House Panel Passes Tax Increase For Health Plan

WASHINGTON — The House Ways and Means Committee has passed legislation to revamp health care, approving tax increases on the wealthy to help pay for the plan.

The committee voted 23 to 18 to approve the bill. Three Democrats joined all committee Republicans in voting against the bill.

Over the next decade, the bill would impose $544 billion in new taxes on families making more than $350,000.

The vote came early Friday, more than 16 hours after members started debating dozens of Republican amendments that were ultimately rejected. Republicans complained that the bill would hurt small business owners who pay business taxes on their individual returns. Democrats say the tax increases will affect only 4.1 percent of tax filers who report small business income.

Comments

[rxvette]

As a clinical staff pharmacist at my local hospital I see the numerous inadequacies of our current health care system everyday when I go to work. I've also spent countless hours researching what would comprise successful health care reform here in the United States. All parties involved will have to compromise a little to get this done. But the biggest responsibility lies on us as individuals to reduce long term costs associated with health care. Read my article to find out more - http://bit.ly/9QLV8

[sarabono]

Well, I guess it is time to go to work for the Federal Government since there Plan, the same one that Congress and the President has, is exempt from this Proposed Health Care Bill. Nope, they don't have tp worry about being put into the Public Option in three years along with the peon citizens.

[helonias]

Ezek. 16:49ff. "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it."
Is. 10:1-3. "Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights... Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar?"
Luke 1:52ff. [Mary's Magnificat.] "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were hungry. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed."
Ezek. 22:29,31. "The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice... Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord GOD.

[Waltfl]

Can someone explain to me why conservatives are so obsessed with trying to preserve the incomes of the wealthy and super rich? I can understand that the 1-2% of the wealthy in the Republican party try to sabotage higher taxes for themselves, but the rest?

Most conservatives I know are total losers, who make probably less than 20% of the amounts where a tax increase would even set in?

So why do they show solidarity with the financial aristocracy instead of their neighbors, who are in the same boat. That seems to be the mindset of the royalists of the old days. "Our kids are starving, but that's OK, as long as our king gets another palace..."

[wdw505]

gee maybe they don't wish to pay for the indigent and lazy.......as i don't wish to

[helonias]

Or those with pre existing conditions.

Like Jesus's nail holes in his hands and feet

[Tazru]

Perhaps we would rather not pay for the unemployed posers such as yourself.

[LeftRight]

gee, maybe you should read the post and realize that he's talking about people who wouldn't be seeing any sort of a tax increase!!!

[republicanforlife]

Because as in the past the "trickle down tax" will see you no matter how much you make. And comming from the party of "FAIR" why should anyone pay more than the next? You have a target on what you call the rich but didnt they earn it? level the playing field? Watch who you are calling "LOSERS" its a relativly large brush that you are trying to paint with and it dosent carry enough weight!

[Bubba Sparks]

Last eight years have seen an unprecedented transfer of wealth to the already wealthy from those who were not. Was that fair?

[LeftRight]

You want fair??? Okay, so right now the top 10% of taxpayers are paying 71% of the taxes. Sounds unfair, right? WRONG, because the top ONE percent has more wealth and more income than the bottom NINETY percent!! That means that the top 1% should be paying MORE than the bottom 90%, but that just ain't happening, is it?

[sarabono]

I don't know but I do know that when people feel put upon they change there tactics. My uncle a very successful tort lawyer in NYC, has just changed his legal residence and his LLC Partnership to Winter Park, FL. I asked him why. He said that the change will save him over $230,000 per year in New York State and New York City Taxes and that even with loosing the ability to deduct these items from his Federal Tax, he figures that he will be ahead of the game by at least $185,000 per year.

[kepary]

DONT TAX US ANY MORE enough is enough... please stop the insane spending

[wdw505]

agreed

[jmpurser]

The "insane spending" was 30 years of tax cuts for the rich followed by a war for the fun of it. What we're doing now is necessary. If anything it's MUCH too small.

[republicanforlife]

So during the "30 years of tax cuts" the government increased its revenue, but outspent itself causing the deficet that we have. Would in not figure that if you cut taxes, your revenue goes up, you spend less and then you have this thing congress calls a surplus?

[BocaMom]

What are they thinking??? This is just going to drive a stake in the heart of small business and kill more
jobs and the economy. We need to fix the economy first and get America working again before we raise
taxes on the rich and everyone else.

[BocaMom]

This will drive a steak in the heart of small business and kill more jobs. What are they thinking???
Can they please fix the economy first and then when we are back on our feet and have money, then
we raises taxes on the rich... as well as everybody else.

[lippylaroux]

I just did the calculation; my tax for health care will cost my company an extra $72,000.00 a year. Time to start laying off....I think I will start with the people with Obama Stickers on their cars...

