by other people dying isn't really an entitlement, nor the public education you surely received, nor the laws of this country that enabled you to get where you need no assistance. If you however end up in an ER you will be "ENTITLED" to free medical care.

MAC,

"As for 26 year olds covered under their parents insurance, perhaps the voting age needs to be increased to 26 or until your self sufficient. Peace Out."

Great so long as the draft age or the age at which you can go into the military goes to 26 as well.

@ForgotPassword, I was reading through the comments and having a Deja Vu moment until I read your post. There is NOTHING like a personal account based on real life experience to put things into perspective. I'll read no further as you've made it all too clear the harsh realities facing all Americans in these dire economic times. I do believe that abject ignorance is a plague affecting way too many Americans these days. Until it happens to them, they can't and won't get it. As the old saying goes: "There are none so blind than those who will not see." Rings truer today than ever.

I wish you God-speed, and all the best in your recovery. Your seem to have one awesome head on your shoulders. That's a WONDERFUL thing and so very rare these days! Thank you for allowing us a glimpse into the reality of your health care matters. God bless you!

Pat, noticed I said OR Self Sufficient. Should anyone REALLY vote, and decide how we are governed, who is incapable of taking care of even just themself?

As for the draft, it should be avoided at ALL cost. I was in the draft army and the volunteer army, and we get 10 times more done with a volunteer army even with a lot more of stupid BS requirements thrown at us.

For IRESPOND -

Your hatred of Republicans is duly noted. It is also plain to see that you don't know any of them, nor talk to them. Your statement re. their motives is quite incorrect.

How lacking in your knowledge to say that the Republicans did not have another plan. They had a complete plan...which was stuffed and kept in committee and off the House and Senate floors by Pelosi and Reid.

Now, about those Wall Street types, or billionaires, whom you detest: Wall Street gave financially overwhelmingly to elect Obama in 2008 (also gave much to Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer). And it seems that Warren Buffet, Obama's point man for attacking "the rich," is a pretty big billionaire.

And, further, "teabagger," the inaccurate filthy term you use, should result in your comment being deleted, and having such users of this term (of which I had never heard prior to the use by attackers of the Tea Party)...be thrown off the airwaves/viewwaves.

Obamacare was only revenue/deficit neutral when the CBO used the false figures given to them by the Dems who wanted to pass it. It has already been exposed that they double counted Medicare "savings" to reach a neutral figure. Now this CLASS exposure. Repeal the entire piece of garbage.

"YOU @!$%#inf freaks of free speach @!$%#s can not stand liberty & truth..."

as soon as we hear some from you we will cut you in

dang I got suckered into the fray...sorry viners

What happened was, none of them read the bill including Obama. He just signed it. After a year, he finally found time reading it. To his horror, he said O cr@p!!! this is a mistake, I am going to take this part out of the bill.

According to the CBO, the CLASS program would have reduced federal deficits by $86 billion in first 10 years, partly offsetting the increased federal spending due to the other parts of the health care bill.

Memo to CBO: next time consult the actuaries FIRST! You're pulling numbers out of thin air and you only attempted to validate them after the fact. You have proven your incompetence. I would not trust you to estimate the price of gas if you were standing at the pump.

no joe, no bo, nj. Nope, the worst presidency ever was that of George W. Bush. He got us started in two wars that were not necessary, in my opinion, either thru deceit or willfull blindness or stupidity. And the support cast, Chaney etc. that he had were also nothing to write home about. At least Obama seems to care and is trying to help the little guy, regardless of his reasons for doing it, regardless of his imperfections. The Republicans, on the other hand, are trying to help the big guys and anyone who's not a big guy and is supporting the Republicans, well I think that person should do some serious thinking about their mental reasoning.

Axe it and replace it with Universal Health Care.

Obama signs a bill into law which no one read and now he thinks he has the power to deleat portions of it unilaterally, after the fact. Doesn't work that way Barry.

Doesn't matter. The law, or at least the mandate forcing people to buy insurance, will be overturned by the SCOTUS. Obama, Pelosi and read need to learn how to read a bill before they pass it.

While it would be great that everyone had access to health care, this law wasn't the way to do it and Barry knows it. Everyone with half a brain knows it. Unfortunately, there are too many with less than half a brain who don't have a clue and think the country should do something for them instead of them doing for their country.

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." JFK

So Feisty and feisty types, what have you done for your country? Please tell me bacause I really want to know what makes you so entitled.

Bob-3374873

Obama signs a bill into law which no one read and now he thinks he has the power to deleat portions of it unilaterally, after the fact. Doesn't work that way Barry.

Doesn't matter. The law, or at least the mandate forcing people to buy insurance, will be overturned by the SCOTUS. Obama, Pelosi and read need to learn how to read a bill before they pass it.

While it would be great that everyone had access to health care, this law wasn't the way to do it and Barry knows it. Everyone with half a brain knows it. Unfortunately, there are too many with less than half a brain who don't have a clue and think the country should do something for them instead of them doing for their country.

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." JFK

So Feisty and feisty types, what have you done for your country? Please tell me bacause I really want to know what makes you so entitled.

When you to the President of the Unites States by his high school nickname, I thought you guys might go way back. The man taught Constitutional Law at a prominent college, and graduated from Harvard Law.

He jerked what might not stand under the Constitutional challenge. I think the guy knows what he's doing. It's not like his predecessor having to dodge legal bullets, (and shoes) because he "made legal" torture.

The right wing people love to come on the Vine and repeat Limbaugh and Fox lines--but we welcome your discourse.

Sally or Tyler...

How does Feisty gets away with slandering anyone and everyone who is conservative? I have yet to see her suspended for a week...a day, for that matter. She continually breaks the COH suffering no ramifications. Please explain?

I'd just like to reply to a post somewhere in this thread regarding reasons why a 26 year old might not be working.

Well first, before I begin, I just want to place into perspective the fact that, getting a job is always easy IF you are the person that gets selected. That is to say, you are "hireable", in business lingo. You only have your perspective to go by, and it is probably that jobs are easy come, and easy go; for you.

For many others though, they do not enjoy the luxury of being "hireable".

Got a long period of unemployment in your record? "DISQUALIFIED!"

Did you actually list your disabilities? "DISQUALIFIED" (they already have their token disabled that they need to earn their tax credit.)

