Taxing Health Benefits

Wasn't this something Obama railed against during the campaign when John McCain said something like this? Only McCain was going to give a tax credit when you bought your own.......don't see no tax credit here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52255S20090303?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

Scooby01_98 wrote:Wasn't this something Obama railed against during the campaign when John McCain said something like this? Only McCain was going to give a tax credit when you bought your own.......don't see no tax credit here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52255S20090303?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

Max Baucus IS NOT Barack Obama.

Next!

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:Wasn't this something Obama railed against during the campaign when John McCain said something like this? Only McCain was going to give a tax credit when you bought your own.......don't see no tax credit here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52255S20090303?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

Max Baucus IS NOT Barack Obama.

Next!

, no he is not, but...

"I think that tax provision should be on the table," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who will play a major role in writing the legislation to revamp the U.S. healthcare system as promised by President Barack Obama.

LTRT wrote:

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:Wasn't this something Obama railed against during the campaign when John McCain said something like this? Only McCain was going to give a tax credit when you bought your own.......don't see no tax credit here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52255S20090303?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

Max Baucus IS NOT Barack Obama.

Next!

, no he is not, but...

"I think that tax provision should be on the table," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who will play a major role in writing the legislation to revamp the U.S. healthcare system as promised by President Barack Obama.

I guess my first glance at that comment, coming from a politician, means that he supports it. I don't see how the thing will pass unless congress votes it in. If Obama veto's THEN we'll have a hot issue.

Wow, is it just me or does it seem like there is a barrage of media reports putting the cart before the horse?

At the same time Evan Bayh-D votes against the Omnibus... anything can happen!

I very strongly oppose this... There's a huge revenue stream to be gained by ending the war, and I think I would be more inclined to see that sort of change before someone begins taxing my already exorbitant health benefits.

I dunno... I guess it strikes me as cowardly... if you need more money, have the pills to raise income taxes...

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:Wasn't this something Obama railed against during the campaign when John McCain said something like this? Only McCain was going to give a tax credit when you bought your own.......don't see no tax credit here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52255S20090303?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

Max Baucus IS NOT Barack Obama.

Next!

Same party. Committee chairman.

And I only have to go back to Obama's statement on I want a stimulus bill with no earmarks sent to me. And he signs one with earmarks.

Scooby01_98 wrote:

....
And I only have to go back to Obama's statement on I want a stimulus bill with no earmarks sent to me. And he signs one with earmarks.

I'm confused... the article i read stated that the earmarked bill was actually business that had begin last term, and that the earmarks remained such that they could get the bill through and fund the agencies etc... two other bills he has signed have been earmark free... So while I agree that he's violated his promise here, I also have to realize that you need to pick your battles... I woulda done the same thing.

baucus and grassley worked together on the schip that was passed. so they feel they are special and nobody should get in their way. they are working on THEIR OWN healthcare plan to be presented to the admin this summer. i doubt they are working on something that can be used in tandem with the nationalized plan that obama and the dems will insist on.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/grassley-warns-reid-not-to-interfere-on-health-care-bill.php

Grassley Warns Reid Not to 'Interfere' on Health Care

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) is vowing a rapid push on health reform this year, telling reporters yesterday that he would introduce a bipartisan health bill by June alongside Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA), the Finance panel's senior Republican.

Baucus and Grassley are known for working closely together, particularly on the 2007 reauthorization of the children's health insurance program (CHIP), which didn't make Grassley's fellow GOPers too happy (though the Iowan ultimately opposed the CHIP re-up that President Obama signed this year).

So Grassley enters the health care debate with a good deal of power -- and he's using it to warn Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to stay out of his and Baucus' way. When Grassley was asked this morning whether Baucus "answer[s] to" Reid on health care, he replied: I don't think so. I don't think Harry Reid is going to [inject] himself into it. I haven't had any evidence of that at this point. And, of course, you know I'm very concerned about it ... the extent to which [Reid] would interfere, it might be the extent to which ... we'd not have a bipartisan bill.
...

If [Baucus] is trying to get a bill with 80 votes, you know, and if it does -- and it's a good product, I don't see any need for Reid to interfere.

is this what is being referred to?

http://mediamatters.org/items/200810280006

Obama has proposed raising taxes only on individuals earning more than $200,000 per year and families earning more than $250,000 per year. According to estimates by the TPC, 1.9 percent of tax filers declaring small-business income in 2009 will be in the top two income-tax brackets -- which currently includes all individuals earning more than $160,850 and all families earning more than $195,850. Bloomberg and the Globe also did not mention that Obama has proposed tax cuts for small businesses, including the "Obama Small Business Health Tax Credit," a "refundable credit of up to 50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees."

Regarding Obama's health care plan, during the October 15 presidential debate, after McCain stated, "Now, Senator Obama, I'd like -- still like to know what that fine is going to be" on small businesses who do not provide health insurance to their employees, Obama responded, "Zero, because as I said in our last debate and I'll repeat, John, I exempt small businesses from the requirement for large businesses that can afford to provide health care to their employees, but are not doing it."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118623.php

Under his proposal, McCain would replace a tax break for employees who receive health insurance from employers with a refundable tax credit for families to purchase private coverage. According to the Morning News, the proposal seeks to "give those without company-provided health insurance the same tax advantages as those with coverage through work" and "encourage individuals to shop for less expensive insurance" to reduce costs.

Critics of the McCain proposal have raised concerns that the "amount of the tax credit will not be enough to purchase comprehensive coverage," the Morning News reports. John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis and a health care policy adviser to McCain, said that the campaign sought to make the amount of the tax credits less than the amount currently spent on employer-sponsored health insurance to encourage individuals and companies to purchase less expensive coverage. In an e-mail, Goodman wrote that the tax credits "would not subsidize bells and whistles (marriage counseling, acupuncture, etc.) as the current system does."

In addition, critics "question whether individuals -- especially those with chronic or pre-existing medical conditions -- would be able to find health plans they could afford." McCain has said that the proposal includes working with states to create a federally supported plan to help individuals who cannot obtain private coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions or no previous group coverage.

Meanwhile, some employers have raised concerns that the proposal would "encourage young and healthy workers to forgo company coverage, purchasing insurance on their own rather than paying income taxes on the benefit," a trend that "would leave employers with only the costly sick workers to insure" and "could eventually lead to the death of company-provided health plans," according to the Morning News. Andrew Webber, president and CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health, said, "If health benefits became taxable income, yes, I do think that more people would opt out"