If bushco's "tax reform" goes through - will folks who lose insurance

[salin]

recognize it is due to bush's policy?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2715003

Plan - as part of how to pay for the newest sheltering gimmicks - they want to cut tax incentives to employers for offering health insurance. During a time of annual hyper-inflation of health insurance costs - this move would likely result in a large number of people who are currently insured moving over to the ranks of the uninsured. The hubris involved in this aside... given the silent media - and the disconnect (or apathy for news/info) of the public - would folks even realize that there new bill (either for self-insurance - or for huge out of pocket costs for even a single hospital bill) was directly related to W?

[Danocrat]

1. Will they recognize it is due to bush's policy?

No. They will find a way to blame it on Bill or malpractice attorneys.

[elehhhhna]

2. Crash & Blame. It's their Mantra.

[salin]

3. and if they get their medical lawsuit reform through?

which will only contain 1-2% of health costs - which is much smaller than the annual insurance costs increases of each of the past 4 years... then what can they blame?

[cassiepriam]

4. of course not nt

[salin]

5. Folks do hold them responsible for the medicare/prescription

mess - just wasn't a big enough issue. Two reasons that is linked to them include: 1) there was huge media coverage... and 2) it started effecting enough people (and that was just the silly drug card part of the bill....) that everyone knew someone who had looked at the chaos and asked why (esp the part that one had to chose, and then would be locked in for a year, while the companies could change the prices that lured you in at any time.)

Point being - if the media were to pull this provision out and make a huge deal about it - either the repubs would back off of it - OR when it went through and people started losing their insurance... it would be connected to bushco policy. And this has a larger impact than the medicare (which was an add to - albiet a reckless one with limited real benefits and huge costs; and this would be a take away from...) Has a real potential downside for future elections... but ONLY if the media pulls it out and makes it an issue, imo.

[Paradise]

6. "let them eat cake!"

the sad part, for me, is that i don't even care any more. and that's the way it is...

[ComerPerro]

8. I completely agree

I don't give a shit anymore.

I couldn't care any less.

I don't give a fuck.

I actually hope that people who voted for Bush have a bad life. I hope that their kids get drafted and killed in Iraq.

Screw them. They deserve it.

These people are fascist morons who let themselves be brainwashed and gave in to the daily propaganda. Suddenly they have the nerve to declare that anyone who votes against Bush is a traitor and is immoral?

Fuck that shit. These people deserve to be taken for a ride by the Republicans. They can go straight to hell. The sooner, the better.

[salin]

9. and the rest of us get dragged down with them.

That is the problem with this sentiment.

[ComerPerro]

10. oh, I know. And I will probably come around

and start fighting again.

Right now, though, I simply don't care.

[sendero]

11. You are not alone...

... my friend, you are not alone.

I simply cannot help but be angry at the stupidity of so many Americans right now. Like a parent who has tried to teach a child not to do stupid things, now all I can do is let the natural consequence of their actions set them right.

I realize it is not a particularly magnanimous or noble sentiment, but its how I feel and it going to take time to get over it.

[salin]

12. I am certainly not suggesting the "get over it" sentiment

(surely you know my posting better than that)... just suggesting that this is a huge, but buried story that has the potential to harm us all. But also is a story - that if it were to become known through the media... and were to go through... and folks lose their insurance (as they will in todays environment) WILL have a big backlash against the GOP. Hence - not the time to be tired... at least not on this issue.

[sendero]

13. Perhaps...

... the natural consequence of accepting a lap-dog media is to lose your health insurance.

Seriously, what can I do to make folks become informed? Damn near nothing. I talk to my friends and family, that is about it. Screaming on DU is preaching to the choir.

Americans like feel-good news like Fox dispenses. It's like having a friend who knows you are screwing up and could warn you against an ill-advised action, but he doesn't. He's not your friend.

Americans are going to have to learn that the lap-dog media is not their friend - no matter how awful the truth it needs to be heard.

I just don't see how I can do any more about it. And at this point, I don't really care.