Ever do a drug in your life and get caught? "BIIIG DISQUALIFIED, YOU DIRTY LIBERAL HIPPY, GO GET A JOB.........."

Are you in any way 'abnormal' like LGBT? "The army may not practice it anymore, but here its "don't ask, don't tell" and if we find out on your facebook, you're FIRED. Its not discrimination if your evil ways 'hurt our company image'...

You get the picture... tax credits never work because to avoid 'handicapping' a business, they only need to hire so many to earn them and those token workers tend to become fixtures. Further, its impossible to enforce anti discrimination laws in a political environment where business leaders are literally able to hold this country hostage.

"If you tax me, enforce a law on me or, or...make me do something I don't wanna do...I'll just pack up my JOBS and go somewhere ELSE."

So yes there are LOTS of reasons why young adults today do not work. Except it is mainly structural BS and has little to do with their REAL ability or desire.

Forgot Password

What you fail to understand is that it should not cost a half million plus to get the care you received. It is not the insurance but the rates doctors and hospitals charge that is sinful. So it really doesn't matter how many people are forced to contribute to your care by making us all purchase health insurance. With the rates the way they are and continuing to climb it is not affordable period.

The focus is misdirected. Insurance is not the real issue. The exorbitant and ever increasing fess charged by MDs , hospitals , etc.. is the real culprit. And the inability to sustain CLASS points that out in a very real way. Unfortunately Obamacare does NOTHING to control the costs. It only attempts to spread the pain of paying for it to your neighbors, friends and family members under the fallacy that the group can somehow afford it. But they can't even afford the cost as a group. Especially when they have their own care tossed in too to be paid by the group as well. It is unsustainable. And when you mandate on top of it that carriers must pay for the full cost of things like routine exams, etc.. and doctors are swamped by people getting such services, the prices they charge are driven up even more which, in turn, drives up the premiums carriers must charge.

BTW, I don't see how COBRA was not available to you, it's mandated by federal law.

Any way, I'm glad you are doing better and I wish you the best of health and good fortune going forward.

What's this? A "part" of ObamaCare not being implented?

Where is my free stuff? I demand my free stuff!

Some of the problems with the CLASS portion of the Health Care Reform just didn't seem viable and I have to wonder why it was included.

Some of the posts here especially the one by "forgotpassword" (I believe it was her post) tug at a persons heartstrings; or should.

We have a massive problem with uncontrolled costs in this country and I am still hopeful that portions of the HCR will remain intact and help as many as believed. But the CLASS portion simply wasn't a good solution because of the costs.

If as many people as believed by the Obama administration signed up for the long term care, it would cost the average person $225-$400 a month. You would have to pay in for 5 years before being eligible for any benefits. Those benefits were to be $50 a day. Although that's a nice return on your investment, it is still a staggering sum for most average earners in the country. It is even more dificult to assume that a healthy 25 year old would jump on the band wagon. If many didn't, the monthly premiums would increase to make up the difference.

And what the return on the investment? What kind of decent care is anyone going to get for $50 a day? This still leaves a lot of care to be incurred by family members, which is what is currently happening.

And what provisions were implemented in the plan that would prevent the president or Congress form "borrowing" from the plan the way they have with Social Security? I'm sorry, but I have little faith that this wouldn't happen.

Now the question is this. What do we do now? How much further n the hole does the country go to sustain a persons life, or will someone come up with a reasonable solution?

Right on usa!

Ever wonder why the liberals run like hell and never defend anything that Obama does? It's simply amazing! It's like watching cockroaches run... Too damn funny! Feisty ridicules everyone Republican, but at something like this she stamps her feet and makes fun of everyone and yet no defense for Obammy... Too freaking funny!

@rickeroo

I have said the same thing since the scam was enacted , I expect everyones children to get to work to get me my free stuff.......NOW

I think this article pretty much sums up our current administration:

Article from the Wall Street Journal - by Eddie Sessions:

"I have this theory about Barack Obama. I think he's led a kind of
make-believe life, in which money was provided and doors were opened, because at
some point early on somebody or some group took a look at this tall, good
looking, half-white, half-Arab, young man with an exotic African/Muslim name,
and concluded he could be guided toward a life in politics, where his
facile speaking skills could even put him in the White House.

In a very real way, he has been a young man in a very big hurry. Who else
do you know has written two memoirs before the age of 45? "Dreams of My
Father" was published in 1995 when he was only 34 years old. The "Audacity of
Hope" followed in 2006. If, indeed, he did write them himself. There are
some who think that his mentor and friend, Bill Ayers, a man who calls himself
a "communist with a small 'c'" was the real author.

His political skills consisted of rarely voting on anything that might be
deemed controversial. He went from a legislator in the Illinois legislature
to the Senator from that state, because he had the good fortune of having
Mayor Daley's formidable political machine at his disposal.

He was in the U..S. Senate so briefly, that his bid for the presidency was
either an act of astonishing self-confidence or part of some greater game
plan, that had been determined before he first stepped foot in the Capital.
How, many must wonder, was he selected to be a 2004 keynote speaker at the
Democrat convention that nominated John Kerry, when virtually no one had
ever even heard of him before?

He out maneuvered Hillary Clinton in primaries. He took Iowa by storm. A
charming young man, an anomaly in the state with a very small black
population, he oozed "cool" in a place where agriculture was the antithesis of cool.
He dazzled the locals. And he had an army of volunteers drawn to a charisma
that hid any real substance.

And then he had the great good fortune of having the Republicans select one
of the most inept candidates for the presidency since Bob Dole. And then
John McCain did something crazy. He picked Sarah Palin, an unknown female
governor from the very distant state of Alaska . It was a ticket that was
reminiscent of 1984's Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and they went down
to defeat.

The mainstream political media fell in love with him. It was a schoolgirl
crush with febrile commentators like Chris Mathews swooning then and now
over the man. The venom directed against McCain and, in particular, Palin, was
extraordinary.

Now, nearly a full 2+ years into his first term, all of those gilded years
leading up to the White House, have left him unprepared to be President.
Left to his own instincts, he has a talent for saying the wrong thing at the
wrong time. It swiftly became a joke that he could not deliver even the
briefest of statements without the ever-present Tele-Prompters.