[wdw505]

toss in a couple without bumper stickers though.......just to not be so obvious

[helonias]

So your fine with the current way where companies like Aetna only insure the healthy and only spend 20 cents of each dollar on HC?

[Bubba Sparks]

Is that $72,000 for you or for the entire 40 million uninsured? Plus if they lay you off, maybe you could go work on that idea for a business that you have but have been afraid to follow because you couldn't afford healthcare without your job. Maybe you can go work now for a non-profit or just another job where you're happier, as opposed to making decisions about how you'll spend half of your waking life based on the fear of catching the next swine flu.

[Disdain]

Fear not, every businesses who gets that punitive bill will be thinking the same thing as they decided who they'll be forced to lay off.

[wdw505]

well said

[jmpurser]

That's the problem with an employer based health care system. It amounts to a tax on businesses. But only the most liberal congressmen are for single payer so the businesses are for the system that is killing them.

[helonias]

I agrees folks like need JM need all those homes and cars and the private jet far more than the 20,000+ Americans who die each year because of lack of health care

[ADENE]

Ok LIBERALS let me ask you a question??. If the Government says the rich must pay for the car insurance of all Americans because they can afford it, is that fair????.

After all this is exactly what this is - The Rich paying for the Health Insurance of other people, not the health care!!.

[Tazru]

We are not playing "sound bite" checkers any more, try to keep up.

Learn more about economics, science, math, or statistical analysis, learn new things everyday!

[Quinterius]

Have you heard of progressive income tax? The rich used to pay 80% marginal tax during Reagan's presidency. Now, they pay something like 39% (let's not argue about the exact figures). Who do you think pays for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? Stop thinking in terms of simple cause and effect. When money is spent on improving the roads everyone benefits. The rich pay more of the cost of the road improvements than the poor on the average. So, what? Should we have separate roads for the rich?

[jmpurser]

Ask me when the government says the rich have to pay for car insurance.

[sc300nc]

We already do, it's called uninsured motorists.­..everyone gets charged for it.

[Gdebs]

If you agree to have the rich fight all future wars since they have the most of everything to protect, the poor will agree to die from any old disease. But we may cough on you through your fence.
Or should we agree to do what is good for the commonweal.

[txkayrose]

you make an excellent point.
I have no interest in paying - through taxes, fees, whatever - for INSURANCE on health-care.
For myself, my family or anyone else.

That's the beauty of SINGLE-PAYER Healthcare.
Our taxes, fees, etc pay for CARE, not insurance, and I'm all for that.
I would be all for that even if it means I, personally, have to pay higher taxes.

I assume that your rancor is about the funds going to line the pockets of the insurance companies, as opposed to the actual collection of additional funds to help pay for basic care for all Americans?

[wdw505]

no i object to paying for the indigent and lazy........and i don't want the government involved in my health care decisions at all

[freddiefreeloader]

How many centrist Democrats out there that don't want a public option and why?

[sc300nc]

It's not a healthcare bill. It has nothing to do with healthcare. It's income redistribution, also known as welfare.

[LeftRight]

You go ahead and tell yourself that, and the rest of us will live here in the REAL WORLD!!!

[helonias]

Its just what your savior would want

Luke 16:19-25. "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'
But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony...'"

[wdw505]

you're kidding right? why the religious babble?

[Tazru]

How would you describe Reaganomics then? During Reaganomics wealth was redistributed from the workers to the Idle Rich. Ayn Rand would be proud, as would Emperor Const.antine.

[Coinyer101]

Insurance and pharma have already won this battle. Any tax increases will just wind up in their pockets, anyways.

[helonias]

AETNA Headquarters: Hartford, Connecticut 2007 Profits: $1.831 billion 2007 CEO Total Compensation: Ronald A. Williams, $23,045,834 Aetna has a long history in the business of insurance. Founded to sell life insurance in 1850, it became the first insurance company owned by stockholders to go into the health coverage business. Infamous For: “Underwriting Discipline” In 2007, Aetna applauded itself for its low “medical loss ratio”--the percentage of revenue it “loses” to paying for health care. (Sensitive to public relations, the industry now calls this a “medical benefit ratio.”) “Our commercial medical benefit ratio of 79.2% for the fourth quarter and 79.5% for the full year reflected solid underwriting discipline and our focused efforts in the area of medical management,” CEO Ronald Williams told investors in February, 2008. Translation: We are proud to spend less than 80 percent of premiums on health care by avoiding unhealthy enrollees and keeping a lid on services.

[wdw505]

again you have not stated anything in support of this bill.....just against the current model

[jmpurser]

True.

[vjones26]

Who are the three so-called Democrats that voted against the bill?

