I saw this fellow making his way along the wall while I was working in the garden. My camera isn’t that great on closeups, but I think it’s a baby Micrommata virescens / Green Huntsman Spider. The fellow was much greener than the photo shows, but this was the best image of the lot.
SpiderBug
I thought it was a grasshopper at first with that elongated abdomen and bright green color.
If you’re thinking of not joining the healthcare plan that was just signed, Bloomberg just detailed what the annual fines for 2015-2016 would be.
“Individuals who don’t purchase insurance would be subject to a fine of $325 in 2015 and $695 in 2016. Individuals may be subject to a charge equal to as much as 2.5 percent of their income in 2016, if the total is greater than the flat payment.”
So going with the 2.5 percent of income as the basis of the tax / fine, and looking at salaries right as the $695 minimum kicks in, this is what you will have to pay if you choose not to participate in the healthcare plan and have no insurance at all…
| INCOME | FINE | REMAINING |
| $25,000.00 | $625.00 | $24,375.00 |
| $30,000.00 | $750.00 | $29,250.00 |
| $35,000.00 | $875.00 | $34,125.00 |
| $40,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $39,000.00 |
| $45,000.00 | $1,125.00 | $43,875.00 |
| $50,000.00 | $1,250.00 | $48,750.00 |
| $55,000.00 | $1,375.00 | $53,625.00 |
| $60,000.00 | $1,500.00 | $58,500.00 |
| $65,000.00 | $1,625.00 | $63,375.00 |
| $70,000.00 | $1,750.00 | $68,250.00 |
| $75,000.00 | $1,875.00 | $73,125.00 |
| $80,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $78,000.00 |
| $85,000.00 | $2,125.00 | $82,875.00 |
| $90,000.00 | $2,250.00 | $87,750.00 |
| $95,000.00 | $2,375.00 | $92,625.00 |
| $100,000.00 | $2,500.00 | $97,500.00 |
| $105,000.00 | $2,625.00 | $102,375.00 |
| $110,000.00 | $2,750.00 | $107,250.00 |
| $115,000.00 | $2,875.00 | $112,125.00 |
| $120,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $117,000.00 |
| $125,000.00 | $3,125.00 | $121,875.00 |
| $130,000.00 | $3,250.00 | $126,750.00 |
| $135,000.00 | $3,375.00 | $131,625.00 |
| $140,000.00 | $3,500.00 | $136,500.00 |
| $145,000.00 | $3,625.00 | $141,375.00 |
| $150,000.00 | $3,750.00 | $146,250.00 |
| $155,000.00 | $3,875.00 | $151,125.00 |
| $160,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $156,000.00 |
| $165,000.00 | $4,125.00 | $160,875.00 |
| $170,000.00 | $4,250.00 | $165,750.00 |
| $175,000.00 | $4,375.00 | $170,625.00 |
| $180,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $175,500.00 |
| $185,000.00 | $4,625.00 | $180,375.00 |
| $190,000.00 | $4,750.00 | $185,250.00 |
| $195,000.00 | $4,875.00 | $190,125.00 |
| $200,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $195,000.00 |
| $205,000.00 | $5,125.00 | $199,875.00 |
| $210,000.00 | $5,250.00 | $204,750.00 |
| $215,000.00 | $5,375.00 | $209,625.00 |
| $220,000.00 | $5,500.00 | $214,500.00 |
| $225,000.00 | $5,625.00 | $219,375.00 |
| $230,000.00 | $5,750.00 | $224,250.00 |
| $235,000.00 | $5,875.00 | $229,125.00 |
| $240,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $234,000.00 |
| $245,000.00 | $6,125.00 | $238,875.00 |
| $250,000.00 | $6,250.00 | $243,750.00 |
Ouch.
Here’s the kickoff for the second quarter….
According to an article on REUTERS, “Virginia’s attorney general said he plans to sue the federal government over the healthcare reform legislation, saying Congress lacks authority to force people to buy health insurance.”
Over at CNN, they report 10 other states plan to sue as well. (Florida, Alabama, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.)
The gist of the state’s lawsuits is that the federal government can not force people to buy health insurance and this federal mandate conflicts with some of their pre-existing state laws as well.
Bill McCollum, the Republican attorney general of Florida, said in the CNN article “There’s no way we can do what’s required in this bill and still provide for education, for foster care, for the incarceration of prisoners, all the other things that are in this bill.”
In the same CNN article, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said “the Obama administration expected to win any lawsuits filed against the health care bill.”
Maybe the feds will throw Gonzales v. Raich up as their defense, but they can also just drop the “mandatory” insurance part and tax everyone flat out to sidestep this lawsuit.
I’ll be at the concession stand.
The Reuters story about Virginia is here and the CNN story about the additional states is here.