Far worse, however, is his capacity to want to "wish away" some terrible
realities, not the least of which is the Islamist intention to destroy
America , and enslave the West. Any student of history knows how swiftly Islam
initially spread. It knocked on the doors of Europe, having gained a
foothold in Spain .

The great crowds that greeted him at home or on his campaign "world tour"
were no substitute for having even the slightest grasp of history, and the
reality of a world filled with really bad people with really bad intentions.

Oddly, and perhaps even inevitably, his political experience, a cakewalk,
has positioned him to destroy the Democrat Party's hold on power in Congress
because in the end it was never about the Party. It was always about his
communist ideology, learned at an early age from family, mentors, college
professors, and extreme leftist friends and colleagues.

Obama is a man who could deliver a snap judgment about a Boston police
officer who arrested an "obstreperous" Harvard professor-friend, but would warn
Americans against "jumping to conclusions" about a mass murderer at Fort
Hood who shouted "Allahu Akbar." The absurdity of that was lost on no one.
He has since compounded this by calling the Christmas bomber "an isolated
extremist" only to have to admit a day or two later that he was part of an al
Qaeda plot.

He is a man who could strive to close down our detention facility at
Guantanamo , even though those released were known to have returned to the
battlefield against America . He could even instruct his Attorney General to
afford the perpetrator of 9/11 a civil trial when no one else would ever even
consider such an obscenity. And he is a man who could wait three days before
having anything to say about the perpetrator of yet another terrorist
attack on Americans, and then have to elaborate on his remarks the following
day because his first statement was so lame.

The pattern repeats itself. He either blames any problem on the Bush
administration or he naively seeks to wish away the truth.

Knock, knock. Anyone home? Anyone there? Barack Obama exists only as the
sock puppet of his handlers, of the people who have maneuvered and
manufactured this pathetic individual's life.

When anyone else would quickly and easily produce a birth certificate, this
man has spent over a million dollars to deny access to his. Most other
documents, the paper trail we all leave in our wake, have been sequestered
from review. He has lived a make-believe life whose true facts remain hidden.

We laugh at the ventriloquist's dummy, but what do you do when the dummy is
President of the United States of America ?"

This coming from a guy who voted for B. Obama in 2008

George (liked your part in the book by the way), this article articulates what many others now feel after 3.5 years. I'm still waiting to see how the fall out from fast and furious and the solyndra scandals will play out! I hope their investigations are concluded before the 2012 elections!

This is a big chunk of the savings? Time to go back to the drawing board.

George Hayduke Senior, Obama may not be perfect but he's a million times better than George W. Bush ever was. And of course the party of No, well their new candidates are not coming up with any viable realistic ideas. And Obama didn't start two needless wars. Nuff said.

JH-479998 "1/20/2013 - the end of an error"

Great comment - Thanks for my daily laugh.

I respond - It doesn't take much intellegence to look up COBRA rules or to read what your employer sends you regarding how to apply for COBRA benefits.

Your statement below shows your basic lack of understanding of COBRA benefits.

The only option for people that become unemployed right now is the Government program called COBRA, that charges 3 or 4 times MORE than the regular premium when people are employed. That is an obscenity, considering that people just LOST THEIR JOB...and it only last 1 year.

The fundamentals are that COBRA requires the recipient to pay the same amount of money that the employer has negotiated with the insurer to pay for coverage, not what the employee contributes to the company plan. IE, if the employer cost of health insurance/employee is $1000/month but the employee only contributes $250/month, then COBRA dictates that to maintain coverage, after seperation, for a given period of time (18 months usually), that person has to pay the equivalent of what the employer negotiated, in this case $1000/month. This amount is paid directly to the insurance carrier and the insurance carrier is required to maintain the same benefits. Also there is a drop dead date for applying after termination and is probably less than 90 days.

It should also be noted that COBRA is not only applicable to those being laid off, but can also be applicable to those who have voluntarily quit or fired with cause. The caveat with "fired with cause" is that the regs don't explicity (that I know of) state what actions by the employee will revoke their right to obtain COBRA coverage when fired.

joecal, in case you didn't notice bush's term expired in jan 2009 and I don't recall anyone saying that bush1 or 2 were great presidents. seems that we have had only 2 presidents that could be considered great as in Washington and Lincoln. A third may be FDR.

Interesting how reid's senate and obama are now the party of NO! Reid for tabling all the bills passed by the house this year and avoiding debate. Obama for threatening to veto anything that doesn't meet his personal agenda.

Obama campaigned on "Hope and change" He had no plans, just rhetoric.

Regardless of whatever you think of the republican hopefulls, cain has his written plan of 9-9-9 tax reforms and romney his 150+ item written plan of action to fix the economy. This puts them way ahead of what obama ever proposed.

As for the wars, yeh I can see where it was a very bad thing to go after the backers of 9/11 and a mideast leader threatening peace in the gulf. Must have escaped your mind that saddam invaded kuwait and used WMD's on iraqs own countrymen (kurds) as well as the iranians.

Obama had the power as CinC to withdraw immediately from afganistan and iraq, but he didn't. Interesting how he chose to launch all those toamhawks on libya and to provide military support via NATO to go beyond what the UN sanctioned. Of course, obama has also given us his support in government sanctioned assasinations (2 known to date) and now he has sent "boots on the ground" to what...Nigeria? Quite the war mongerer obama is, and you bltch about bush?

correction - obama sends troops to uganda...

American,

I totally agree with your comment. When will people ever realize that Obama has the power to stop these wars and could have stopped back on literally his first day in office. All he has to is stop funding for the war and they are basically over with... Over the course of the Bush presidency there were numerous times when the funding over the wars were debated and voted on and yet both sides (Democrat and Republican) continued to approve the funding for the wars. So, now that Obama has been in office, has he stopped the funding?? Of course not...but either that escapes or people would like to deliberately igonore that fact. As for continuing the aggression across the middle east and in Africa we only to look at his "strategy" for committing resources to Libya (and by the way, the US was the first foreign country to fire in that county, which is yet another fact that escapes the Democrats), and now the committment of "advisors" to Africa. So what is the purpose? Are they posing a national security risk to the US?

I applaud George for posting that article. It is very refreshing read!!

Great job!

