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I think they should pass a windfall profits tax on the Insurance Industry

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WI_DEM Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 12:56 PM
Original message
I think they should pass a windfall profits tax on the Insurance Industry
excess profits and put the $ towards providing insurance for the uninsured rather than expecting the uninsured to buy the insurance.

I admit I don't know all about tax policy and such but this is an idea somebody was kicking around the other day. Health Care, in my view, should be not for profit anyway.
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rd_kent Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 12:58 PM
Response to Original message
1. All profits above 5% should be taxed at 100% rate and reinvested into a fund to pay for the
mandatory insurance people will have to buy.
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WI_DEM Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 12:59 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. And this I think they can do under reconciliation because it's a tax issue
after all Bush got three tax cuts through on Reconciliation.
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
3. There are too many ways around this for all of them....
They'll just magically turn their "profits" into "expenses" of some sort and boom now that turns it into a write off.

Really we need to tighten all the tax rules for all companies so that they're followed correctly and their taxes are paid. Too many loopholes are helping big business and if we actually had big corporations pay in taxes what small businesses have to pay - we'd have more money than even Congress would know what to do with (though I'm sure they'd think of something stupid to spend it on besides health care).
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Better Today Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 01:14 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. Yep, I was about to chime in and say the same things. Windfall
profits don't work. I liked the cosmetic surgery (excluding repairs of disfigurements) tax was an excellent idea, and I like the tax on those making $500Ksingle or $1M couple.
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ThomWV Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
4. Look up "Bills of attainder"
Article I, Section 9, third paragraph.
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safeinOhio Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 01:46 PM
Response to Reply #4
8. States can deny all rate increases until profits
become reasonable for investment risk. Now there are no risk. Insurers raise rates to insure profits. If claims go up, rates go up. If profits or overhead go up, rates go up.
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andym Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 01:05 PM
Response to Original message
5. Very good idea. nt.
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Lugnut Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-23-09 01:07 PM
Response to Original message
6. That sounds good to me. n/t
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