Just saw this in my inbox…
“President Obama will soon sign comprehensive health care reform into law. Supporters now have a chance to add our names as “Co-signers” of this historic legislation — adding our names next to President Obama’s to show our pride in helping bring about this great achievement. Organizing for America will establish a permanent archive with all the signatures, so that generations to come will have a record of those who stood together in this moment and won this fight for our future.”
The email was sent by “Organizing for America”, which is a project of the Democratic National Committee.
If you like, head over to http://my.barackobama.com/Cosign to sign up. The site will ask you for your first and last name, email address and zip code.
I’m waiting for the “Hey, that’s not what I wanted” site to go up!
There’s a pretty straightforward interactive flowchart on the New York Times website that goes over the changes you can expect from the healthcare system. Just click on whether you are insured or uninsured and then choose from one of the four subsections that follow.
Clicking MORE under the summary takes you down the page to a more detailed explanation of what you can expect.
If your company pays your insurance, “Insurers will have to pay a 40 percent excise tax on high-value group plans – those in which premiums for families are $27,500 or more, for instance – starting in 2014. Experts say the tax will likely be passed on to employees through higher premiums or lower benefits and wages.”
If you pay your own insurance, it’s an even a bigger barrel of fun! “Premiums for individual policies will be 10 to 13 percent higher by 2016 than the average premium that year under current law, according to Congressional estimates. But most people would qualify for subsidies, meaning they might pay less than they do now.”
Less pay and less benefits for everyone! Yay!
Oh, wait… it’s not opposite day anymore. Nuts.
So I’ve been thinking about this healthcare bill… let me rant out loud to make sure I understand some of it.
Premiums will probably rise “only” for those families making over $88k a year. (** I’ll rant more about this part at the end) Everyone making less than $88k a year will be subsidized in different increments from the government, so they won’t have to pay the full amount those making over $88k do.
People who did not have health insurance before will start paying into the system soon, since having health insurance is now mandatory.
The idea is that these new people making new payments will offset the medical costs of those older members who are currently at their insurance limits. And since the new law says there are no limits for these older people, these older people will be treated as long as necessary.
If I understand it right, this sounds like a mix of car insurance and social security. There are going to be so many new people paying into the plan that are not sick and “don’t have wrecks”, that the insurance companies can completely cover those few who are very sick and who have “totaled their cars”. This healthcare plan appears to hinge on everyone not getting catastrophically sick at once and that “new blood” keeps rolling in to pay.
Hence the “mandatory” part of the insurance reform law. Ah-hah!
That alone may explain why there’s no public option and no single payer. The system needs to be self-perpetuating in order to work.
Going over the Reuters points one by one, I thought of a few things as well…
WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT
* “A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.” — So tanning is the new smoking. This initial tax shows that the federal government can (and will) tax anything it thinks is bad for you. That’s going to be a rather slippery slope.
2011
* “Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.” — That sounds like a bribe to me. Don’t pull a Walgreens on us, keep the system alive during it’s infancy, and we’ll cut you in on the action.
* “Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service.” — Those little traveling Volkswagens with doctor’s assistants labels all over them? About to become filthy rich.
* “Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees’ W-2 tax forms.” — The feds have given employers a way to count coverage participation as “bottom-line” compensation, effectively giving employers the option to reduce the overall gross wages they pay their employees.
* “An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share.” — Soooo this is going to motivate pharmaceutical companies how? By enticing them to move offshore? Or artificially keep their market share low to avoid this “fee”? And what is the “fee” exactly?
2012
* “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.” — This sounds bad. The government is going to track who keeps going back to hospitals and for what. In addition, the government is going to fine or tax (financial incentives!) whoever they need to fine or tax in order for these preventable readmissions to stop. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, acid reflux increases in 2 years. If more and more people go to the doctor to treat acid reflux, will the government tax foodstuffs that have high acid content? Maybe I’m misreading it, but that’s what it sounds like!
2013
* “The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income.” — The government expects everything to level out at this point. New payees will have offset the old payees’ claims, so the tax adjustment can kick in right around here. Again, kind of like car insurance. There will be so many people staying healthy that the insurance companies can completely cover those few who are not. And like social security, this assumes the base will continue to expand to support the costs of who came before.
* “A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.” — Ouch! That to me means oxygen tanks, aspirators, standing (or self-propelled) wheelchairs, lifts and transfer devices, airway kits, and defibrillators off the top of my head. Walgreen’s doesn’t carry much in the specialty medical device field! Look out EMTs! So why is the government taxing necessary medical equipment here? And where is that money going to wind up? In the general US fund?
* “Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don’t.” — And here’s the line in the sand. You’re either in or you’re out at this point.
* “Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren’t counted for the fine.” — I predict mass layoffs from small businesses when this comes to pass. “Full time” workers will be dinged down to “part time” to get under this legal barrier. I also predict many small businesses that are just surviving by this point will be pushed under with this enactment. Costs will be passed down to the consumer from medium and big businesses to offset these new increases at this point as well.