The business of making money from insuring people against unavoidable circumstances should be outlawed. A national group insurance, paid for by the entire population, administered by a non-profit corporation, should cover all of the legally mandated and obviously necessary insurances. What got passed is a joke and a bad one on the American People. Mandatory participation, including Congress, (forbidding them any other option) should rule the day.

Anyone surprised this was announced on a Friday afternoon?

Anything to attempt to minimize the impact on Obama's re-election campaigning.

Do the Dems "see what is in the bill" yet? everyone else saw it years ago.

Obama sound bad because of a teleprompter seem to have the memory of a goldfish

@As Real As Its Gets - Obama's memory is so bad being a smoker. He even forgot that there are only 50 states. He is not only using a teleprompter AKA idiot board at every turn, he also tried lip syncing but he got caught. What's next a hidden headphone tucked behind his ears and someone dictating him what to say?

Tell me, who among our presidents tried lip syncing. Even Carter did not try it.

"unworkable since no actuarially sound way could be figured out to run the program" Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

How long before the rest of Obamas worthless appointees figure this out about the rest of Obamacare? It could be never considering the collective common sence within the entire administration wouldn't fill a thimble. fortunately they'll be joining the unemployed next Novembers election. It will be cheaper to pay these clowns extended unemployment than to let them keep working.

Why don't you cut them a break..there is no way they could have known all of this. They had to pass it before they could know what was in it.

Lets be honest. The ones you should be mad at are not Obama and the libs..they just know what they know and that is not much.

It is those repugs that sold the hell out and the independents that cut deals for lucrative positions in health-care companies cause they know this would be a death sentence.

The whole bunch is evil. They do not care for the constituency but rather only for their pocket book.

It is about time for tar, feathers, and rides on rails.

Quote of the Day:

Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that will require every citizen to prove they are insured but not everyone to prove they are a citizen!

Excellent quote Seldom!!!

Cain is the only one that admits the tax system is broke. To many tax loop holes for the rich. His plan is great, everyone treated equal. No sales tax on existing homes on the market. No sales tax on used cars.

But of course you would rather see GE and most corporations get away with paying no taxes.

What's racist about the Cain remark, MAW? Any moron could tell you that a consumption tax is going to raise taxes on the 48% of filers who aren't paying income tax. You politically correct bozos who yell, "racist" every time somebody makes a substantive comment about a black person's politics are the real racists.

I am boggled by how in the world my remark is racist. It is a fact that Herman Cain's plan raises taxes an everyone. It is a step in the right direction, but needs more to it than the simplified 9-9-9. Exempt the first $15,000 from taxes for everyone (with some alterations depending on number of income makers per household) and make grocery items exempt from the sales tax. Then it is a plan I can get behind. It guarantees the people earning minimum wage can survive, but if they choose to purchase items above basic living, then they contribute. Close the tax loopholes that the people with armies of accountants exploit and you will have a system that will work, as long as wasteful government spending is brought into check.

DARKSHADOW

But your statement about exempting the first $15000 is just what all these people are complaining about. EVERYONE NOW is not paying income taxes. They are saying everyone making under $15000 now aren't paying any taxes, so you see CAIN'S plan has already have many questions.

The other question he could not answer was " if a computer made from parts from other countries could be concerned exempt from his taxing plan." Since his plan exempts things made here in America, but taxes things made outside the USA. ANOTHER BIG QUESTION.

If you are so worried about the below poverty level poor and the elderly who supported this country with taxes their entire working lives don't pay "their share" then you have absolutely no empathy, compassion or for that matter soul.

Derf,

Yes, right now they are not paying taxes. But with my version of my plan they will, when they go out and buy their big screen tv's, alcohol, and cigarettes. When they buy the things outside of normal survival, then they will contribute. Why would I feel the need to tax someone trying to buy a can of soup to feed themselves? If they have enough leftover of the $15,000 to buy luxury, then they will pay 9% on whatever they buy.

His plan on taxing things made outside the US would probably be found illegal under International Trade Agreements anyway. The outsourced manufacturing is a whole other problem and tough to tackle with these agreements in place. Giving tax benefits to companies that manufacture in America just gets us back into the same problem we have now, benefits for certain corporations. What happens when every corporation then starts manufacturing in the US again and all of them are getting tax discounts? Everyone starts screaming because the corporations are getting unfair tax benefits. The outsourced job problem is a much more complex and slippery slope.

The only way to pay for all the entitlements such as obamacare is a national sales tax. Ontario Canada is 14%. Ours will be more like 20 to 25% because of excessive testing due to all of the lawsuits.

Flat tax across the board no deductions for anyone. Everyone has skin in the game and maybe then people will look at what is being spent.

Quit with the damn lying about people NOT paying taxes. I made a crappy 8K, last year. Guess what? I paid taxes, just like Mr. Billionaire. They collected interest off my money, but then I did get most of it back, but not all. So if I paid taxes on 8k, you're going too try and B/S me with that lame Right Wing propaganda?

I SMELL what YOU'RE stepping in.

@ Michael Coats

"Ignorance must be a bliss" How about asking around before you pay your taxes. No one is telling you to pay taxes out of your crappy 8K unless you are the one lying about your income.

The tax system is not broke

There is plenty of cash

We are just handing to the illegals in socialist programs.

Clean up this country Mr President or face the wrath of the country.

I'll lie to anyone except my lawyer, doctor, and anyone who can throw my @ss in jail. Anyone after that...

So, if you are claiming that half of Americans don't pay taxes, you better not get facts from any other agency besides the IRS. Other than that, I'll call you on your B/S.

"Just because you spray gold plating on a turd, you're still trying to sell a turd." - Michael Coats

coats - If you don't want to do a search on "who pays income taxes" or "48% don't pay income taxes" then you are a fool.

BTW - with a gross income of $8k/year you should look into if you qualify for the earned income tax credit. I am sure that you are also in good standing with a lawyer and doctor as well, must be nice to have someone offer you pro bono work.

coats,

You are a fool. You state that you paid taxes and then got them back. So you really didn't pay taxes, did you? I mean the government refunded what you paid, so how did you contribute to society? While people berate Cain on his plan the fact is that people have to pay taxes for whatever they make and for as long as they live...that is how people of the next generation are able to work and eat...just like the generation before us... It's how the government operates, but it doesn't operate if more money goes out than comes in... Don't get me wrong, I'm all for closing loopholes and making people making more money pay exactly what they are supposed to pay...no loopholes, but to vilify the rich simply because they make more or because they won't notice is just a stupid concept thought about by people that want to enjoy society, but don't want to contribute. Ask anyone that if given the choice they would always vote for people who have more paying more...it's a stupid mentality, but one that is brought every day on here,

Ao, Irespond, how exactly DO you make a square wheel roll?