We should email all of them.

[republicanforlife]

E-mail a vote of thanks!

[Disdain]

Please let me know. I would love to know who to send my thank you letter to.

[gmgl]

Best thing I've heard in a long time

There has been an obscene concentration of wealth at the top since the 70's in this country.

This news is awesome and possibly the best thing about the health care bill. Our country will continue it's top heavy economic implosion unless some redistribution of wealth happens. More taxes on the wealthy for a while please until better balance is brought back.

It's grossly unhealthy that about 1% of the population has over 40% of the wealth. More taxes like this please!

[greg32]

The top 10% pay 71% of all taxes...keep poking at the golden goose and he'll quit laying the eggs (i.e. jobs)...work hard, go to college (working full time at a pizza joint while doing it if necessary like i did to pay for tuition at a state college and graduate), and strive to be a success and not make excuses or blame everyone else for why you can't, that is the way to make it in this country, not relying on a handout from uncle sam.

[Tazru]

You must not have been alive during the years of prosperity before 1980 and the beginning of the Dark Ages. "Tinkle Down" only concentrated the wealth at the top, in the hands of the least productive. "Too Big To Fail" is another pantload upon the System.

I do not want to continue living in the Feudal Era, perhaps we could renegotiate the Civil War, and let the Royalists and Feudalists keep the South.

[LeftRight]

The top 10% may pay 71% of the taxes, but the top *1%* own more than 90% of the wealth and make more than 50% of the income!!! The top 10% makes more money in a given year than the rest of us, I think that they can EASILY afford to pay some more. ESPECIALLY since we are currently 348,568 years in debt, at the payback rate of one dollar per second.

[wdw505]

well said

[helonias]

You forgot to mention that they are not getting into the kingdom of heaven, per Jesus, and that this may change that.

Don't you care about their souls?

[sarabono]

That is the attitude you must have to be successful in America. If you have this attitude and work ethic, it is amazing what opportunities come your way.

[Quinterius]

All these people who complain about cost and post superficial videos about how bad the Canadian system is should watch the Frontline report called "Sick around the world" at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/

So what if you have to pay a little more taxes? How do you expect to cover 50 million new people? I tried to make an appoint with my doctor recently in California. They gave me an appointment for three weeks later. Have you tried to see your doctor on a week-end in the US?

[Tazru]

Facts just get in the way of their faith.

[Harrier]

I have viewed the link provided by Quinterius and found it very enlightening. I like the Taiwan English system
Other countries are charging less and providing equal or better medical treatment giving patients more time and tests to specifically diagnose the problem with very little of no wait time. The things each advance medical system have in common are:
1) Insurance companies must accept all patient regardless of pre-existing conditions
2) Everyone must buy it and the government picks up the cost for those who cannot afford it
3) Doctors and hospitals must accept a single set of pricing

The same arguments that are being made by lobbyist now, were made in those countries before they switched over. Drug companies make 1/3 of their profits from the US because their is no regulations. The more drugs they develop, the more drugs they can get paid for. The ones that don't work as well will get dropped from the plan

[sarabono]

Those three are excellent principles for a health Health Care System. The problem is, our Congress is not paying attention. There emphasis appears to be Political and Dictatorial Control over the Health Care for the peon citizen.

[WinterParkMom]

47 million un insured
20 million under insured
fast food companies and insurance companies making profits hand over fist. Bushes tax cuts for the rich still in effect

Subtract 10 million poor/indig­ent/mental­ly ill, etc, who are uninsured and will have to get free care = 37 mill un-insured who can pay.
18.5 million can pay $50/mo = 925,000,000
18.5 mill can pay $100 = $1,850,000,000
20 mill under insured will switch and can pay $100 = 2,000,000,000
That is a grand total of $47,750,000,000
That is FOUR BILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN PREMIUM PAYMENTS PER MONTH. FIFTY SEVEN BILLION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY MILLION PER YEAR IN PREMIUMS FOR ONE SET OF PEOPLE.
That does'nt count the millions who'll switch from private companies if they can pay $100 or 200 per month and have their entire family covered even with pre-existing conditions. Repeal the bush tax cuts asap.
After thinking about it more, we should have a 1 penny federal sales tax on EVERY purchase. I can hear the opponents shouting about making the poor poorer, but my statement is 1 cent on each purchase NOT on every dollar or hundred dollars. From candy bars to fruit to big screen tv's to your house. 1 cent on everything. If your grocery bill was $100. for 53 items, your bill would be $100.53. That's not putting people in the poorhouse especially when we've already been dealing with price increases

[Gdebs]

How about a nickel on the sale of every stock in the stock exchange? Other countries do it. How many folks have you heard mention this on CNBC? Larry Kudlow?