* “Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.” — So the government is effectively saying “Great job having so many people guys! Now pay up!” I’m unclear on why this is good and/or necessary? Shouldn’t the government reward the strongest and most accommodating insurance company at this point?
2018
* “An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.” — If you have something nicer than everyone else at this point, you’re going to pay a fine. Period.
So let me summarize my feelings about all this : Barf!
Maybe Obama is banking on this healthcare plan to pull the economy out of the recession / depression (re-pression?). Money has to circulate by law now, legislated out of the hands of those who were saving it or spending it for their own purposes. Once money starts circulating again, the economy may twitch back to life.
I still think this is a crap way to do it. And mandating insurance coverage to self-propagate this system? Enforcing the collection through the IRS? Hell no.
To paraphrase a line from Dennis Miller when he was actually funny, “of course all that is just my opinion, I could be wrong.”
** On a quick side rant, the administration keeps touting that $88k is 4 times the poverty level for a family. So it’s OK to tax the middle class since they’re making 4 times more than the poverty level? Or is $88k for a family now considered upper class? Show me the yachts and two mansions a family of 4 making $88k a year has, and I’ll sell you a bridge in Brooklyn. Cheap! $88k is very middle class IMO.
Every Monday I like to post some music to start the week off on the right foot.
Starting off, The Killers – When You Were Young (in HD!)
…Röyksopp – What Else Is There? (in HD too!)
…and finally, the all time classic, Mahna! Mahna! from the original Muppet Show (480 def.).
Bottom line: Like it or not, you’re going to pay more, either as part of your insurance company’s plan to cover the mandatory changes as outlined by this new healthcare bill, or by way of direct government taxes.
Here’s the breakdown, as copied from REUTERS…
WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT
*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.
*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the “doughnut hole” coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011
*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.
*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees’ W-2 tax forms.
*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012
*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form “accountable care organizations” to improve quality and efficiency of care.
*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013
*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014
*State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
*Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don’t. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
*Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
*Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren’t counted for the fine.
*Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015
*Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2018
*An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions. (Reporting by Donna Smith; Editing by David Alexander and Eric Beech)
And here’s a nice interactive piece to go along with the timeline above. The presentation sums it up pretty well. “All options will cost me more… All I can choose is how my money is taken from my pocket.” (slides 43-45)
Not a joke. Not “fringe” news.
“The health care overhaul will expand IRS authority by giving agents the power to verify acceptable health care coverage and fine or confiscate the tax refunds of Americans without coverage.”
You can read the article at NASDAQ or at the Wall Street Journal.
Change you can believe in go to jail for!
This is not what I voted for.
Normally I only post the “News You Missed” on Saturdays and I’m done until Monday, but since I’ve been going through my stack of magazines tonight (and I have a touch of insomnia), I wanted to post something that really got my attention.
Esquire in March 2010 (yes, I’m a month behind!) had an interview with Tim Pawlenty, the current Governor of Minnesota and potential Republican candidate for 2012.
Seriously? This man gets it.
In the interview, he says…
“…the Republicans had their shot not long ago to address the real needs and concerns of everyday Americans, and they blew it. I think that’s mitigated by the fact that we had a terrorist incident, there is a war, and there was a lot of proper focus on those issues, but over the time that they were there and had the leadership opportunity, they blew it. We got fired for a reason.”
Hmm. That’s a pretty accurate analysis there. He also says…
“…there are a bunch of people who went and voted for Barack Obama who are now concerned that he’s taken the country in a direction that they don’t like. And they’re not necessarily back to supporting Republicans, but they’re available for us to persuade, and that’s a huge opportunity. Our opportunities for 2010 are tremendous.”
…and my “eyebrows over the forehead” moment came when he said…
“Medicare was started a long time ago, and medicine had changed, having gone from clinical practices and hospitalizations to treating more and more conditions with prescription medicines. So it makes sense to extend Medicare benefits to prescription medicines.”
Ho-lee crap. That’s the only health care reform we need! Brilliant!
I have a feeling this man is going to pull an “Obama” on his political party. Right now everyone is focusing on Mitt Romney like the Democrats initially focused on Hillary for 2008. But Pawlenty is the man I would vote for in 2012, especially if Obama continues to bait-and-switch on promises he made during his campaign. (IE: Authorizing ongoing illegal spying on American citizens, continuing the war(s) overseas, not implementing transparency on all government matters, pushing through a mandatory healthcare reform plan where if you don’t accept it you will get fined and possibly put in prison, etc.)
The interview also goes over Pawlenty’s upbringing in a real working class family and also some of his other beliefs on the current state of the union.
You can read the full Esquire interview with Tim Pawlenty here and the “photo” filled version of the interview here.