What a travisty. Under a deal with the administration the 40% surtax on high value plans will not go into effect until 2018 for collectively bargained plans. In addition, the limits are initially raised to $8,900 and $24,000.
To pay for this gimmick there is talk of more fees on medical-device makers. The changes reduce the revenue projected by $59 billion over ten years.
In addition, it is being reported that beginning in 2017 unionized workers could buy insurance through the new exhanges, yet another back door entry into centralized health insurance.
We are seeing more and more cost shifting onto the average American with health insurance and more special deals for special interests, interests aligned with the Democratic party.
Will anyone be surprised when health costs are not contained over the next ten years? What we are doing now with all these gimmicks guarantees that the cost of health benefits will keep rising and indeed accelerate.
I suspect the unintended consequences may not be so unintended.
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We are spiraling downward at a very fast pace. Change? This is socialism – no doubt about it. Chipping away at those benefits we worked hard for is destroying the work ethic and morale of America. Our benefits were factored into our Total Compensation with the understanding they would be available when we most needed.
Taxing the rich will only lead them to destroy what is left of our economy by shifting what is left of our manufacturing to foreign countries. Look at our large farms, the auto, steel and aluminum industries and soon the coal and ultimately the generation businesses. We will soon begin to look like third world countries if we do not fix these problems. Retirees like me will have to consider reducing their activity in the volunteer organizations they currently support.
I have written to my congressmen and received the normal placating – non-action statements – we need to vote these long-term legislators out of office and get some new members who can think rather that hold their hand out for more pork.
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