Summing Up Why The Baucus Bill Is Unacceptable

[berni_mccoy]

- No Public Option and the alternative in the plan, state run exchanges, does not address the issue of lack of competion that exists in local markets. Private Insurance companies will have the same local competition they already have.

- Mandated Private Insurance with a tax penalty of 10% of a person's income, a minimum fine of $3800. Not only is this terrible, but Employers can drop you from their insurance for $400 or less. This is, quite simply, an unacceptable tax on the poor and middle class who will not be able to afford private insurance. The bill offers no help for the poor to pay their premium except for a tax break, but that will not even come close to helping them pay for the upfront premium to a Private Health Insurance company.

There are plenty of other issues with the bill, but that is about all that needs to be said to make this bill completely and utterly a failure.

With the mandate, private insurance companies will be able to raise their premium rates as they do today, if not faster and face no barrier to doing so. Employers will also be motivated to cancel their company-sponsored plans as the cost of doing so is minimal and the cost of maintaining them will only go up.

[BlooInBloo]

1. There's only one potentially useful thing that results from that joke of a bill...

100% rock-solid, incontrovertible proof that it is utterly impossible to enact health care reform in a bipartisan manner.

[sakabatou]

2. It punishes the poor who can't afford insurance

[moondust]

3. The CNN crawl during Baucus' presser said

"Subsidies to help the uninsured buy insurance."

I thought oh, the never-ending bailout. I don't know how true it is.

[FormerDittoHead]

4. I believe the expression is "poison pill"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_pill

[NotThisTime]

5. 13% for a family of 4 plus making 66K up to 12K out of pocket...

How many family's making 66K can pay more than 20 grand a year potentially? WTH kind of choice is that? And if you can't afford that plan they're going to fine you around 5K... Worst freaking thing I have ever seen... Oh and if you have a pre-existing condition as long as you get no treatment for six months you can join the high risk pool... how nice...

[Raineyb]

6. I've seen NOTHING about the Baucus Bill that I'd find acceptable.

I give it two fingers.

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. The other dirty little secret is

Healhcare insurance companies have long ago worked out procedures to fuck people over in regard to actually collecting on their claims AFTER the passage of a healthcare bill. Sure, they won't outright deny your coverage for pre-existing coverage etc., but good luck getting to a doctor in a timely manner. In short, the insurance companies will still have dozens of ways to continue to screw your average schmoe.