H.R. 3590 HarryCare/PelosiCare/ObamaCare…It’s All a Socialist Trainwreck

The bottom line of this latest offering from the Dems: Tax increases, higher premiums, Medicare cuts, punitive action against unwilling dissenters, and the same government-controlled health care “option”.

Specifics from H.R. 3590:
Forced purchase of government health care.

Subtitle F—Shared Responsibility for Health Care
PART I—INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
SEC. 1501. REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM ESSENTIAL COVERAGE.
21 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings:
23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The individual responsibility requirement provided for in this section (in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘requirement’’) is commercial and economic in nature, and substantially affects interstate commerce, as a result of the effects described in paragraph (2).
(2) EFFECTS ON THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AND
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.—The effects described in this paragraph are the following:
(A) The requirement regulates activity that is commercial and economic in nature: economic and financial decisions about how and when health care is paid for, and when health insurance is purchased.
……C) The requirement, together with the other provisions of this Act, will add millions of new consumers to the health insurance market, increasing the supply of, and demand for, health care services. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the requirement will increase the number and share of Americans who are insured.
……(G) Under sections 2704 and 2705 of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 1201 of this Act), if there were no requirement, many individuals would wait to purchase health insurance until they needed care. By significantly increasing health insurance coverage, the requirement, together with the other provisions of this Act, will minimize this adverse selection and broaden the health insurance risk pool to include healthy individuals, which will lower health insurance premiums. The requirement is essential to creating effective health insurance markets in which improved health insurance products that are guaranteed issue and do not exclude coverage of pre-existing conditions can be sold.

Translation:  This government-run program is being forced on you.  It will add millions of dependents to the health care system without a choice of when, where, or from whom to purchase a plan. It’s gonna be a boon for the government, a bust for the American taxpaying consumer.  If you think it will lower the premiums as claimed in the bill,  I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale….cheap.

And ta daaaaa! Here’s the part that tells you about the punishment for non-compliance to Big Brother.

CHAPTER 48—MAINTENANCE OF MINIMUM ESSENTIAL COVERAGE
Sec. 5000A. REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM ESSENTIAL COVERAGE.
(a) REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM ESSENTIAL COVERAGE.—An applicable individual shall for each
24 month beginning after 2013 ensure that the individual, and any dependent of the individual who is an applicable individual, is covered under minimum essential coverage for such month.
(b) SHARED RESPONSIBILITY PAYMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If an applicable individual fails to meet the requirement of subsection (a) for 1 or more months during any calendar year beginning after 2013, then, except as provided in subsection (d), there is hereby imposed a penalty with respect to the individual in the amount determined under subsection (c).
(2) INCLUSION WITH RETURN.—Any penalty imposed by this section with respect to any month shall be included with a taxpayer’s return under chapter 1 for the taxable year which includes such month.
(3) PAYMENT OF PENALTY.—If an individual with respect to whom a penalty is imposed by this section for any month—
(A) is a dependent (as defined in section 152) of another taxpayer for the other taxpayer’s taxable year including such month, such other taxpayer shall be liable for such penalty,
(B) files a joint return for the taxable year including such month, such individual and the spouse of such individual shall be jointly liable for such penalty.
(c) AMOUNT OF PENALTY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The penalty determined under this subsection for any month with respect to any individual is an amount equal to 1⁄12 of the applicable dollar amount for the calendar year.

And how do they plan on paying for all this? Why, with our taxes of course. To the tune of billions, starting with excise taxes and annual fees.

TITLE IX—REVENUE PROVISIONS
Subtitle A—Revenue Offset Provisions
SEC. 9001. EXCISE TAX ON HIGH COST EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTH COVERAGE.
Sec. 9004. Increase in additional tax on distributions from HSAs and Archer MSAs not used for qualified medical expenses.
Sec. 9008. Imposition of annual fee on branded prescription pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers.
Sec. 9009. Imposition of annual fee on medical device manufacturers and importers.
Sec. 9010. Imposition of annual fee on health insurance providers.
Sec. 9012. Elimination of deduction for expenses allocable to Medicare Part D
Sec. 9015. Additional hospital insurance tax on high-income taxpayers.
Sec. 9017. Excise tax on elective cosmetic medical procedures.
http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/patient-protection-affordable-care-act.pdf

The new bill will have an initial cost of $849 billion, which doesn’t include all of the tax increases they have is store.

The Budget Committee estimates a $2.5 trillion cost over 10 years. The CBO says taxes will go up $493.6 billion, while Medicare will be cut $464.6 billion.

All revenue figures are revenues raised over the ten-year period 2010-2019:

1. 40% excise tax on health coverage in excess of $8,500 (individuals) / $23,000 (families).  Amounts are indexed for inflation by CPI-U + 1% – begins in 2013 – $149 B tax increase
2. Additional 0.5% Medicare (Hospital Insurance) tax on wages in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers) – begins in 2013 – $54 B tax increase
3. Impose annual fee on manufacturers and importers of branded drugs – begins in 2010 – $22 B tax increase
4. Impose annual fee on manufacturers and importers of certain medical devices – begins in 2010 – $19 B tax increase
5. Impose annual fee on manufacturers and importers of certain medical devices – begins in 2010 – $60 B tax increase
6. Cut in half (to $500K) the amount of an executive’s compensation that a health plan can deduct from its corporate income taxes – begins in 2013 – $600 million tax increase
7. Impose 5% excise tax on cosmetic surgery and similar procedures – begins for surgery in 2010 – $6 B tax increase!

In total the bill would raise taxes by $370 B over ten years.

http://keithhennessey.com/2009/11/18/reid-tax-increases/

More sources: http://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=3635
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/11/reids_2074page_health_care_bil_1.asp

And we have to give credit to Obama’s Flying Monkeys; the SEIU, for their role in this:

From 2000 to current, SEIU has spent at least $187,500,000 through combined lobbying, PAC and 527s group donations and expenses on candidates and policy issues – nearly 100% of which went to Democrats and to liberal policy initiatives.  Much has been focused on influencing universal health care, as well as other indirectly related health legislation, such as public nutrition, food safety, research, and environmental health – all part of SEIU’s supposed plan for Building a New American Health Care System. Because, in their words, they “will not stop until every man, woman and child has quality, affordable care they can count on.”

So really…why is SEIU so invested in health care?

Because health care is the lifeblood of SEIU.  In January of 2007, SEIU announced it would combine over 30 of its local unions to form a National Health Care Division.  Years of organizing independent workers, such as home child care and foster care providers, home health aides, and nutritionists had led SEIU to discover untapped potential in what it deemed “health care workers”.  With three divisions – Health Care, Public Services and Property Services – SEIU’s members are nurses, dieticians, lab techs, nursing home & home care workers, and child care providers. Others are janitors, cafeteria workers, and other service workers in state/public facilities like hospitals, schools and stadiums.  SEIU has made health a key driver to creating these jobs.  And they know the best way to protect their lifeblood is to entrench themselves into the legislative / policy-making process on a more permanent level.  While two million members in SEIU is impressive, apparently they don’t feel it’s enough to build an empire.
http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/16/seiu-building-a-new-american-health-care-empire/

Andrew Stern, head of the SEIU has been putting in some overtime at the White House.
Gee, I wonder what he and B. Hussein talked about.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14297329/White-House-Visitors-List

Food for thought by an internet commenter:

This year, over $600 million has been spent by the healthcare industry lobbying Congress for what they want. Think of the people who needed their claims to be paid instead of being denied, that this money could have helped.
— Vincent Caputo