Scrambling for Votes, Democrats Face Uphill Climb to Pass Healthcare Reform

Those provisions are for businesses with over 50 employees. I was calling small businesses those with less than that.

Provide small employers with no more than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $50,000 that purchase health insurance for employees with a tax credit.

Phase I : For tax years 2010 through 2013, provide a tax credit of up to 35% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium if the employer contributes at least 50% of the total premium cost or 50% of a benchmark premium. The full credit will be available to employers with 10 or fewer employees and average annual wages of less than $25,000. The credit phases-out as firm size and average wage increases. Tax-exempt small businesses meeting these requirements are eligible for tax credits of up to 25% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium.

Phase II : For tax years 2014 and later, for eligible small businesses that purchase coverage through the state Exchange, provide a tax credit of up to 50% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium if the employer contributes at least 50% of the total premium cost. The credit will be available for two years. The full credit will be available to employers with 10 or fewer employees and average annual wages of less than $25,000. The credit phases-out as firm size and average wage increases. Tax-exempt small businesses meeting these requirements are eligible for tax credits of up to 35% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium.

Create a temporary reinsurance program for employers providing health insurance coverage to retirees over age 55 who are not eligible for Medicare. Program will reimburse employers or insurers for 80% of retiree claims between $15,000 and $90,000. Payments from the reinsurance program will be used to lower the costs for enrollees in the employer plan. Appropriate $5 billion to finance the program. (Effective 90 days following enactment through January 1, 2014)


Employer Requirements: Assess employers with more than 50 employees that do not offer coverage and have at least one full-time employee who receives a premium tax credit a fee of $750 per full-time employee. Employers with more than 50 employees that offer coverage but have at least one full-time employee receiving a premium tax credit, will pay the lesser of $3,000 for each employee receiving a premium credit or $750 for each full-time employee. For employers that impose a waiting period before employees can enroll in coverage, require payment of $400 for any full-time employee in a 30-60 day waiting period and $600 for any employee in a 60-90 day waiting period. (Effective January 1, 2014)

Exempt employers with 50 or fewer employees from any of the above penalties.

So employers with less than 50 employees that do offer health coverage will get a huge tax break. But they aren't required to offer coverage at all. Also small businesses will be able to get cheaper pools for employee health coverage should they decide to offer it.

Maybe I should have said mom and pop businesses to avoid the misunderstanding. Those are the businesses that really benefit from this deal.

 

an email from the President this morning --

Mark --

For the first time in our nation's history, Congress has passed comprehensive health care reform. America waited a hundred years and fought for decades to reach this moment. Tonight, thanks to you, we are finally here.

Consider the staggering scope of what you have just accomplished:

Because of you, every American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable health care coverage.

Every American will be covered under the toughest patient protections in history. Arbitrary premium hikes, insurance cancellations, and discrimination against pre-existing conditions will now be gone forever.

And we'll finally start reducing the cost of care -- creating millions of jobs, preventing families and businesses from plunging into bankruptcy, and removing over a trillion dollars of debt from the backs of our children.

But the victory that matters most tonight goes beyond the laws and far past the numbers.

It is the peace of mind enjoyed by every American, no longer one injury or illness away from catastrophe.

It is the workers and entrepreneurs who are now freed to pursue their slice of the American dream without fear of losing coverage or facing a crippling bill.

And it is the immeasurable joy of families in every part of this great nation, living happier, healthier lives together because they can finally receive the vital care they need.

This is what change looks like.

My gratitude tonight is profound. I am thankful for those in past generations whose heroic efforts brought this great goal within reach for our times. I am thankful for the members of Congress whose months of effort and brave votes made it possible to take this final step. But most of all, I am thankful for you.

This day is not the end of this journey. Much hard work remains, and we have a solemn responsibility to do it right. But we can face that work together with the confidence of those who have moved mountains.

Our journey began three years ago, driven by a shared belief that fundamental change is indeed still possible. We have worked hard together every day since to deliver on that belief.

We have shared moments of tremendous hope, and we've faced setbacks and doubt. We have all been forced to ask if our politics had simply become too polarized and too short-sighted to meet the pressing challenges of our time. This struggle became a test of whether the American people could still rally together when the cause was right -- and actually create the change we believe in.

