FACT CHECK: Premiums would rise under Obama plan |
WASHINGTON — Buyers, beware: President Barack Obama says his health care overhaul will lower premiums by double digits, but check the fine print. |
Premiums are likely to keep going up even if the health care bill passes, experts say. If cost controls work as advertised, annual increases would level off with time. But don’t look for a rollback. Instead, the main reason premiums would be more affordable is that new government tax credits would help cover the cost for millions of people. |
“Your employer, it’s estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 percent,” said the president, “which means they could give you a raise.” |
A White House press spokesman later said the president misspoke; he had meant to say annual premiums would drop by $3,000. |
| “There’s no question premiums are still going to keep going up,” said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a research clearinghouse on the health care systemRead more at www.google.com |
After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it.
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Instead, Pelosi (D-Calif.) would rely on a procedural sleight of hand: The House would vote on a more popular package of fixes to the Senate bill; under the House rule for that vote, passage would signify that lawmakers “deem” the health-care bill to be passed.
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“It’s more insider and process-oriented than most people want to know,” the speaker said in a roundtable discussion with bloggers Monday. “But I like it,” she said, “because people don’t have to vote on the Senate bill.”
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Federal Spending: It’s a good thing President Obama isn’t in the private sector. If he was, the budget he just put forward for the next 10 years just might get him indicted for fraud. |
Of all the promises the president made during the 2008 presidential campaign and last year’s budget debates, none rings so hollow now as the pledge of “fiscal responsibility.” |
As a recent nonpartisan analysis by the Congressional Budget Office shows, our current budget path is, to use the euphemism du jour, unsustainable. It will leave a nearly insurmountable mountain of debt and spending to future generations. |
| Last year, debt as a share of GDP — the recognized measure for how indebted a country is — stood at 53%. By 2020, it will be over 90%. |
We are not only stealing money from the pockets of our children and grandchildren. We are impoverishing them as well. |
One of the more amazing aspects of the health-care debate is how steady public opinion has remained. Despite repeated and intense sales efforts by the president and his allies in Congress, most Americans consistently oppose the plan that has become the centerpiece of this legislative season. |
In 15 consecutive Rasmussen Reports polls conducted over the past four months, the percentage of Americans that oppose the plan has stayed between 52% and 58%. The number in favor has held steady between 38% and 44%. |
As a result, 66% of voters believe passage of the president’s plan will lead to higher deficits and 78% say it’s at least somewhat likely to mean higher middle-class taxes. Even within the president’s own political party there are concerns on these fronts. |
That’s a tough sell when the economy is hurting and people want reform to lower the cost of care. It’s also a tough sell for a president who won an election by promising tax cuts for 95% of all Americans. Read more at online.wsj.com |
These elections demonstrate that Iraq is on the right path to peacefully forming a new government and that the Iraqi security forces were successful in controlling violence. Thank you to our men and women in uniform and their families ... more These elections demonstrate that Iraq is on the right path to peacefully forming a new government and that the Iraqi security forces were successful in controlling violence. Thank you to our men and women in uniform and their families for the many sacrifices that made a democratic election in Iraq possible. As our troops continue efforts to help the Iraqis build a more stable country, they will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. URL: online.wsj.com
It’s President Obama and the Democrat leadership in Congress who are “desperate” for this health care takeover, not the American people. Democrats do not have a firm grip on the votes needed to pass sweeping healthcare reform legislation in the House of Representatives, one House leader admitted on Sunday. |
With not a single Republican supporting the reform effort, the only option for Democrats now is to have the House pass the Senate version of the bill, then for both chambers to pass a series of fixes to take into consideration the demands of House lawmakers. |
“The bill has passed the House, the bill has passed the Senate with a super-majority. We have comprehensive legislation for the first time,” Ms Sebelius told ABC on Sunday. “We are in the final chapter, mostly because the American people are desperate.” Read more at www.ft.com |
This bill sets up a private, non-profit insurance agent registration system that will help insurance agents and brokers do business across state lines more efficiently. Not only does this help reduce the regulatory burden on agents, i... moreThis bill sets up a private, non-profit insurance agent registration system that will help insurance agents and brokers do business across state lines more efficiently. Not only does this help reduce the regulatory burden on agents, it also helps consumers by giving them more choices. At its core, this is really a small business bill. I'm glad to see it passed in the House. URL: www.naifa.org
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