Pelosi rejects proposal to skirt government healthcare

Pelosi rejects proposal to skirt government healthcare
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 06/11/09 12:11 PM


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has rejected a Senate proposal floated in recent days to create privately-run healthcare cooperatives in place of government-run insurance plans.

Pelosi told reporters on Thursday morning that House Democrats want healthcare reform to include a government-run insurance option to ensure that all Americans can receive affordable healthcare.

“Not instead of a public option, no,” Pelosi said when asked about the proposal unveiled by some Senate Democrats to set up privately-run co-ops.

“In our house there is strong support for a public option,” Pelosi said.

The Democratic leader, however, said that a government-run plan should not have to depend on subsidies from the government and should be put on a “level playing field” with private plans.

“It should be actuarially sound, it should be administratively self-sufficient. It should be a real competitor with the private sector and not have an unfair advantage.”

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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-rejects-proposal-to-skirt-government-run-healthcare-2009-06-11.html

Why do we educate children with facilities & staff funded by the government (raised by income taxes) but we will not provide health care in this manner? Why?

idea. Again, nothing set in stone, but I don't think this is bad news.

Especially if, on average, every $1 dollar of raised is $2 more dollars back in your pocket?

already 'voiced concerns', and this is only one article I googled. Also, this articlehas to do with taxing healthcare benefits of people who can afford it, and it's from March.

It's going to be a long slog.


http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/03/14/healthcare_benefits_tax.html?cxntlid=inform_sr


Mixed reaction for tax on healthcare benefits

By CHRIS REINOLDS, JAMIE GUMBRECHT

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Metro Atlanta’s congressional delegation had mixed reactions to taxing healthcare benefits, with most of those contacted Saturday opposed to doing so.

The Obama administration reportedly is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits to help pay for an overhaul of the health care system.

U.S. Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) said his constituents would “be astonished” at the idea.

“I think it’s just one more tax increase. I would be interested in seeing a total reform of the way in which we tax and reward healthcare benefits, not just pick on a corner of it,” Linder said.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) said his Ways and Means Committee last week had the Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag testify about health care reform, “and neither mentioned that possibility of taxing healthcare benefits.”

“It would be something we would have to take a very hard look at,” Lewis said. “I would not support it outright. We need to study all possible sources of revenue … before we even give any serious contemplation to taxing benefits.”

“I think a great majority of the members on the Ways and Means Committee would be very reluctant to support taxing health benefits,” he said.

But Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), an obstetrician, said he would consider taxing high-value healthcare benefits. For example, he would support taxes on benefits valued at $6,000 to $8,000 a year or more for individuals, and $12,000 or more a year for families.

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I meant like raising income taxes. Whats wrong with that, if at the end of the day, you have more disposable income?

I can see how the rethugs would handle it. "Obama promised no new taxes for people making less than $250,000, he's going back on his campaign promise."

You know it'd happen.

I'm not panicking yet. There's going to be plenty of permutations between now and whatever the final product might be.

I think it would change the arguments if elected members of state governments and the federal government be required to enroll in a private healthcare plan. Given the average age and health of the members of the pool, I would expect that their deductibles and premiums would be unacceptable (to them.)