The repugs have made it very clear they care nothing about americans and are only interested in their own money in the very near future.

"The repugs have made it very clear they care nothing about americans and are only interested in their own money in the very near future."

A few questions for you terriels. I gather you don't look at "repugs" as being Americans, if so, why? Also, what if those "repugs", are in a position like most others out here, who have very little money to live on? Wouldn't they have the right to protect what little money they do have, if not, why?

terriels...................you better believe I'm interested in my own money. I suggest you get some money of your OWN to worry about and leave mine alone!!

None of you MORONS have read this bill so cut your whining. Obama read the first page after a year and said, O cr@PP!!! this part of the bill is not right, I need to take it out.

REPEAL OBAMACARE!!

The only people that cared were the 40 that voted against it.

That is a lie but man I wish it was true.

@marshal- the government will gladly take your monthly checks for 50 years, however, don't be surprized if there's nothing left... remind you of Social Security problems they are trying to sell to everyone?

Thanks, but I prefer to take care of myself.

@Concerned citizen,

It is great you want to take care of yourself. So what is your plan to provide for your care when you need long term care because of a chronic disease, dementia, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease etc?

NorthstarDFL

@Concerned citizen,

It is great you want to take care of yourself. So what is your plan to provide for your care when you need long term care because of a chronic disease, dementia, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease etc?

When that happens I will vote for Democrats and I will be Happy, BHO told me so.

"When that happens I will vote for Democrats"

Bill, don't insult people with medical conditions and don't sell yourself short, illness does not mean you loose your dignity and self-respect.

If you use terms like o'busto...you're a tea bagger...yep

The above 2 coments tell everything.

Ricksta yes yes yes yes

WisconsinDad

Do you like O'Bonzo more

hiflyer - the post of an intelligent person - NOT. When you are reduced to name calling it shows you have no argument worth listening to.

I must be a Tea Party candate also. I just read their party platform and ....Damn. its awfful close to my thoughts.

Very little of the bill is "workable" but Obama knows he will be gone when it hits us in 2014 anyway.

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

Well gee, that's just what happens when a nation finally has to pay the full cost of keeping its people alive instead of letting the poor ones die. Gods forbid we raise taxes on the top 1% to have them pay their fair share to do it...

And Steve Jobs was poor?

Steve jobs got health care.

And this helped him.....How?

what is their "fair share" , what is the bottom 50%'s "fair share"...please post the numbers so we can get a better feel for what you propose...the vagueness of the cry for "fair shares" is overmelmingly ignorant

Oh gods, please tell me this isn't leading toward the "the lower 47% don't pay taxes" spiel again...

You tell me what the facts are, Toasty! 100 people in a room. 47 pay no federal income taxes. 1 person in the room pays more than the other 52 (together) who pay federal income taxes. And you want to raise taxes on that 1 person!!?? When you kill that goose that lays the golden egg to get that next egg early, guess what? No more golden eggs!!

And if the 47 people would be reduced to sleeping on park benches and eating cat food if they were made to pay for the top guy's tax cut?

Don't talk to me about "fair share"! I earned mine! What about you? After almost 15 years of education after high school and over 40 years of hard work, you expect me to be sympathetic!!?? I went from nothing to the top 2% of earners with no help from you. Earn it like I did instead of thinking I owe it to you because I am successful! A little delayed gratification and the ability to control my sexual urges (instead of proliferating like rabbits) helped me make it to the top!! Now I will probably not see my greatgrandcildren because I and my progeny chose to have children only as we could afford them!!

toasty old girl, you still don't get it.... save your 1 line comments for the sewing club!

Even BO is backing off his own bill! It just took him longer (and you too) that obamacare is not the answer, and taxing the rich (over $250,000 annual income) will not create jobs!

and how will this be paid for after obamacarter blew a couple trillion dollars to get this economy back on its "robust track" and unemployment down to a number we can live with??????? Can you answer that??? I didn't think so.

Also add Louisville KY basketball coach 8,000,000

Feisty: Ok, take away every dollar of those CEO's pay, and all other healthcare CEOs. You have enought to pay for .....maybe a day of coverage for the US? Then what?

Great how you always like to point to someone else as the "cause" of your problems. Easy to pick pocket all those darn "rich" people., but you will eventually run out of their money.

Obamacare is a disaster and will bankrupt this country.

Anyone but Obama in 2012.

stopthespending - anyone but the GOP in 2012. The candidates for the right are a total laughingstock.

Ok Feisty...Stop paying into health insurance and you won't have to worry about the salaries of these CEOs. Go ahead and pay for a $50,000 surgery with cash out of your own pocket. I'd rather these CEOs make their cushy salaries and cover 90% of my major healthcare costs...but that's just me. I guess you must make an obscene amount of money (like these CEOs) to cover major medical costs. Or you are one of the moochers in this country who receives medical care but won't pay your bills so my premiums are higher.

The country was bankrupt when Obama took over...where have you been

nurse, fr -- Talk about obscene!!! How about these earnings for 2011.

James Cameron, Movie Director -- $257,000,000

Johnny Depp, Actor -- $100,000,000

Stephen Spielberg, Movie Director -- $80,000,000

Tiger Woods, Athlete -- $75,000,000

Christopher Nolan, Movie Director -- $71,500,000

Leo DiCaprio, Actor -- $62,000,000

Tim Burton, Movie Director -- $53,000,000

Kobe Bryant, Athlete -- $53,000,000

Adam Sandler, Actor -- $50,000,000

LeBron James, Athelete -- $48,000,000

And all of the other "big name" college coaches/ AD's, professional players, managers, entertainers, etc. It's amazing how much we allow these people to get paid just so we have "entertainment." Whatever happened to curling up with a good book for "entertainment?"

wgoin -- stop the spending??? harry, barry and nancy have rung up $4,000,000,000,000,000 in new debt (minus the first couple of months of the 2009 FY) so call it only $3,750,0000,000,000 since barry's inauguration!!!

