When is a defender of Health Care Reform going to say a simple truth...

[brooklynite]

...Private companies can't "dump" people into a public option...anyone who loses employer health-care can buy subsidized health care from a variety of providers.....including a public option.

[dflprincess]

1. Not everyone will qualify for subsidized care

and the income caps for who does have not been set.

Odds are many people will wind up having to buy some piece of crap plan with large out of pockets to satisfy the goverment mandate to protect the insurance companies but they still won't have access to care.

[Bluerthanblue]

4. i thought it was like 400% of the poverty level?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/13/766427/-Putting-the-Public-Plan-in-Perspective

[Eric J in MN]

6. The final bill will probably have full subsidies for up to 300 percent...

...and partial subsidies for up to 400 percent.

[dflprincess]

7. 400% is what is currently in HR3200

but the bill is not law yet and Pelosi recently indicated that that could be lowered. I think Baucus' scheme has set the cap at 300% of the poverty level.

As of now, 400% of the FPL is $43,000 for a single person & $88,000 for a family of four. There are no provisions in HR3200 to change those rates based on where you live, though insurance premiums will be "regionally based".

[leftstreet]

2. Will employers even continue to offer coverage?

:shrug:

[brooklynite]

3. Yes, to compete for employees...

I know there's a strong anti-capitalist bias here, but not every business is screwing over their workers.

[mmonk]

5. You can have a capitalist country without a for profit health insurance

company between you and a healthcare provider. In fact, we might could eventually have higher wages again if we didn't and our companies could make more because it would reduce labor costs.

[Horse with no Name]

8. Well my company would probably cut our pay if

we had single payer medicine. They call it an "incentive cut".:eyes:

[leftstreet]

9. LOL millions unemployed, why would employers need to "compete?"

That makes no sense

[Eric J in MN]

10. Obama said, 'Likewise, businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care, or..

...chip in to help cover the cost of their workers."

I think he said that businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be exempt, but I can't find that in the prepared-text:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/us/politics/10obama.text.html?pagewanted=all