Health Care Bill Fact of the Day: Creating Another Federal ‘Czar’

By: Jeff Emanuel (Diary)  |  August 14th at 07:00 AM  | 

The “Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” the House health overhaul bill, creates the position of Health Choices Commissioner, or “Insurance Czar.” The Insurance Czar would be appointed by the President to oversee the Health Choices Administration. This would be the 33rd federal ‘czar’ appointed by President Obama since his January 20, 2009 inauguration. The appointee would be responsible for establishing and regulating geographically-based Health | Read More »

Health Care Bill Fact of the Day: Creating the Highest Federal Tax Rates in 20 Years

By: Jeff Emanuel (Diary)  |  August 13th at 07:00 AM  | 

The “Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009″ imposes a “surtax,” or income tax increase, on all Americans making $280,000 a year or more. Under the bill, those making $280,000 ($350,000 for couples) will have their taxes increased by 1 percentage point, those making $400,000 ($500,000 for couples) by 1.5 percentage points, and those making more than $800,000 ($1 million for couples) by 5.4 percentage points. | Read More »

Health Care Bill Fact of the Day: Billions in Pork Barrel Spending for ‘Community Transformation’ and ‘Beautification’

By: Jeff Emanuel (Diary)  |  August 12th at 07:00 AM  | 

Under the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s “Affordable Health Choices Act,” local governments can apply for “community transformation” grants to build jungle gyms, sidewalks, bicycle paths, and grocery stores, to install streetlights, and to establish new farmers’ markets. The dollar amount of these grants, and of the total “community transformation” earmark program, is left to the discretion of the Obama administration. Cities can | Read More »

Health Care Bill Fact of the Day: Providing Businesses With an Incentive to End Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

By: Jeff Emanuel (Diary)  |  August 11th at 10:30 AM  | 

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s “Affordable Health Choices Act” contains an “employer mandate,” or a legal requirement that all American businesses with 25 or more employees offer health insurance to their workers. The penalty for failing to comply with this mandate to offer employees health insurance is a $750 fine per full time worker per year. In 2008, employer-provided insurance policies averaged | Read More »

Health Care Bill Fact of the Day: ‘You Can Keep Your Health Plan,’ But Once You Change it, the Government is Your Only Option

By: Jeff Emanuel (Diary)  |  August 10th at 07:00 AM  | 

House Resolution 3200, the “Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” fulfills President Barack Obama’s promise that “If you like your health plan, you can keep it” – technically. Under the Democrat-sponsored bill, existing insurance policies are “grandfathered” into the new, overhauled national health care system, meaning that you have the option to keep your health coverage plan and provider even if they don’t conform to | Read More »