Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Max Baucus’ Poison Pill Bill

OK, I let it go by in the posting below why I hate Max Baucus’ cynical attempt at producing a bipartisan healthcare reform bill.

Why I want it do die an ignoble death.

It is because, in its present form, it is the most ingenuous attempt at healthcare reform that has ever been offered for consideration. Ingenuous because it is doomed to failure, and everyone knows it.

Why?

The bill has a poison pill.

Max Baucus’ healthcare reform bill has a stinging punishment for those among us who are fortunate enough to be able to afford premium healthcare insurance. From what I can gather, a person who pays insurance premiums over $8000 for singles, and @1,000 for families will have to pay an excise tax to the federal government to the tune of 35%.

That’s right. If you are well off enough to pay over $8000 in healthcare benefits to your insurer, you are taxed at a rate that is on par with the highest federal income tax rate.

This is a deal killer. No health insurance entity would ever support this or want to see it passed. It essentially shuts out their “carriage trade.”

It is, in short, a poison pill.

A poison pill inserted into Max Baucus’ bill that will ensure the failure of it.

A heinous bill offered for the most ingenuous of reasons. Baucus has no use for healthcare reform. His healthcare industry lobbyist friends told him so.

No comments: