Happy New Year from the desk of President Obama

[4est_4est_Gump]

ObamaCare includes so many taxes that it's hard to keep track, but one of the worst takes effect on Jan. 1. This beaut is a levy on health insurance premiums that targets the small business and individual markets.

At $8 billion in 2014 and $101 billion over the next decade, the insurance tax is larger than ObamaCare's taxes on medical devices and prescription drugs combined. The Internal Revenue Service classifies the tax as a "fee" but it functions like an excise tax on premiums. The IRS collects an annual flat amount specified by the Affordable Care Act to be allocated among the insurers according to market share.

But not all markets. IRS regulations published in November excluded "any entity that is a self-insured employer to the extent that such employer self-insures its employees' health risks." Since about four of five employers with more than 500 workers and most union-negotiated health plans are self-insured, they are spared from the tax. So is insurance on behalf of "government entities," such as original Medicare (but not privately run Medicare Advantage).

This political selectivity means the most gold-plated public, private and labor plans are exempt and the tax burden falls on the saps who work for small businesses, the self-employed and individuals—i.e., the people who can least afford it.

The White House tells business that the tab will be picked up by deep-pocketed insurers, which is good for a laugh. The Congressional Budget Office reports the tax will be "largely passed through to consumers in the form of higher premiums" and "would ultimately raise insurance premiums by a corresponding amount." The Joint Tax Committee and private economists, such as former CBO director Doug Holtz-Eakin, say the tax will boost insurance costs about 2% to 2.5%. The consultant Oliver Wyman estimates the take will rise to as much as $500 per covered worker by decade's end.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304465604579220413773642016

Wasn't the Affordable Care Act supposed to be about expanding coverage in part by lowering premiums, not slapping on more overhead? By this liberal logic taxing cigarettes should create more smokers.

Oh, and to salt the wound, this "fee" is not deductible for corporate income tax purposes. In other words, health plans pay the tax and then federal and state taxes on the taxed amount. Mr. Holtz-Eakin estimates this unusual taxes-on-taxes rule means that the effect on premiums is 54% larger than the dollar amount of the tax itself.

The research arm of the National Federation of Independent Business calculates that the higher insurance costs will shrink hiring by 146,000 to 262,000 jobs over the next decade, with 59% of those losses hitting small business. They'll also be further encouraged to dump coverage and send their workers to the mercies of the ObamaCare exchanges. The latter was probably a main liberal purpose from the start.

It sure the hell was. The Road to Universal Health Care [Serfdom].

 

[Wat_Tyler]

I have decided to support O'Bama in his quest to be president-for-life. I think he has done all he intends to and would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of his "term" playing golf and vacationing. I think this will be cheaper and less stressful than the pain and suffering of changing chief executives again any time soon.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Gettin' a lot of mileage outta this one this morning...
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff502/Soonyigump/outrage_zpsb3e8d480.jpg

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I have decided to support O'Bama in his quest to be president-for-life. I think he has done all he intends to and would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of his "term" playing golf and vacationing. I think this will be cheaper and less stressful than the pain and suffering of changing chief executives again any time soon.

*chuckle*

 

[miles]

I have decided to support O'Bama in his quest to be president-for-life. I think he has done all he intends to and would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of his "term" playing golf and vacationing. I think this will be cheaper and less stressful than the pain and suffering of changing chief executives again any time soon.

I agree. There is no need to change for the sake of change. It's all water under the bridge.If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The buck stops here. Everything happens for a reason. When when one door closes, another one opens. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Happy Happy Happy New Year

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Unfortunately for Obamacare’s supporters, the story doesn’t end there. Nor do the political ramifications for Democrats. It may be that 2014 is an even rougher year for the ACA than 2013 was, and I think that will be the crucial reason Republicans regain control of the Senate in the midterm elections. Here’s why.

First, some of Obamacare’s least popular provisions go into effect in 2014. This includes a new $60 billion tax on health insurers, which will be levied relative to premiums collected and directly passed on to consumers. And, of course, Obamacare’s requirement that individuals secure health insurance coverage (or pay a tax penalty) kicks in during the coming year as well.

