Obama Health

My plan begins by covering every American.

Great!

How will it work?

"If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums. That will be less.

Cover everyone.

Lower premiums.

Who doesn't want that?

No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness.

A few states already offer that. It is called guaranteed issue.

For those playing along at home, those are also the states where premiums are 2x - 3x higher than in neighboring states where medical underwriting is allowed.

If you cannot afford this insurance, you will receive a subsidy to pay for it.

A subsidy? You mean like farmers who are paid a subsidy for their crops?

Where does this subsidy come from?

Lemme guess. The taxpayers?

Lower premiums, but higher taxes.

Is anyone else making this connection or am I all alone?

If you need to see a doctor, you will not have to wait in long lines for one.

More people (actually, everyone) covered yet no lines.

To help pay for this, we will ask all but the smallest businesses who don't make a meaningful contribution today to the health coverage of their employees to do so by supporting this new plan.

Ask.

Does that mean they can opt out if they choose?

And where does the small business money come from?

Can you say higher prices to the consumer for their goods & services?


And we will allow the temporary Bush tax cut for the wealthiest Americans to expire

Tax the rich. Class warfare.

But Mr. Obama, how will you offset the lost tax revenue when you increase taxes on the rich?

You see, when the tax cuts went into effect total tax revenues actually INCREASED. Historically when taxes are cut, total revenue increases. When tax rates are increased, total tax revenues DECLINE.

the second part of my health care plan includes five, long-overdue steps we will take to bring down costs and bring our health care system into the 21st century – steps that will save each American family up to $2500 on their premiums.

That's a big savings.

How will this happen?

First, we will reduce costs for business and their workers by picking up the tab for some of the most expensive illnesses and conditions

Who is "we"?

Right now, two out of every ten patients account for more than eighty percent of all health care costs. These are patients with serious illnesses like cancer or heart disease who require the most expensive surgeries and treatments. Insurance companies end up spending a lion's share of their expenses on these patients, and not surprisingly, they pass those expenses on to the rest of us in the form of higher premiums. Under my proposal, the federal government will pay for part of these catastrophic cases, which means that your premiums will go down. "

So the government will be a reinsurer.

The government has no money, so the taxpayers are once more called upon to dig deeper in their pockets. But wait, it is only the rich.

Uh-huh.

I believe.