NFRW Health Care Reform CAP Alert
2009 July 21
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The time has come to take action on the Health Care Reform debate! Now that the health care proposals are starting to be unveiled…
A few things you should know before you call…
There are several bills currently on the table:
On Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted (13-10) and passed a $600 billion version that would expand coverage to almost all Americans by requiring individuals to get insurance and employers to help cover the costs. The Senate Finance Committee is also working to present a version of the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants floor debate, on these bills, to begin by July 20. President Obama and the Democrats are trying to pass the bill by the August congressional break. The House Democrats’ health care proposal was also unveiled last week. Their plan calls for the federal government to be responsible for ensuring that every person (regardless of income or state of their health) has access to an affordable insurance plan. It also calls for a 5.4% tax increase on individuals making more than $1 million and a gradual tax beginning on individuals who make $280,000. Employers who fail to provide health coverage will be faced with a penalty equal to 8% of the worker’s wages, with an exemption for small businesses. Take a look at the Organizational Chart of the House Democrat’s Health Plan to see the web of bureaucracy this proposal creates. How will health care reform be funded? The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report clearly explains the “cost explosion” that would occur under the House Democrats’ proposal. Currently, the federal government cannot afford existing health care commitments. The Democrats have failed to answer how we will fund the additional health care programs implemented under these bills. Read it here.
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