Second, millions of Americans who buy their coverage on the individual market or get it through small employers will be shocked by just how much their premiums go up in 2014. The young and healthy will be especially susceptible to this rate shock, and this in turn will further drive them away from purchasing coverage in future years. Given skyrocketing premiums, the economic incentives for many of these “young invincibles” are aligned against buying coverage in the coming years. But these are also the people that the ACA most needs to be enrolled through its health insurance exchanges to offset the comparatively higher risk and costs associated with insuring the sick and old. These dynamics may lead to even higher premiums in the coming years.

Third, not only will millions of Americans on the individual and small group markets who like their plans be unable to keep them in 2014, but many will experience what it’s like to be unable to continue seeing the doctors they know and trust. As health insurers face pressure to keep costs down while providing the richer package of benefits that Obamacare mandates, many are limiting their networks of doctors and other health-care providers. A cancer survivor’s opinion article in the Wall Street Journal illustrated the horrible situation that Obamacare will place some Americans in: Being forced to choose between doctors that have been critical to their care or, in some cases, not having access to any of their existing health-care providers.

Finally, Obamacare’s Medicare cuts will continue to hurt senior citizens. For the 14 million people enrolled in the Medicare Advantage program, the ACA’s $200 billion in cuts over the next 10 years will accelerate in 2014 and have tangible impacts on beneficiaries. Insurers predict that seniors in Medicare Advantage plans will see higher premiums, increased cost-sharing for primary and specialist visits, and limits on the doctors they can see. Although the ACA is not solely responsible for the headwinds the Medicare Advantage program faces, it will (and should) shoulder most of the blame.

While President Obama might hope he can put all of Obamacare’s woes behind him when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the reality is that the worst is only just beginning. Democrats in Congress and around the country will be the ones forced to deal with the collateral damage created by the president’s misguided effort to remake the American health care system.

Lanhee Chen, Bloomberg

 

[mercury14]

LOL at conservatives moaning about Medicare Advantage cuts. The program was designed on the premise that private sector insurers could be cheaper and more efficient than Medicare. Then they turned around and got the GOP controlled government to reimburse them at higher rates because they couldn't compete with single-payer Medicare.

That means government is cheaper and more efficient than the private sector when it comes to providing insurance.

The ACA returned Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates back to where they were supposed to be. If insurance companies can't cut it at those rates then they should either make themselves more efficient or get out of the way.

 

[mercury14]

Single payer is on its way though.

 

[miles]

Unfortunately for Obamacare’s supporters, the story doesn’t end there. Nor do the political ramifications for Democrats. It may be that 2014 is an even rougher year for the ACA than 2013 was, and I think that will be the crucial reason Republicans regain control of the Senate in the midterm elections.

It's going to be interesting. The midterm elections don't draw the same demographics as the presidential elections. You can expect far fewer no-information types to vote. Most of them couldn't name their state's members of Congress, much less vote for them.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Unfortunately for Obamacare’s supporters, the story doesn’t end there. Nor do the political ramifications for Democrats. It may be that 2014 is an even rougher year for the ACA than 2013 was, and I think that will be the crucial reason Republicans regain control of the Senate in the midterm elections.

It's going to be interesting. The midterm elections don't draw the same demographics as the presidential elections. You can expect far fewer no-information types to vote. Most of them couldn't name their state's members of Congress, much less vote for them.

That's why I began the other thread; to highlight the discord and disharmony that the Democrats are going to ferment in America in order to get the topic off of ObamaCare and onto Republicans and as they did with Phil, they are going to look under every rock for a fringe candidate that they can portray as the Republican brand and give the press their story line for the election and get their voters out by driving them with the fear stick...

 

[Saint Peter]

That's why I began the other thread; to highlight the discord and disharmony that the Democrats are going to ferment in America in order to get the topic off of ObamaCare and onto Republicans and as they did with Phil, they are going to look under every rock for a fringe candidate that they can portray as the Republican brand and give the press their story line for the election and get their voters out by driving them with the fear stick...

Thank you, Tea Party!!

