Bush's insurance plan might be DOA

President Bush's proposed tax deduction for health insurance appears to be shaping up as a tough sell in the Democratic Congress.

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., said Monday that the tax changes, which Bush is expected to promote in Tuesday night's State of the Union address, would encourage employers to stop providing health insurance.

"Under the guise of tax breaks, the president is pursuing a policy designed to destroy the employer-based health care system through which 160 million people receive coverage," the lawmaker said.

Stark, who oversees a key House Ways and Means subcommittee, said he would not consider holding hearings on the proposal, which includes a trade-off. Contributions from employers toward health insurance would begin to be treated as taxable income. At the same time, a standard deduction for taxpayers with health insurance would be set at $15,000 for families and $7,500 for individuals.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_health_taxes

If he's in the pocket of the insurance industry, why do this? Won't it mean that a lot of employers drop health insurance altogether? And there's no way the insurance companies will pick up all those dropped on individual plans.

This is very beneficial. But of course, the gov. subsidizes the underlying healthcare system, but no one can be denied coverage.

Employer-based healthcare plans suck. Case in point: my daughter is losing her job in March. Her company is closing in June. She is not eligible for COBRA after June because the employer is ceasing operations in the US as of June 1st.

We need some kind of national health care plan, I don't know what the answers are, but HC needs to be divorced from employers. I am so sick of shitty health care plans that are chosen by employers because they rub elbows with so and so at a local HMO.

France and Germany are the big two. I don't know the status of NHS in the UK after over a decade of Thatcherism.

The NHS provides excellent care... once you get into the system. There's a lot of gatekeeping and paperwork for specialties, but once you're in and being treated, it ranks up there with the best.

This shows up in comparative outcome measures:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/295/17/2037

and Germany used as an example, the corporatists will say "well they pay a lot of taxes in Germany." To which I reply, and please tell me if I am correct, "what they get for their taxes are services for which we in the US must provide using our after tax paychecks." Is it true that if you qualify for university in Germany it is free? Here we must practically starve to pay for a college education. Is daycare provided free of charge regardless of income?

Answers to these questions would really help me in my arguments.

Thanks!

may not necessarily be free (I don't know about daycare, my kids are grown) I believe the Universities are open to those who make the grades to get accepted. I think it is tuition-free.

The trade off is worth it re: taxes. Quality of life is much superior to the USA. I never thought I would say that, but I am at that point; and it becomes more apparent to me everytime I visit my family, just how much better life abroad really is...

When people aren't frantic about survival, a lot of other problems go waaaay down.

But, of course, that probably isn't moral. :hi:

and benefits.

When it was all added up, of course, the European came out ahead because of the benefits.

Sorry, I don't now remember what country.... I think one of the Scandinavian, but ......

of tax increases. This would be a tax increase, particularly on working class people such as myself.

The Democrats had better kill this proposal, long a dream of the Republicans.

the only thing worthwhile would be a direct tax CREDIT for families making less than say $100,000 for privately purchased health insurance. Everything else in it is shit.

If the idiot wants to do some taxcuttin' then he should be giving tax CREDITS dollar for dollar to businesses that pay for health insurance.

are the mark of GOP health care planning. Here in California Ahnold has proposed a health plan that mandates working people pay for health insurance that would cost as much as thier rent. Not exactly helpfull.

The idea is to get headlines for offering a solution while allowing their corporate buddies to continue making profits.