“This chart depicts the health care nightmare that House Democrats have planned for families and small businesses. This isn’t reform; it’s a recipe for disaster that will lead to higher health care costs, lower quality, rationed care, and bureaucrats making medical decisions instead of doctors and patients. Families shouldn’t have to answer to shadowy Washington bureaucrats when they’re seeking health care treatments for themselves and their loved ones.
“If this isn’t bad enough, this new maze of government bureaucracy will be funded by a new small business tax that will cost more American jobs. During a time of economic recession, the last thing Congress should be doing is punishing small businesses that create a majority of the jobs in this country. If Democrats are serious about job creation and real health care reform, they’ll scrap this plan and start working with House Republicans on solutions the American people want. Republicans have offered a plan to reduce costs and expand Americans’ access to quality care – without a small business tax. I want to thank Rep. Brady and House Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee for their work in exposing the truth about what the Democrats’ plan means for families and small businesses.”
(Representative John Boehner, R-OH)
Listening to the House Ways and Means Committee discuss provisions of their version of a health care reform bill (HR 3200) makes it very clear that this is, indeed, a fine representation of the hands reaching for your wallet. It is a gigantic behemoth of federal rat mazes that creates a fiscally unsustainable and inherently inefficient bureaucracy that will have the final say over whether you live or die.
By 2013, the lowest surtax to be levied against the “wealthy” goes up unless savings are realized. But the truth is that the government NEVER saves money when it runs programs so small business owners will be hit harder and harder as time goes by. (It is important to remember that small business owners pay taxes via their personal 1040 returns so those “wealthy” folks making over $250,000 aren’t really taking home that amount; many are making far smaller amounts of real, spendable dollars.) This plan for more taxpayer money going to feed the government health care machine means there will continually be less and less money available for small businesses to expand (or even be created) and thereby create jobs. Which in turn will force more people to accept the government’s version of health insurance, thereby putting further strain on this essentially unfunded program.
If you’re thinking that this is really no big deal because you’ll just keep the health care insurance you have today or go buy your own, think again. There’s a provision that outlaws individual private coverage:
Called… “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:
“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.
So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.
And this is only the first instance in this latest 1,000-page boat anchor where the federal government crosses the Constitutionally-defined line.
The legislation will also contain the usual amount of sheer idiocy (read: more ways to force part you from your hard-earned money) like defining the sale of your house as a “life-changing event” that will impact your medical benefits.
It is time to contact all of your Congress critters and tell them to vote NO on this unconstitutional intrusion into your personal life.