Patterico's Pontifications

8/14/2009

What is Obama’s Health Care Plan?

Filed under: Government,Obama — DRJ @ 10:01 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Instapundit summarizes ObamaCare:

“Obama: I’m going to turn healthcare upside down. Not sure how.

People: I don’t think I’ll like this.

Obama: Haters!”

But thanks to William A. Jacobson at Legal In-sur-rec-tion, we know one thing about ObamaCare: The IRS will be the New Health Care Enforcer. He says both the House and Senate bills require that information about household members and their health care coverage be reported to the IRS. Under the House version, people who do not have acceptable coverage will be taxed approximately 2.5% of AGI. According to Jacobson, “[t]he Senate version is similar, although the tax is called a ‘shared responsibility payment’ not a tax.”

— DRJ

32 Responses to “What is Obama’s Health Care Plan?”

  1. I bet you houses that “the poor” will be exempt. I also suspect that those that have “too much” coverage, or too high an income for their “free” workplace coverage, will also be taxed.

    “That’s one for you, nineteen for me….”

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  2. ’shared responsibility payment’

    Our health care statements are going to look like cell phone bills with the extra charges for line maintenance, interstate fees, etc.

    voiceofreason2 (fab77d)

  3. Let me add on to this:

    “Obama: I’m going to turn healthcare upside down. Not sure how. And Congress and myself will not be on the same public option that’s being proposed in any of these bills.

    People: I don’t think I’ll like this.

    Obama: Haters!”

    Another Chris (a3bb8f)

  4. Their desire and ability to confiscate the fruits of other people’s labors is central to everything they do.

    JD (24e83b)

  5. “What is Obama’s Health Care Plan?”

    What day is it?

    Which side of his mouth is he talking out of right this moment?

    daleyrocks (718861)

  6. Yes! Let’s make the IRS a key player! That’s the ticket! What could possibly go wrong?

    Mike G in Corvallis (70f47e)

  7. “I promise a tax cut for 95% of Americans. Vote for a democrat if you want low taxes! I’m not lying!”

    Juan (bd4b30)

  8. “Which side of his mouth is he talking out of right this moment?”
    Both sides. Obama can multi-task too!

    tmac (f9e092)

  9. ’shared responsibility payment’ This reminds me of the Obamas rules on the use of word “terrorism” into “anti-Islamic activity” and War in Iraq into ‘Overseas Contingency Operation’

    Janica Moore (94f097)

  10. why not simply post the health care bill on the web so everyone can read it for themselves. We do not neither either group telling us what is in this bill. If there is distortions or lies on either side it would be found out.

    delbert robinson (de7848)

  11. why not simply post the health care bill on the web so everyone can read it for themselves. We do not need either group telling us what is in this bill. If there are distortions or lies on either side it would be found out.

    delbert robinson (de7848)

  12. According to Jacobson, “[t]he Senate version is similar, although the tax is called a ’shared responsibility payment’ not a tax.”

    Shared Responsibility Payment?

    What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, at the very least, is the Unification Board’s precursor to Directive 10-289.

    Or perhaps it’s just garden variety Orwellian speak.

    Dystopia, here we come.

    KB (aa5284)

  13. A shared responsibility payment. That is how he is going to try to spin the fact that he is taking a dump on his promise to cut taxes for 95% of all Americans. He is just going to change the terminology.

    JD (b8fcee)

  14. KB is spot – on; a better example of Orwellian parameters is not likely to be found. Couple that statement with their “fishy” spy – on – your – neighbors creepiness, and Dante’s ninth circle of hell is complete.

    Dmac (e6d1c2)

  15. 11/Delbert Robinson–You can find a PDF of the House version here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf (not indexed.)

    Haven’t found the Senate version yet.

    I have read some of the House bill, and I have already decided I would rather go to jail than pay the extra tax. I will drop myself from insurance coverage purposefully and not pay the tax. If everyone does the same thing the IRS will choke on enforcement and not be able to do it. (I would certainly understand people not doing this.)

    Andy (0d5f50)

  16. I think this is the Senate version. Note it’s “only” 615 pages long, as opposed to the 1000+ page House bill.

    http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf

    Andy (0d5f50)

  17. the House and Senate bills require that information about household members and their health care coverage be reported to the IRS.

    Reading things like that (and further details, as pointed to on William Jacobson’s blog) does nothing but infuriate me. I often don’t use the phrase “Big Brother” when describing my opposition to people and policies that nurture big government. But in this instance, with the notion that the IRS will be sticking its big fat nose into a taxpayer’s personal healthcare matters — and glomming on to even more of his or her income — I’m looking at the epitome of “Big Brother.”