@ All of the above, defending the RICH, Are you making this kind of money? I SERIOUSLY doubt it, otherwise you would not be writing comments here, you would be in Italy, enjoying a villa in Capri. Instead, you are sweating for these a***s

| 08/21/09 01:41

Sara Kugler

Huff Post New York

Pharmaceutical CEOs are known to make millions, with generous salaries, stock options and other perks.

Abbott Laboratories Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Miles White's compensation was $25.3 million in 2008. The North Chicago, Ill.-based company saw profit rising 35 percent to $4.88 billion.

Merck & Co.'s chief executive, Richard T. Clark, received a $17.3 million compensation package for 2008. The company's profit more than doubled to $7.8 billion

stephie, you better pray that your insurance company will actually pay out that 90% you THINK they are going to pay if you ever need long-term or major care. After the claims adjusters get done, they'll deny about half of your claims, or just cancel your policy.......oh, wait, that's right.....they can no longer do that, thanks to "Obamacare."

And, irespond, those same drugs that we pay such a high price here for sell for 1/4 to 1/3 the price (or less) any where else in the world. WE US consumers have to pay the full bill for all of the R&D, the high executive salaries and benefits, etc. while being physically destroyed by those same drugs. Just look at all of the warnings that go with every drug.....side effects that are more dangerous than the illness the drug is supposed to be "controlling." The only way to heal your body is to LISTEN to your body. It was designed to heal itself. The problem is that we continually pollute it with chemicals, improper diet, lack of exercise, etc. Then we wonder why we have such high medical costs.

Obamacare supports and enriches these medical industry executives.

Your enemy is Obama and the democrats, I hate to have to tell you, but they hoodwinked you behind closed doors.

What we really need is a 100% non-profit insurance system, 100% privately managed, with capped executive salaries, and some government regulation. Manage it all at the state level, as New York costs are completely different than South Dakota's.

This would keep the waste, fraud and abuse out of the government cycle, where the most waste, fraud, abuse, and duplication of services exists, along with endless bureaucrats getting paid to do nothing.

If we were to stop the huge waste of taxpayer $$ on military (war and contractors), stop the corporate welfare, have a fair tax system we could pay for it. Stop providing our Congressional people so much salary and perks! If we get the insurance companies and for-profit motive out of health care, it will be affordable. Feisty--I am sure your numbers are quite correct! The overhead alone for private insurance is 30-35%--Medicare is in the 7-10% range. That means more money is available to take care of patients--which it should be! Oh yes--and stop foreign aid unless it is for disasters! Trying to bribe other countries to be friendly to US interests does not work! TIME TO SPEND OUR TAXES ON OUR CITIZENS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE! When 99% of our citizens have nothing to lose....best to learn a lesson from the French Revolution!

"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly

Now Barack is sending more troops to Africa!! Ha, ha!!

Well Feisty, there is no justification for those salaries, but as pointed out, those salaries are being made by others outside of the health insurance industry. These salaries aren't the driving force beyond high health care costs and the real reasons were not even considered in the so called health care reform bill. You can take the salaries of all of those CEO s and it's not going to cover the cost of Obama Care. On the other hand if you illuminated the waste in all of the government programs, you probably could. I never hear you liberals calling for a stop to the waste. You only want to add to it -- at the expense of someone else. Your support for everything liberal can only be due to you being on the receiving end of the wealth distribution, or you're so naive that you believe that the super wealthy can actually fund it all. You would be much better off living in a communist utopia. Why don't you move to one? You might also consider that a rather famous person from history blamed a country's problems on the wealthy. It's just happened that those wealthy people happened to be Jews. Finding a scapegoat that you can sell to the majority is always an effective method of gaining or maintaining power. Obama seems to have learned something from history, even though he fails to learn from his recent failures.

Feisty,

What the CEO's provide is leadership of the organization that supplies the medical insurance making sure that they do not go out of business. Why don't you start an insurance company that doesnt pay the CEO so much see how long it stays solvent. That would be better right have some dumba*s run the company into the ground then you will get no return for your premiums. You actually believe that these people make so much because the shareholders feel like being nice or maybe it's because they are the best at making sure your premium investment is not pissed away.

Fiesty,.... first the CEO's are managed by a board of elected share holders who determine the pay and benefits. CEO's are paid a % of the amount of profit that is generated from thier labors or during their tenure as CEO,as per the agreement of the board of directors.Exxon made 1000 billion profit,Paid the 36 Billion in Taxes as required by the treasury,Paid 49 Billion in wages,medical benefits,pension and 401 k's, Then had 15 Billion in capitol left for R&D,and reinvestemnet into their corporation to produce more energy and look for other sources.

we have sports "stars" and your favorite commie movie stars making alot more money than that , what are they doing to "earn" that kind of money..what did George Soros do (besides rape America) to "earn" what he has?...what did John Kerry do to "earn" his money? (besides bed down with one of the ugliest broads on the planet)...that stupidity can be countered all day long , and it's fun

if you don't know what insurance companies do you should get out of mom's basement and head down to the library and do a little research , it is not our job to educate you , that job is for the liberal manifesto public schools , and they have night school! isn't it cool?!

and I wouldn't mistake your posts for "critical thinking" , again , educate yourself on the words "critical" and "thinking" , not a personal attack , just a suggestion

"To argue otherwise only shows what ignorant idiots you are!"

must be nice to get to violate the COH with impunity

if I was from Illinois , I think I would spend my extra time attempting to clean up the cesspool , but then that's just me , or maybe getting up off of the chair and going down to Chicago and protesting outside some of the insurance company headquarters that are there , I been there , I've seen them

but then that would take some physical effort and leads to a smaller behind

Insurance companies provide a way for hospitals to be sure they can be paid for the services that they provide. Do you think large investments would be made into health care to develope it to where it is now without an expected return? How much do you think an x-ray machine or CAT scan costs? Hospitals would not put up the money for nearly as many if they were only counting on peoples savings or credit to pay for their care.

Your argument that health care is a basic human NEED is wrong. Basic Human needs are what get you through a day, you know food water shelter that is basic. There is nothing basic about being cut open so something can be replaced or repaired or anything else that modern medicine has brought us because of capitalism and corporate greed, much of which was not even dreamt about only 50 yrs ago. NO healthcare is not a basic human need.

