Making the Affordable Health Care bill more affordable

Only the federal government, in general, and, Sen. Dodd (D. Ct.), in particular, could try to pull this one off with a straight face.  When Americans gasped at the cost of the “affordable” health care bill (some $1.6 trillion), the administration saw the chances of it passing drop precipitously.  So, Sen. Dodd, and democrats on the Senate health care committee set about to make it, well, more affordable.

Good news… per the Congressional Budget Office, affordable health care now will cost only about $611 billion.  Forgetting, for the moment that we can’t afford that either, you need to know why the new estimate is considerably less…fewer people will be insured under it, and, taxes will be increased.  Now, why didn’t I think of that!

First, the taxes.  Individuals who do not participate in a qualified plan will see a tax of $1000 per year (the tax for families will be even higher); and employers with more than 25 employees who do not insure their employees will pay a tax of $750 per year for each full time employee, and, $375 per year for each part time employee.  Gee, that should help our unemployment rate.

But, here’s the best part…the new plan will only insure about 12 million of the 46 million uninsureds in this country.  What happens to the others, you ask, and what about Debbie, the Obama operative who narrated her plight at Obama’s recent town hall meeting? Her case is a compelling one … but even so, would she even be covered under this plan?

You will be happy to know that those other 34 million people (perhaps including Debbie) will now be covered by Medicaid!  And, what will that cost, you ask?  Well, we don’t know.  But, cynic that I am, I would venture a number close to the $900 plus billion that has been “trimmed” from the health care bill. 

Why don’t we know the cost of that yet, you ask?  Well, it seems that Medicaid is within the province of the Senate finance committee, not the Senate health committee, and the Senate finance committee hasn’t yet written that bill so, the Congressional Budget Office can’t give us a price tag.  (Does anyone else find it ironic that Sen Dodd, in addition to pushing the Affordable Health Care bill, also chairs the Senate finance committee?)

Bottom line…this mess will still cost us $1.6 trillion, only under the “revised” plan, the cost will be shared by two government “pockets”, not just one.  The theft from your pocket in the form of increased taxes, however, will be the same.  And, if my math is correct, it will only cost $5,000 per year per person to cover those 12 million uninsureds.  Now, there’s thrift for you.

How stupid does Sen Dodd think we are?