Tonight, thanks to your mighty efforts, the answer is indisputable: Yes we can.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

 

"No illusions please: This bill will not be repealed. Even if Republicans scored a 1994 style landslide in November, how many votes could we muster to re-open the “doughnut hole” and charge seniors more for prescription drugs? How many votes to re-allow insurers to rescind policies when they discover a pre-existing condition? How many votes to banish 25 year olds from their parents’ insurance coverage?

-- David Frum

BTW Jorge, who do you see that candidate being?

 

Wow you're on a first name basis with the Prez!

 

Isn't everybody?

:grin:

 

there's a new FB group for those interested

Help Rush Limbaugh Remember To Leave The Country

 

You actually posted something legitimately funny. Miracles still happen.

 

Except that it was already posted... as the 2nd post in the entire thread.

 

can someone give me a summary of what's going on with this whole bill?

 

That's awesome Basso!...LOLO

 

Yep!

comparing democrats to terrorist suicide bombers

real classy! But that’s what we've come to expect from that side of the aisle.

 

Congratulations! I’m tempted to say welcome to the First World but that sounds a bit too impolite. This fight over universal health care has been very hard for us non-Americans to understand. I get that Mojoman, basso, et al are out for themselves and their friends and couldn’t care less about what’s best for the US or anyone else, but there are so many people who will benefit from this, and the country as a whole will benefit greatly as well, and so few won’t, that it boggles the mind that it’s taken this long to get it done. Canada has had universal healthcare for over 40 years! Anyway, as Craig Ferguson would say, this is a great day for America!, and one that I’m sure will go down as one of the most important days in American history. 30 years after the fact the man who was largely responsible for bringing universal healthcare to Canada was voted the Greatest Canadian in a public contest. That man was Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Douglas

Here's one of his famous speeches.
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too bad mojo posted it last week on the first page of this thread

 

Scoreboard.

 

The lead up to why this silly thing got pushed through can basically be summarised as follows (stolen from Digg - it's a great summation):

Democrats: "We need health care reform"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Give us a majority and we'll do it better"
Democrats: "Done, you have majority of both houses"

12 years later, health care is irrefutably worse in every respect for every single person in the United States

Democrats: "We need health care reform"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Americans are tired of partisan politics!"
Democrats: "OK, let's compromise"
Republicans: "OK, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done. Time to end debate"
Republicans: "Too liberal, we need more debate, we will filibuster to prevent you from voting"
Democrats: "OK, we'll vote--sorry guys, debate is ended. It's time to vote on the bill"
Republicans: "Too liberal, we vote no"
Democrats: "OK, it passed anyway--sorry guys."

One month later

Republicans: "Wait--wait, OK, we have less of a minority now so we can filibuster forever."
Democrats: "Sorry, the bill already passed, we need it to pass the House now"
Republicans: "But we have enough to filibuster"
Democrats: "Sorry, the bill already passed, we need it to pass the House now"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You haven't listened to our ideas! You've shut us out of this whole process!"
Democrats: "Sorry, show us your proposal"
Republicans: "Smaller government"
Democrats: "That's not very specific"
Republicans: "OK, here's our detailed proposal--It's our common-sense ideas we spent 12 years not enacting"
Democrats: "OK, we'll add a bunch more of your ideas"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You included all these back-room deals"
Democrats: "OK, we'll get rid of the back-room deals"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You're using obscure procedural tricks to eliminate the back-room deals!"
Democrats: "No, we're using reconciliation, which both parties have used dozens of times for much larger bills"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You're pressuring Congressmen to vote for your bill! Scandal!"
Democrats: "It's called 'whipping', it's been done since 1789"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Can't you see the American people don't want this?"
Democrats: "This bill is mildly unpopular (40-50%), doing nothing (your proposal) is extraordinarily unpopular (4-6%)"
Republicans: "We need to start over! We need to start over!"
Democrats: "We should really consider voting--"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Start over! Clean slate! Common-sense! America!"
Democrats: "OK, suit yourselves, here it comes"

 

nvm, found it

 

Could the obstruction continue? I don't see why we should expect it to stop.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/senate.health.care.ahead/index.html?hpt=T1

 

The Senate Bill is already law (or will be tomorrow). So really, they will be filibustering the removal of the Nebraska kickback and other unpopular things. That's going to be amusing to watch.

 

Jesse Jackson just called him Borama on MSNBC so i am gonna have to say no.