Next you'll be telling me cell phone's and ipads are basic human needs to communicate.

IRESPOND-2315268

Anyone but Obama in 2012

This is exactly the reason why we MUST vote for Obama. Most people just want to get rid of him for no reason.

"...for no reason"...are you kidding me?!?!?! He has done nothing but provide reason after reason NOT to vote for him for ANYTHING, EVER AGAIN! Of course, that only applies to the damn fools that voted for him in the first place and inflicted all this misery on the country. As far as I'm concerned, he gave away his true agenda in his famous reply about sharing the wealth to that "Joe the plumber" guy and I have no idea how anyone was crazy enough to vote for this embarrassment to the Office of the President of the United States!

I think feisty is that pasty looking fat chick I see at the convenience store buying junk food to take to her parents basement to eat while she types her liberal drivel. She has no clue on what makes the world go 'round. Probably bitches when her welfare check is late too.

USA

Calling people fat or ugly does not help your point.

Fiesty,

The only reason they make that much is the US gov..which is majority Democrat, allow them to.

THAT is why.

Wait, were their mouths moving? Then yeah, they lied.

The problem is that unlike the rest of the health care reform, there wasn't a mandate for everybody to join and there was a cap on payments. If they did something about either one of those two things it would be workable.

The trick is getting this started in a way that gets young people to start paying it. It's the same sort of deal where if you're lucky enough to get benefits early you're probably going to get more than you put in and the folks that come later end up being screwed.

Frank - "The trick is getting this started in a way that gets young people to start paying it."

So after borrowing and spending young peoples future and suing Americans to keep foreign criminals in our country, Obama also wants to trick young people into paying for his power-trip bill?

Interesting question.

How do you expect to pay for the public option? If the system is voluntary, only the sick will opt in, and then the payouts will exceed the premiums paid, so once again it will be a program running in the red. What difference does it make if Medicare is running in the red or Obama care running in the red with a public option? It still adds up to either higher taxes (lower discretionary incomes - less jobs due to less demand) or higher deficits which ends up in a wealth transfer to the bond holders. Neither is a good solution.

Like income tax 50% wouldn't pay anything. By the way what libs call "payroll tax" is retirement income insurance premiums.

I totally agree with a single payer system. Where every single person pays their own way. After all, it's all about fairness right? Why should I have to pay for someone else's health care?

rob-2259046

"Why should I have to pay for someone else's health care?"

Why should we have to pay for yours??? PS: if you have insurance, you ARE already paying for someone elses healthcare - thats how it works

Hiflyer, you mean like those ones that shrewdly avoid paying taxes by working way too hard for minimum wage?

Rob....which is what you are currently doing....our taxpayer money pays for all those indigent people who go to the ER and expect to be cared for without any insurance. Additionally, with a single payer system, how would the poor be able to afford insurance? We're right back to where we started from...everyone will be required to have insurance, and if they don't have the money, the government will give them a "coupon" to lower their costs. In the end...we'll have to pay less of our taxpayer dollars for people who either can't afford insurance or are just too lazy to buy it themselves.

hiflyer, I don't know about you but I pay federal income tax withholdings, social security and medicare with my payroll taxes. Not all of my payroll taxes are for retirement.

Why WOULD you have insurance. You can work, get your money, rent, go to the ER like the Illegals, put your property in someone elses name...viola...free healthcare.

Till you REMOVE this OPTION the discussion is moot

Try 2006 - so up until 2010 the left owned both the house and senate and for 2 of those years held the presidency as well - and still couldn't even get a budget passed. Yeah - they got it worked out all right.

Nice dodge on the real point, but that's the republicon MO...deflect.

So what were you saying about the more than a decade that the republicons owned congress and did what about healthcare?

That's what I thought...nothing.

Puh-lease

You never did get health care reform. Obama and his administration abandoned that early on when they discovered how hard that would be to tackle. What you got was a form of Health insurance reform that loaded the costs of health care to be given to people that can not afford it onto the backs of the taxpayers by increasing their cost of health insurance even more. Obama Care also reduced competition by preventing the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada (which is why big Pharma signed on in support of Obama care) and a lot of other fuzzy math funding. We never got health care reform at all. If you want to reform health care, you have to find a way to allow competition to kick in and lower costs so the care is more affordable, not try to find someone to which you can give the bill for ever higher health care costs given to more and more people who can not pay. The answer is in finding a means of allowing the patient and the market to work together to control or efen lower costs.

Glenn: What part of "we are ALREADY paying for people who go to the ER and don't have insurance" do you not understand? So the cost going on the backs of taxpayers is ALREADY in place. Who do you think pays for all those people who go to the ER for treatment and don't have insurance? Santa Claus? The Tooth Fairy? Give me a break!!!

PUH why do you think the Goverment owes you anything? Especially health care?

AMEN!

I'll second that "Amen!"

Huh...you mean the insurance you get when your employer sends your job overseas? Or perhaps like my father-in-law, whose company that employed him for 40 years yanked that as a retirement benefit. Luckily he qualified for Medicare...but if Conservatives have it their way...that will be gone too. Guess he should die quickly...fortunately he won't and he votes. Good luck to your jackboot leaders

Concerned Citizen, what do you pay for your long term insurance? Hope you are in your 40's , with affordable payments until you need this kind of insurance to pay for your long term care.

Spoken like someone who has never had to go out and purchased their own insurance! Try covering 2 healthy 60+ adults and one 20 yr old! After MUCH searching we finally got our premiums with $5000. deductible down to $1054.00 a month!!! Last year they were $1571.00! We were paying more than our house payment & property taxes combined!! We are being responsible for ourselves but when it takes 25%+ of your monthly income, something has to be done to stop/regulate healthcare insurance costs!

Diane

It will cost the same if gvmt pays for it. Where does gvmt get its money

I have decided that hiflyer is talking completely out of his/her arse.

Diane

Why don't the healthy 60+ year olds get a job?

We can only pray the rest of the bill is scraped before it hits full-force in 2014.

