Patters

This is a good proposal:

House Dems propose tax on wealthy to fund health care - CNN.com

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday proposed a graduated tax on wealthy Americans to pay for health care reform, several Democratic sources told CNN.

The new tax would apply to individuals who make more than $280,000 a year and married couples who make more than $350,000, the sources said.

Individuals making up to $400,000 and couples making up to $500,000 would be assessed a 1 percent tax on their adjusted gross income, they said. A higher rate would apply to individuals making up to $800,000 and for couples making up to $1 million per year, and an even higher rate would apply to individuals and couples with higher incomes.

BelichickFan

First, before the usual crew calls me selfish AGAIN, I would not be subject to this tax so stuff it.

Moving on.

I still don't see why "wealthy Americans" should pay for the health care of others. The fact that you breath doesn't entitle you to health care.

The numbers are very sketchy to me. It's iffy that the total won't go over $1T. And the "projected savings from health care reforms" of $500B sounds very unreliable.

All this talks about is how to collect $1T, the bigger issue is the plan itself. That's the real sticking point right now.

I have no doubt it could come in a lot lower and cheaper if you eliminated illegals, mandated participation for those who can afford it and gave a bare bones insurance policy to those who really can't afford it - for the big catastrophic stuff not for all the B.S. that a regular run of the mill insurance plan covers that it doesn't need to.

Anyone can just stick it to the rich, there's no thinking there.

Patters

Wealth is not a right, it is a privilege that comes with being part of a nation that does things well. We have a stable government, a trustworthy currency, a functioning economic system, a very good transportation system, an excellent education system, a good degree of personal safety, a strong military, and so on. It costs a lot of money to have those things. But, those things help generate enormous national wealth, so the investment is worth it. The people best positioned to profit off of national health insurance are the well-to-do who have access to superior investment people and who have money to invest.

There is no way for the tax system to be fair in the way you mean, unless everyone paid the same dollar amount, which of course is unworkable. When you look at fairness, you have to look at the whole picture -- all the costs and benefits of our country. And, I think you know that lately my view of taxes is that they are simply a tool for managing our economy. Now is a time to raise, them, but that doesn't mean other economic conditions will require lowering them.

BelichickFan

I have no problem with the rich paying a higher percentage but it should only be for things of national necessity. In my opinion, tooth cleanings, cholesterol drugs and the like don't qualify.

Patters

That gets into a different discussion. Perhaps the companies that market high cholestorol products should pay for the pills? But, also there are a lot of people who require cholestorol medications for reasons other than bad diets. That said, I think our nation is way over the top with prescription drugs, but an effort to change that would be opposition from doctors, pharmaceuticals, and the worried well, among others.

Stokes

The numbers I saw a few days ago were $200K single, $250K married, sorry no link, forgot where I read it. Boston Globe maybe?

So who pays when the system runs into huge cost overruns? Another 1% on the rich?

I think it is important that everyone has the opportunity to have health insurance to allow access to the preventative care that could save money long term, but I would like to see that done within the framework of our current spending. Actually I would LIKE to see the way health care plans work fundamentally changed to more of a catastrophic insurance and tax free savings for health expenses. This would place the onus on the individual to decide if a procedure was frivolous that doesn't exist now. If I've got a sore back and my doc says go get an MRI I'll do it if Blue Cross covers it without bothering to ask if the $2000 MRI is really going to tell me anything worthwhile. It would also generate competition among docs for business that doesn't exist now. I pick my doctor not knowing what he charges, but I'd sure know if I was paying to see him! This all has a roughly 0% chance of happening though so I guess I'll get back to the proposal at hand and say that now is not the time for all these new spending programs! We as a country are doing exactly what we asked the individual to stop doing. We're getting a loan for more house than we can afford by playing games with our credit. Opening a new credit account to buy that new TV then wondering how we're going to make the minimum payment. Frustrating, to me at least.

tanked_as_usual

no......wealth is a right........

you are ever so wrong.........when the wealthy are reduced, where is the money going to come from then?

the wealthy also have the ability to take assets and income and move it offshore......that's what I would do......just because somebody tells me this is the way, doesn't mean I have to agree with it........

fact is, you are promoting the ability for the government to become more wasteful than it has ever been......and that's pretty wasteful

how about turning the screws on the millions of INCREDIBLY lazy moochers in this country? way too many people have made a choice out of being poor

Patters

We have 37 million people living under the poverty line ($13k for a family of 3). The theory is that they end up costing us more because they only go to the doctor when their illness gets out of hand. The hope of national health care is to implement a strong preventative medicine program, which would save a lot of money down the road.

I think health care is a vital part of economic recovery. Capitalism thrives on an economic dynamic and projects like health care and the climate bill will generate it, causing all sorts of shifts of capital and new investments.

Stokes

The idea of national necessity also makes me think of the sad fact that people in this country don't take care of themselves, too much food and not enough exercise, and under these programs were now going to be dealing with providing healthcare for those that don't do the necessary prevention at home. The logical next step is then to try and ban the foods that make the people fat. Give me a choice between "pubic funding for health insurance/banning unhealthy foods" and "private plans with a public backstop for the poor/let me eat my damn cheetos and cake, I keep myself in shape" and I know which I'm taking.

BelichickFan

The vast majority of drugs are unnecessary. That goes for cholesterol, high blood pressure, dry eyes, etc, etc. If you want them buy them. Otherwise go for a mile walk every day (or blink more for dry eye; it works for me, my optometrist prescribed me special eye drops, it's crazy). The last thing we need is more people getting free drugs.