Archive for topic “healthcare”

Jane Hamsher makes the case for killing the Senate bill

Jane Hamsher: “We have never mandated that the public pay eight percent of their income to a private company. That is obscene.”

Way to go, Jane! Remember, dear reader, sign the petition to kill the Senate bill here.

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Tell your friends: 10 reasons to kill the Senate bill

Check out this masterful cheat-sheet on the Senate bill, put together by the crack staff over at FiredogLake. Then sign the petition: Kill the Senate bill!

Top 10 Reasons to Kill Senate Health Care Bill

  1. Forces you to pay up to 8% of your income to private insurance corporations — whether you want to or not.
  2. If you refuse to buy the insurance, you’ll have to pay penalties of up to 2% of your annual income to the IRS.
  3. Many will be forced to buy poor-quality insurance they can’t afford to use, with $11,900 in annual out-of-pocket expenses over and above their annual premiums.
  4. Massive restriction on a woman’s right to choose, designed to trigger a challenge to Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court.
  5. Paid for by taxes on the middle class insurance plan you have right now through your employer, causing them to cut back benefits and increase co-pays.
  6. Many of the taxes to pay for the bill start now, but most Americans won’t see any benefits — like an end to discrimination against those with preexisting conditions — until 2014 when the program begins.
  7. Allows insurance companies to charge people who are older 300% more than others.
  8. Grants monopolies to drug companies that will keep generic versions of expensive biotech drugs from ever coming to market.
  9. No re-importation of prescription drugs, which would save consumers $100 billion over 10 years.
  10. The cost of medical care will continue to rise, and insurance premiums for a family of four will rise an average of $1,000 a year — meaning in 10 years, your family’s insurance premium will be $10,000 more annually than it is right now.

Background information on each point:

  1. Hardship Waiver And Restrictions On Immigrants Buying Insurance Undercut Arguments For An Individual Mandate, by Jon Walker
  2. What’s in the Manager’s Amendment by David Dayen
  3. MyBarackObama Tax by Marcy Wheeler
  4. Emperor Ben Nelson: All Your Uteruses Are Belong To Me by Scarecrow
  5. The Senate Bill is Designed to Make Your Health Insurance Worse by Jon Walker
  6. Best way to “Fix It Later” Is With No Individual Mandate Now by Jon Walker
  7. The Senate Health Care Bill is Built on a Mountain of Sand by Jon Walker
  8. The Devil in Anna Eshoo’s Details by Jane Hamsher
  9. Liveblog of the Dorgan Reimportation Amendment by David Dayen
  10. Answering Nate Silver’s 20 Questions on the Health Care Bill by Jon Walker

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After manager’s amendment, Dean says go to conference

Howard Dean: “Let's See What They Add To This Bill And Make It Work”

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