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

Johnny On the Spot what makes you assume we don't have jobs?!! We run our own small business, which because of the sucky economy is making 1/2 what it did before the Recession! Oh, and the 20 year old works too, to help pay for his college education! Unlike many, we have created our own destiny for over 30 years, but have slowly lost ground over the last 10 years as we see health insurance costs eat up more and more of our income. I suspect you've enjoyed having health insurance provided for you by your employer. Try making it on your own and then you can criticize.

The Democrats owned the House and had a fillibuster proof Senate. They had two years to pass anything they wanted and couldn't agree amongst themselves. Instead of infighting over health care reform, and trying to blame the Republicans for health care reform not passing, they should have passed budgets on time. But no, then they wouldn't be able to blame the Republicans for the government almost shutting down.

Crane I agree that the dems should have gotten to work on a great healthcare bill as soon as Obama got in office. That in-fighting was a lesson I hope.

I also agree they should have gotten a budget. That being said, they couldn't do it with Bush's wars not on the books. Remember those weren't on the books until Obama took office.

And the teabaggers got us downgraded.

Mass. is a failure.

And the teabaggers got us downgraded.

The tea party has influence, but the debt ceiling was raised - despite their objections. Moody's and S&P both cited unsustainable levels of debt as the reason for the downgrade. Have no doubt, this is the Obama, Reid and Pelosi downgrade.

The Dems did not have a filibuster-proof Senate. Not woth that DINO Ben Nelson from Nebraska in there.

that and all the other sanctions Obama has put into place and all the future ones he's working on. except of course if you are an Obama campaign contributor. then you get millions to billions of tax payer money for free.

twix, You are babbling. This part of the law was voluntary insurance for long term care. No employer in the US provides their employee with long term care beneifts. Some offer this insurance to employees which they pay for out of their own pocket.

do you know the difference between health insurance and long term care insurance?

do you know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

Please get your facts straight before you give your opinion.

Not only that but it had NOTHING to do with employers not hiring - they would simply pass the cost on to the employees, along with cutting wages and other benefits. Duh.

Actually terriels, that is not exactly correct.

When the costs of producing here become higher than the costs of producing there, the jobs go there.

Nancy said... pass it and then we can read it! As someone else always said...

"The Devil's in the details!" I think some of this "sharing the wealth" program is falling apart! YEAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Tweety

You are so right. If they didn't run the numbers on CLASS then what else didn't they run the numbers on?

Scuttle the whole bill.

CMS has ran the numbers, and they are all abysmal.

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

Taking over from the private insurance companies "death panels"?

It can't be any worse than republican death panels. At least Obama is capable of empathy.

"At least Obama is capable of empathy."

terriels - We are talking about legal American citizens, Obama has nothing but animosity for them.

and to be paid for by whom???

Why the 1% can afford health care for all, and they can feed us, and educate us.....wait if they just feed us and entertain us, we won't need jobs or and education. We can all live in tents and smoke funny cigarettes!!

Kelly

After contributing to medicare for 40 years+, now that I need medicare they still want $110.00 a month. So to answer your question is everyone pays there own way.

Everything I go in the hospital overnight it cost me $1032.00 + fees for Drs. etc. That isn't a free ride by any stretch but I can and will pay my bills. Illegals get the same treatment as I do but don't pay for it. That is what is killing the system

The "you got to to buy it" portion of the law was actually put in there by the insurance companies in order for them to accept the "no preexisting conditions" part of it. If that portion of the bill is found to be unconstatutional, the insurance companies will make sure that the Republicans will work had to repeal the entire thing.

Leroy, I hope you have deep pockets to pay for this fantacy land lunacy!

fantacy?

The Republicans didn't make the problem that the article addresses.

The article is about two issues, one plainly stated and the other not so plain. First, the Obama administration has decided to ignore the LAW and not put into effect the long term health portion of ITS OWN LEGISLATION.

Second, and more importantly, the Obama administration and the liberals in Congress forced through legislation that was not clearly understood and was destined to fail. This represents a total lack of leadership at the highest levels of our government.

Obama is an incompetent buffoon, and never should have been elected to the Senate, much less the Oval Office. he will most certainly go down in history as one of the worst, if not THE worst president in history.

jr-307591 Right after FDR. THe father of Welfare

mMadison, Your voice is one calling in the wilderness of this thread.

thank you,

and of course they have no answer.

Doing absolutely nothing is preferable to this total waste of taxpayers time and money, you idiot.

Madison,

Currently the only option I know of is called insurance in which you insure yourself against this risk. I wonder why this is such a hard thing for some to understand. Imagine if the government were to pay for all life insurance, or car insurance, or homeowners insurance. Why do we as a nation not understand that you offset the consequences of risk with a form of a credit default swap called insurance. If you don't or can't accept the risk, then you have to take out insurance to insure against the risk. Not so long ago, this nation dealt with this issue by having unpaid caregivers take care of the aged. No, I am not kidding. It was called the extended family. Now, in the "Me" generation, we want others to give the care and still others to pay for it. At some point, you simply run out of other peoples' money. We are sadly at that point, are currently 15 trillion in debt, and already have 80 trillion in unfunded liabilities. What we are really arguing about in this blog is the need to push all of this cost to future generations because we are so pitiful in the present as to not take care of ourselves. I say it has to stop or the future generations will have no choice but revolt and default and that is about where the American experiment will end.

Glenn, taking care of the ill or aged is not just about the extended family as you said taking care of of those needing care. It now is about prescription drugs in this Nation that cost much more for our citizens than other Nations pay, about medical tests ( x-rays, mri's, lab work, and so on) costing hundreds to a few thosand dollars , about seeing a doctor who sends you to a specialist who may in turn send you to another specialist, about $200 dollar and much more a day hospital stays, about $1,000 dollar and more a month health insurance from those " Private Insurance Providers" that can deny procedures or cancel your insurance, about a Congress of both parties, but especially the GOP who think that free enterprise is the only way to do business, about people like you who think everyone needs to provide for themselves even though they can't afford it and will never have the resources to secure health insurance, but mostly what we have now is about a party and some people who are so greedy you are willing to allow those without to suffer and die and not care at all. That 15 trillion dollar debt wasn't due to health care or social security ( which was and is solvent as long as the Congress quits taking from it ). You fail to mention the wars and the projects that have cost trillions as well as the tax breaks and subsides for the wealthy and big business and let's not forget those generous folks in the banking, housing, and (sic) investment frauds. Do I need to list more??