Obamacare, What are your thoughts?

[Festus]

The fact that over 60% of bankruptcies in the US are caused by medical bills tells me that something needs fixed. What is your solution to that?

[Mat]

The fact that over 60% of bankruptcies in the US are caused by medical bills tells me that something needs fixed. What is your solution to that?

There are several options like ensuring less lawsuits and lower doctor insurance payments. Also another thing that could be done is to open up insurance competition across state lines allowing for greater competition. As for bankruptcy one could allow the renegotiation of payment plans extend the time frame and lower the interest rates when people run into that kind of problem. However I do not believe there needs to nor should be a solution that eliminates bankruptcy because of health care.

[Mat]

A new estimate just released by the CBO has revised up the estimated tax on businesses by $4,000,000 and individual increase of $1,000,000 for a total of $5,000,000 of additional costs above and beyond what was already calculated.

[Kaitlin]

A new estimate just released by the CBO has revised up the estimated tax on businesses by $4,000,000 and individual increase of $1,000,000 for a total of $5,000,000 of additional costs above and beyond what was already calculated.

Source?

New analyses from the Congressional Budget Office estimate that the Affordable Care Act will cost $84 billion less than it originally forecast—and repealing the law in its entirety would be more expensive than keeping it in place.

The non-partisan CBO revised its estimate for the cost of "Obamacare" after the June 28 Supreme Court ruling, which largely upheld the Affordable Care Act but said the Medicaid expansion, as designed in the law, was unconstitutional.
...
The CBO predicts 6 million fewer people will be covered by Medicaid than the law originally intended. About 3 million of them will receive subsidies through new insurance exchanges, while another 3 million will go uninsured.
~ http://www.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-c ... ing-study/



I'm not happy about the reason for the reduction rather than increase (the state get out of jail free card) but where did you get your numbers?

Oh and I love this one...Obamacare will reduce the deficit...

The Congressional Budget Office just published a newly updated estimate of the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the budget. The estimate largely tells us what we already knew: The law, when fully implemented, will dramatically reduce the number of Americans without health insurance. It will also reduce the deficit.
~ http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/105327/cb ... e-exchange

[Mat]

Source?

http://washingtonexaminer.com/cbo-to-employers-obamacare-has-4b-more-in-taxes-than-expected/article/2503013

[Kaitlin]

Source?

http://washingtonexaminer.com/cbo-to-employers-obamacare-has-4b-more-in-taxes-than-expected/article/2503013

I'm not finding it in the release of the CBO Analysis today. The author also doesn't even link back to his source or any data from the CBO which is always an issue for me.

Here is something you might find interesting that actually was in the CBO report since you continue to support this cock blocking by the Republicans in the House of any legislation that might benefit the American people other than their quest to repeal the Affordable Health Act.

They also found House Republican’s latest repeal bill would worsen the federal deficit by $109 billion over 10 years. That's an improvement over repeal legislation offered in 2011 that would have added $210 billion to the budget deficit over a decade. Even though insuring more Americans costs money, rolling back President Obama's landmark law would add to the deficit because the legislation includes cost-saving measures, such as a slowdown in the growth of payments to Medicare providers. Republicans did not try to offset the cost of either repeal bill.

~ http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43471

[Mat]

Specifically, we estimate that H.R. 6079 would reduce direct spending by $890 billion and reduce revenues by $1 trillion between 2013 and 2022, thus adding $109 billion to federal budget deficits over that period.

Projections of the budgetary impact of H.R. 6079 are quite uncertain because they are based, in large part, on projections of the effects of the ACA, which are themselves highly uncertain.

Directly from the CBO website

I have no problem with this they predict that direct spending will go down by $890 billion and money going into the gvt would go down by $1 trillion. This is not money wasted by the gvt this is money setting in the hands of taxpayers and that is a good thing. I do agree that they need to account for the $ 109 billion with either cuts to other programs or tax increases or a combination of both. With the impending expiring of the bush era tax cut along with the draw down in two wars I am sure that they could find the money without to much trouble.

That being said all their projections even according to them are highly suspect because they really have no idea what the actual effects of Obamacare will be financially.

[Kaitlin]

That being said all their projections even according to them are highly suspect because they really have no idea what the actual effects of Obamacare will be financially.

I'll keep this to use later. It's amazing how suspect the projections and estimates become when they don't support your point of view or when they show ineffective Republican Representatives who bay and moan about fiscal responsibility really aren't that concerned in their own proposals.

Another sign is the 1.3 Billion and counting they caused with the sham around the Debt Ceiling while threatening to do it once more. Their policies have nothing to do with a balanced budget or a reduced deficit. It is 100% about taking money out of the pockets of middle class Americans and transferring it into the hands of the wealthy.

Hey, thanks Republicans! Your fight last year over raising the debt ceiling didn't just result in the first time in history the nation's credit rating was downgraded. It didn't just hurt the economy or disrupt the economic recovery, halt job growth, and wreck consumer confidence. It also cost taxpayers $1.3 billion and counting, according to the Government Accountability Office.
...
Remember the supposed reason Republicans started this whole fight? The deficit. Saving money for taxpayers. Right. America can't continue to afford this Republican Congress. We need to take it back.
~ http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/2 ... -3-billion

[Mat]

change that to make sure everyone pays and you are correct I want to take money from the middle class the lower class and the rich all of them need to contribute I will not support taking money from only one group any longer be that the rich or the poor.

[Kaitlin]

change that to make sure everyone pays and you are correct I want to take money from the middle class the lower class and the rich all of them need to contribute I will not support taking money from only one group any longer be that the rich or the poor.

Mat a progressive tax code is appropriate in this country. If you gain more utility and use more of this nations resources then you should pay more taxes. Period. Even Republicans don't have a cohesive argument other than the fictional jobs that lower taxes on the wealthy is supposed to produce. The Bush Policies are why this country is in the mess it currently is in and the first step is repealing them. A focus on that instead of Obamacare would be a welcome change. Or maybe a proposal to create jobs.