For a year the Democrats pushing the health care bill have been spouting two pages of "talking points" that were designed to get fools to support the bill. Talking points like "It will cover pre-existing conditions" and "it will reduce the deficit". Two pages of benefits out of a 2,733 page bill.
This should not be a party issue. It should be about what is best for the country. And while there are a few good things about this law, the law in general breaks bad for the country. It is the right idea with the wrong approach. It's like finding yourself in the right pew, but in the wrong church. It was designed by partisans, for partisans. It should have been designed by Americans, for Americans. It was not.
First, however, I will address those who claim that there are some nice goodies in the law. I do not dispute that. But I would make two important points:
1) Goodies are NOT FREE. They cost money. And ALL the money the government spends comes from taxpayers (you)
2) You can cover a poison pill with ice cream, cherries and chocolate sauce, but it will still kill you
Now that the health care bill has become law, we can now see what is in the other 2,731 pages, and you are not going to like it! This new law will do ALL of the following, guaranteed!
1) Raise health care costs
2) Raise insurance premiums
3) Cost America a million jobs
4) Reduce R&D for new medical technology, thereby reducing quality of care
5) Reduce access to care
For over a year Republicans tried to warn us that such things were in the bill, and for a year the Democrats in Congress - and Obama himself - kept saying, "No, those things are not in the bill." And now that it is law and we can see for ourselves, we discover the Republicans were right - they ARE in this law, and the Democrats have been intentionally lying to us for over a year.
Here are just a few of the dirty little secrets the Democrats in Congress - and Obama - intentionally kept from you. Bear in mind, this is not a complete list of the devastation to be wreaked upon you - this is just the first few that have been found. And this is why the bill was crafted behind closed doors, and not made available until 3 days before being voted on. How many people can read - and understand - 2,733 pages of legaleze and political gobbledegook in three days? I'm pretty smart and well educated, and I was not able to do it in 3 days.
Let's start with the Democrats strongest selling point - children with pre-existing conditions will be covered beginning immediately. Well, that is not true. According to the actual bill, there is a clause that specifically states that benefit does not begin until 2014. I believe Congress now plans on passing a law that changes that (because they got caught in their lie), but the point is that their biggest selling point was a lie, and they knew it.
The law includes the CLASS Act, which states the government, beginning in January 2012 will begin an AUTOMATIC deduction from every paycheck, forever. That deduction from your income is expected to be between $149-$240 per month. Bear in mind, this is in addition to the money you will be forced to pay for insurance.
The law requires every medical record be made electronic, and in 2014 will be posted ONLINE, where virtually anyone will be able to access it (though perhaps only by hacking, or by getting the info from the hundreds of thousands who will have legal access). If you or your child has any embarrassing or detrimental condition, prospective employers can use that info to deny a job. Insurance companies will increase your premiums. Your medical records can come back to haunt you in many aspects of your life. Bear in mind - those records will include your DNA, so the government will be able to track all generations of your family, forever. And since no government lasts forever, whose hands would that information end up in?
Companies across America, having now read the bill, have discovered the law will rob them of millions of dollars in extra taxes. Caterpillar will lose $100 million the first year alone. AT&T a billion. 3M will lose 90 million. Now I ask you - what do companies do when they lose large amounts of money? They do one or more of the following:
1) Send jobs overseas so they can compete
2) Move their entire operation overseas
3) Increase the cost of their products - the prices YOU pay will go up
4) Lay off workers
5) Reduce R&D for new and better products you will now never get
When the losses nationwide are combined, it is estimated to cost businesses - and therefore the people - over a trillion dollars.
The clause that brings on these losses is the one that says companies who provide RETIREES with health benefits will no longer be able to deduct that expense on their taxes. So, the choice is to either drop all the retirees (not a good option), or find ways (see above) to offset the added expenses.
There is a new, high tax being applied to companies that manufacture the medical devices we need. Naturally, in the very least that will result in higher prices for medical devices. How does this REDUCE medical costs? One company, the maker of defibrilators, operating and employing people in Massachussets is a company named ZOLL. Last year its profits were about $9 million. The health care bill just passed will tax them 7.5 million of that. Guess what? They will either have to jack up costs considerably (higher health care costs), or go out of business (lost jobs) or move overseas (lost jobs). I would like to know how this benefits anyone at all. And if that tax prevents companies from developing new and better products, the health care law will then be responsible for lives lost for want of better devices.
This health care law will pay the states increased costs for medicare for two years. But after that, the states will be on the hook for picking up those additional Medicare costs - many millions of dollars. This will bankrupt many states, already in trouble. States will then be FORCED to increase the taxes for its residents - YOU.
OK, so now you have the privilege of being forced to buy insurance PLUS lose $50 per week to the CLASS act PLUS lose jobs PLUS pay higher costs for care (not to mention that all accountants now indicate insurance premiums will rise 13-17% EXTRA because of this law), but you will also get hit with higher state taxes in a couple of years. I sure hope you folks can afford all that.
Oh, but there is more....
Kids will have to get their student loans from the government, at higher interest rates which will be used to pay for health care. And there is a provision in the law that concerns - and even allows for the government to mandate - preventive care. Under that clause, the government may, at their discretion, begin to force people into a healthy lifestyle. They can eliminate salt from your diet. Tobacco? Gone. Alcohol? Say good-bye to your martinis. Eliminate any foods they think are unhealthy, like soda and chips. Force you to exercise a certain amount each week. While the law does not YET mandate such things, it does open the door by granting the government the right to enforce preventive care.
Well, folks, this is only the beginning. I'm sure we will find a lot more as we peruse through this monstrosity of 2.733 pages. Stay tuned for updates on how badly we have all been screwed.
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