[salin]

14. on more than one occaision...

screaming at the choir got bloggers attention and eventually got media attention. Other times - at a local level - duers have gotten local media attention. I seem to recall an instance where a move to privatize local water - helped to get turned back because an observant Duer who had followed the issue - was able to get good information from other localities that had been through such privatization - got local press to cover the story - public sentiment shifted and the issue was turned back. Not common - but it has happened.

But to get a big enough buzz - folks have to keep talking about it, folks have to bring everylast story that appears up to the fora. Threads have to keep going long enough to be seen by casual press and blog readers...

[blondeatlast]

19. The media are more than lap-dogs, they are LAZY. We, the unpaid,

who find the truth out of a commitment to our nation, have to do their jobs for them. LTTE, press releases, research; it's sickening.

We need to make sure they know that we know that most of it is sheer laziness. They will be naturally defensive at the notion of bias.

LAZY may just make them work harder.

[salin]

23. here, hear!

[blondeatlast]

15. Yeah, but we are all in the bis with them.

I will pretty much literally die (yes, literally) without Health Insurance, and since I already have 3 pre-exising conditions, I can't get private coverage at all.

Nice knowing y'all... :(

[salin]

16. at least in Indiana...

companies can only use the "preexisting condition" exemption of coverage for a period of six months or so. They then have to cover you. BUT they can charge you at a "market" rate for covering those conditions... eg price it out of possible range.

[SammyWinstonJack]

28. That would be okay if the * voters were the only ones to suffer

sadly that won't be the case at all.

[papau]

7. Pay for RICH getting TAX FREE INVESTMENT INCOME via cuts to

health insurance deductions.

Compassionate Conservative is now defined.

[unfrigginreal]

17. No biggie. It will only effect the lower waged workers

You know, employees of the Mom & Pop stores, restaurant employees and most other small business employees. The large corps will still have to offer it to be competitive in the labor market but those jokers making $5.50 an hour are a dime a dozen anyway.

[salin]

20. I disagree

the rate of health insurance premiums annual increase is obscene. Working with a nonprofit - we see a larger and larger slice of a limited budget go simply to health benefits. We are committed to continue providing these - but it is has a huge effect on the bottom line. In an era where white collar workers are being threatened with outsourcing - is there really a competitive reason to maintain healthcare coverage? My guess is that in mid and large corporations - all but the highest level of executives are at risk. Sure the individual premiums will be higher for those folks since the "pool" of insured will be smaller - but a few higher premiums - vs a host of ever increasing premiums... I think that this would effect many, many people. Far beyond just low wage workers.

[unfrigginreal]

21. I suspect that if you are correct the this plan won't have a snowball's

chance in hell of passing. OTOH, if I'm correct it will pass with flying colors.

[salin]

22. if it is done in stealth... who is to stop it?

It gives cover to the corps to stop coverage... the only ones to fight it would be the public (uninformed, so not likely to mobilize), or the real losers.... insurance companies (would lose many accounts) and/or pharma ... would lose customers who could not afford their designer/advertised drugs without insurance...

[Beer Snob-50]

18. no it will not be directly related to W

it will be related to those bad bad trial lawyers and to the poor who go to the hospital for every little ache and pain. the republican spin machine is a fantastic well run machine.

[salin]

24. problem is... that their absolute deathgrip on the current

legislative process means that theywill likely get their tort reform through... then there will be no lawyer scapegoat...

[lastliberalintexas]

25. No, because it will be blamed on lawsuits

We need to be ready to respond to that lie.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

26. I caught that last night and didn't bother posting it. I fucking GIVE UP

If people are so goddamn fucking stupid that they voted for him even after he was caught RED HANDED lying in the debates about Social Security privatization then fuck them.

It was OBVIOUS that the fall out of this would be employers would cancel health insurance policies. It's EVERY employers dream not to have healthcare tied to employment,

[salin]

27. and by the time the public realizes

that single payer is the only way they will be insured (when the decoupling of health insurance is complete from employment) the amount of taxes needed just to cover our butts from federal bankruptcy will be so high that it will be impossible to do. One more step along the road to the pauperization of the American citizenry.