    Mark (411533)

  18. In the event of a double post, my apologies.

    I believe the Senate version can be found here:
    http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf

    Andy (0d5f50)

  19. Anything the goverment can do to get health care costs in line would be a blessing to every American.

    It is outragous that big insurance can cut you from an insurance plan (that you have paid for for years)in order to make huge profits while YOU the consumer is left broken and scared with no where to turn.

    Time to turn the tables! ME and my government is the only thing big enough to put these companies in line.

    Weneedhelp (1fbb8e)

  20. “Going Galt” is going to become a lot more attractive!
    Will our Kongresskritters take notice when the total amount of reported earned income starts dropping like a stone?
    This could be good for the construction/home-improvement industry though as people construct bunkers bomb-shelters for the coming “troubles”.

    AD - RtR/OS! (f615b7)

  21. ME and my government

    No, it’s not YOU and YOUR government – it’s US and OUR government. THEY WORK FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES, not the other way around.

    Asshat.

    Dmac (e6d1c2)

  22. Wow, that’ll fix health-care. Get the most beloved and respected government agency of them all involved…….

    Techie (482700)

  23. Weneedhelp, do you have any idea how the health care business currently works? Do you realize that there is no proposal in Congress or the White House that will actually reduce health care costs?

    SPQR (26be8b)

  24. Robert Reich expalins all …

    Mainly because there’s still no healthcare plan. All we have are some initial markups from several congressional committees, which differ from one another in significant ways. The White House’s is waiting to see what emerges from the House and Senate before insisting on what it wants, maybe in conference committee.

    Neo (46a1a2)

  25. Neo, confirming a point I’ve been making for months. Obama is pretending to lead health care reform but he is not. He’s nothing but a cheerleader. No leadership at all from Obama the Empty Suit(tm).

    SPQR (26be8b)

  26. At this point, although the debate and spin continue, this bill is essentially dead from an emotional and mandate perspective, even if some version gets passed. Whether it ultimately proves to be of any benefit to society, or a detriment, will take years, if not decades, to appreciate.

    This bill, and virtually anything that might be done to improve our healthcare system, involves too much complexity with which we are emotionally motivated to deal. In addition, there are too many factions with entrenched economic and/or financial interests to permit it to become a true health initiative.

    There’s been too much arguing about the details. People can not describe in 2 or 3 sentences the conceptual parameters of the effort and what it is supposed to accomplish. Unfortunately, people can describe how they feel about it in 1 or 2 words, and that’s not good. And that’s not to mention the elements which have whipped up hysteria by suggesting, with certainty, what will occur once the final product (which does not yet exist) emerges.

    If either side of the debate has to work this hard arguing about something which theoretically should improve the lives of the masses of people, there’s a big problem.

    Even more so than how something is done, people are interested in results, not the details. And once again, as is frequently the case with much of human processing, the facts don’t really matter. How people view the world, what they value, and what they want, matters.

    And there is nothing collaborative in nature about that. Factor in the strong individualistic American DNA, and this effort is emotionally toast.

    Reggie Greene / The Logistician (66904c)

  27. andy-

    I have read some of the House bill, and I have already decided I would rather go to jail than pay the extra tax. I will drop myself from insurance coverage purposefully and not pay the tax. If everyone does the same thing the IRS will choke on enforcement and not be able to do it. (I would certainly understand people not doing this.)

    I agree.

    “You cannot enslave a free man… the most you can do is kill him”

    Fletch (32f2b9)

  28. SPQR,

    I’m torn between wondering if Obama has intentionally decided to let Congress front this, hoping he can always lay the blame on them and take the credit. Alternatively, I wonder if he and his people just don’t have the knowledge, expertise, and experience to offer complicated legislation. After all, Obama and Emanuel don’t have much time in national office and many of their senior staff lack significant legislative experience.

    DRJ (cabca2)

  29. DRJ – Or they could just be a bunch of dirty little totalitarian socialist that happen to be lying crapweasels.

    This recission meme seems to be gaining steam amongst the trolls. Someone previously posted some numbers as to the actual number of improperly rescinded policies, but I cannot find it. It was a shockingly low number.

    JD (a8fb17)

  30. Obama will use the IRS to seize private property and pressure the citenry. It will be his agent of intimidation and harassment.

    Ein reich, ein volk, ein Obama.

    This is how America became a fascist state.

    Thomas Jackson (8ffd46)

  31. DRJ, I think the latter. Obama has no experience in significant legislation and has no one in the White House capable to putting together anything substantive.

    I think that Obama has no clue that he is not really “leading” this.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  32. I am a nurse on an OB floor and I see the abuse of the Medicaid system, that needs reform. We need to stop giving Medicaid to illegal aliens and start making the able bodied people (most of which are by the way)get a job and pay back the government. It seems that the Medicare system that hard working people have paid in to, is getting the worst of it. I would like to see in black and white exactly what his plan entails and let the people (voters) have the say whether it is passed or not!

    Felecia Hammond (35b482)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0812 secs.