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

We noted earlier that in Wisconsin, the name Tea Party is in great disfavor thanks to the antics of the press and rodeo clowns such as yourself, yet the people voted for their solution to the problem. As Krauthammer points out, the story of 2013 is the surge in Libertarianism. All the Tea Party is are religious-leaning Libertarian types. They are not Progressive as you are.

 

[Saint Peter]

No. The tea party is out of favor with the public after holding America and the world financially hostage with their budget temper tantrum late last year.

The media reported on it. Americans reacted to it.

Now all of the republicans get painted with the broad tea party brush.

Boo fucking hoo.

 

[eyer]

Single payer is on its way though.

What prison terms and fines do you support for the millions of Americans who will naturally refuse to participate in such blatant statism?

 

[miles]

What prison terms and fines do you support for the millions of Americans who will naturally refuse to participate in such blatant statism?

Prison, where they get free healthcare!

 

[jeninflorida]

Single payer is on its way though.

glad to see you supporting America becoming a 3rd world nation .... power to the welfare class! may we all be like Merc and not work allowing the government to support us

forget the matrix, its the obama!

 

[RobDownSouth]

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304465604579220413773642016



It sure the hell was. The Road to Universal Health Care [Serfdom].

Looks like 2014 is gonna be another Trail of Tears for you, my situational Native American friend!

Nothing but blue skies ahead for the rest of America, though!

We're looking forward to watching you wallow helplessly in your outsourced outrage and angst in the upcoming months.

Shake that tiny pink fist of yours in impotent rage early and often.

Jesus loves you!

 

[jeninflorida]

God, you are one stupid fat man...maybe if you were not so lazy and a coward you could find a real job?

Looks like 2014 is gonna be another Trail of Tears for you, my situational Native American friend!

Nothing but blue skies ahead for the rest of America, though!

We're looking forward to watching you wallow helplessly in your outsourced outrage and angst in the upcoming months.

Shake that tiny pink fist of yours in impotent rage early and often.

Jesus loves you!

 

[Adre]

HNY jenin, may this be the year you get off welfare and get that above ground pool!

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

No. The tea party is out of favor with the public after holding America and the world financially hostage with their budget temper tantrum late last year.

The media reported on it. Americans reacted to it.

Now all of the republicans get painted with the broad tea party brush.

Boo fucking hoo.

Better that, to be called a Libertarian, than to be in the Party of De Blasio...

Fucking Communists, the whole bunch and behind on the upcoming general balloting polls.

GLAAD GLAAD GLAAD





Redneck Translation: Happy Happy Happy

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

The contractor building the financial management system for Healthcare.gov is being blamed by a Houston hospital for delayed Medicare reimbursements that have caused the hospital to miss payrolls for weeks. Novitas Solutions is the federal government's new Medicare payment processor for the south-central region of the country hired by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS.) ABC-KTRK in Houston reports:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs...slow-medicare-payments-hospitals_773207.html#

Can Obama pick winners or what?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Novitas also runs the south-central region's Medicare website which was launched just two days before the October 1 launch of Healthcare.gov. As THE WEEKLY STANDARD reported on December 19, that site has experienced problems reminiscent of Healthcare.gov's troubles, and the site will not be fully operational until well into 2014.

Novitas's direct connection to Healthcare.gov stems from an emergency, no-bid contract for "financial management services" awarded in August and first reported by THE WEEKLY STANDARD in September. The services required included accounting, tracking of accounts receivable and accounts payable, documenting funds collected by CMS, and data validation, among other things. CMS justified the no-bid award because the "prospect of a delay in implementing the Marketplace by the operational date of January 1, 2014, even for a few days, would result in severe consequences, financial and other" and that the services required were "beyond what was initially anticipated and beyond CMS' currently available resources."

Friends of Barack and Michelle again?

College buddies?

 

[subdued_passion]

When I saw the thread title I thought that 4rest had taken up a role in the President's cabinet, oh well.

Happy New Year! (with the same ole outrage)

 

[contrifan32]

Single payer is on its way though.

I have said it before... all of you out there who support this train wreck need to contact your representatives and insist they run on a single payer platform in 2014 and 2016.