SEIU applauds historic House of Representatives vote on Health Insurance reform
This in via e-mail from SEIU District 1199:
Service Employees Applaud Historic House Vote for Health Insurance Reform that Works for Ohio Families
Rep. Kaptur votes to give constituents the choice of quality care they can afford
COLUMBUS, OHIO-Today’s vote by the House of Representatives to pass the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3962) is an historic step towards creating a high-quality healthcare system that working families in Ohio can afford.
“By voting yes on the Affordable Health Choices Act, Congresswoman Kaptur put the needs of working families in her District before insurance company profits,” said Becky Williams, President of SEIU District 1199. “Comprehensive health insurance reform is in our reach. Americans will soon have a choice of affordable, high-quality healthcare coverage.”
The House bill provides quality health insurance that is affordable to 96 percent of the nation, with a strong public option that drives costs down and gives people the power to choose what is best for their family. It also requires individuals, businesses, and government to all share in the responsibility to expand affordable coverage. Employers will be expected to offer and contribute to meaningful coverage for their workers, an improvement that will affect thousands of people here in Ohio.
The Affordable Health Choices Act will offer coverage to 38,000 uninsured residents in Kaptur’s district, and protect up to 1,700 from bankruptcy due to unaffordable healthcare costs-all without adding a dime to our nation’s deficit.
Members of SEIU District 1199 wrote letters and made phone calls urging Congresswoman Kaptur to support comprehensive health insurance reform. “Congresswoman Kaptur showed true leadership by voting yes to real reform and no to powerful insurance companies,” Williams said. “Now, it’s up to our senators to show the same type of leadership so we can pass meaningful healthcare reform this year.”
Associated Press piece from this morning that is in many of Ohio’s newspapers, Columbus Dispatch as an example:
November 8th, 2009 at 11:36 amTHIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE…I JUST HOPE IT GOES THRU THE SENATE
November 8th, 2009 at 11:53 amNo way it goes through the senate. This is dead.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:29 pmMaybe, much of it depends on what Harry Reid does and then when the Senate changes the bill, if the House will agree…
November 8th, 2009 at 1:32 pmIt should also be pointed out that not all Democrats supported the bill in the House, link to list of names.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:35 pmi have not felt this proud of my party since 1964 and 1965, when LBJ put thru voting rights and medecare
November 8th, 2009 at 1:49 pmThis bill is D.O.A.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:14 pmMaybe, I found this one part interesting, “I just don’t think its right to mandate that you have to have health insurance or you might go to jail,” Texas Republican Joe Barton said..
I sourced that, because it seemed pretty outrageous, (link) and while it was a discussion in the Senate, in reading the complete bill:
SEC. 59B. TAX ON INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT ACCEPTABLE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE.
`(a) Tax Imposed- In the case of any individual who does not meet the requirements of subsection (d) at any time during the taxable year, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 2.5 percent of the excess of–
`(1) the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year, over
`(2) the amount of gross income specified in section 6012(a)(1) with respect to the taxpayer.
This would technically mean if a person did not pay the required tax, they would be in violation of the law and if it was deemed a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor, the maximum penalty is five years in prison…This does not take affect until 2012, and it hasn’t passed the Senate, but I was surprised it hasn’t gotten more attention since basically those who can’t afford health care would have to pay the additional tax, and paying the additional tax does not pay for health insurance. Which I suppose it could be argued for some, it would be cheaper to pay the 2.5% income tax penalty as opposed to buy health insurance.
Further research is needed as to where that 2.5% penalty would go…
November 8th, 2009 at 3:50 pmDo you all really think this is such a great bill? Unemployed people and other poor people will have a lot of trouble paying for their insurance, no matter what plan they are in. According to Section 224 (p. 11
18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a “qualified plan” covers and how much you’ll be legally required to pay for it.
On Nov. 2, the Congressional Budget Office estimated what the plans will likely cost. An individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300 premium and an estimated $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, for a total of $7,300 a year, which is 17% of his pre-tax income. A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus an estimated $5,300 out-of-pocket, for a $20,300 total, or 20% of its pre-tax income. Individuals and families earning less than these amounts will be eligible for subsidies paid directly to their insurer.
That’s a lot to pay, even for people who are working. This bill is a disaster waiting to happen.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:57 pmI’m so excited, I can’t wait to tell my children how, just like social security and medicare, here is another program they can expect to pay into thier whole lives but can not count on for it to be available for them in their golden years and how they can then burden thier children with the bill but no benefit.
What else can we model after the super successful programs of social security, medicare, and medicaid?
November 9th, 2009 at 8:33 amA Dark day for our country and especially for our children and grandchildren who will have to pay off this debt!
Nancy Pelosi will go down as the worst House Speaker in history!
November 10th, 2009 at 1:40 am