Comparison of House & Senate Health Bills

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by sunman

Anthony,

You need to go back and read HR676, section 211.

Medicaid is free to people under 18 or 21, depends on state, people over 65, pregnant women (65% on medicaid are women), blind, disabled and you have less than $2000 in assets for 5 years.

These people have little money and pay almost no taxes.

We support them because we are a compassionate and great country.

HR676 is paid for by (A) existing medical funding sources, (B) increased tax on top 5% income earners (C) payroll tax of about 7% for all workers (D) small tax on stocks and bonds.

Medicaid is free. HR676 is insurance paid for by people that use it. The two are in no way alike.

The bills in Congress are a scam to protect the insurance companies who give tons of money to senators and congresspeople. That money comes out of our insurance payments.

Sunman

Here is what you referred to.

SEC. 211. OVERVIEW: FUNDING THE USNHC PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The USNHC Program is to be funded as provided in subsection (c)(1).

(b) USNHC Trust Fund- There shall be established a USNHC Trust Fund in which funds provided under this section are deposited and from which expenditures under this Act are made.

(c) Funding-

(1) IN GENERAL- There are appropriated to the USNHC Trust Fund amounts sufficient to carry out this Act from the following sources:

(A) Existing sources of Federal Government revenues for health care.

(B) Increasing personal income taxes on the top 5 percent income earners.

(C) Instituting a modest and progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income.

(D) Instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions.

(2) SYSTEM SAVINGS AS A SOURCE OF FINANCING- Funding otherwise required for the Program is reduced as a result of--

(A) vastly reducing paperwork;

(B) requiring a rational bulk procurement of medications under section 205(a); and

(C) improved access to preventive health care.

(3) ADDITIONAL ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS TO USNHC PROGRAM- Additional sums are authorized to be appropriated annually as needed to maintain maximum quality, efficiency, and access under the Program.

I don't know, but from my understanding of the English language, it appears that the funding of HR676 is from the taxation of the working class, the same way money is presently generated for Medicaid. Whether a worker pays premiums to a private insurance company, or pays higher taxes for HR676, he is still paying for his own insurance and others, the same way it is now, with Medicaid. Although the money is paid to different funds, the bottom line is that the worker is still paying money. Medicare is different, in that all enrollees are required to pay a partial premium ( about 25%) deducted from their SS income. Also, Medicare only pays for 80% of the allowed amount, unlike Mediaid and HR676, which cover 100%. So Medicaid is "free" to their current enrollees (although some have a spend down and must pay a minimum per month to qualify fo Medicaid ), and HR676 benefits would be "free" to all working class as well. Am I missing something here ?