What are YOU expecting?

[bytor2112]

Mail runs at 11:00!! Excitedly, Bytor dashes to the mailbox and retrieves a large official envelope with the Seal of the President of the United States embossed on the front. He carefully opens the envelope with eager anticipation......what will he find inside? Ooh maybe, it will be a couple of paid in full Blue Cross/ Blue Shield cards and a prescription drug card providing medical coverage and prescription drugs to Bytor and his family....forever. Sweet!! Free Doctor visits and mammograms and free dental check-ups and no more annoying costs for drugs.......right? Is that what we should expect? Is that what we are going to get? If we were going to get this.....how much should we be taxed to pay for it? An extra 2% per person? I would pay that...would you?

Seriously, what are you expecting or hoping for and be specific. As I have stated previously, I am all for reform....just want to know what we get...don't you?

[Palerider]

Originally Posted by bytor2112

Mail runs at 11:00!! Excitedly, Bytor dashes to the mailbox and retrieves a large official envelope with the Seal of the President of the United States embossed on the front. He carefully opens the envelope with eager anticipation......what will he find inside? Ooh maybe, it will be a couple of paid in full Blue Cross/ Blue Shield cards and a prescription drug card providing medical coverage and prescription drugs to Bytor and his family....forever. Sweet!! Free Doctor visits and mammograms and free dental check-ups and no more annoying costs for drugs.......right? Is that what we should expect? Is that what we are going to get? If we were going to get this.....how much should we be taxed to pay for it? An extra 2% per person? I would pay that...would you?

Seriously, what are you expecting or hoping for and be specific. As I have stated previously, I am all for reform....just want to know what we get...don't you?

its a secret...you won't know what you get untill you get it....if its anything like the IRS good luck trying to understand it...but hey...at least its free....

[Just_A_Guy]

I'm expecting to get a lot of pressure to go on whatever low-income program is out there, which I currently avoid as a matter of pride (heaven knows I qualify, with my income).

Once my income raises, I expect to be required to obtain health insurance. I expect to pay a lot more for that health insurance, because the publicly-mandated-privately-administered option will cost at least twice what the private sector currently would charge (I linked to a CBO letter to Senator Reid documenting this earlier; will have to hunt up the link). Private insurers will raise their rates to match the government option, partially because they can and partially because government (as any other big boy in the private sector) will administer consequences to any firm foolish enough to undercut them. And I'll still have to fight tooth and nail to get the plan to cover the health care procedures I actually need.

My insurance won't be qualitatively much better than it was when I was on the low-income option; and if it is it will be deemed a "Cadillac plan" and I'll pay even more for it.

Within fifteen years the system will need a new cash infusion, and as part of that we'll probably wind up with a full-blown public option. And then the feds will seek more openly to manipulate the health insurance market, to the detriment of its competitors.

Oh, and since something like 65% of all consumer bankruptcies are caused by health-care debt, as an attorney I'll see far fewer bankruptcy cases coming my way. (I'm sure work will pick up when the nation itself declares bankruptcy, though. )

[bytor2112]

Oh, and since something like 65% of all consumer bankruptcies are caused by health-care debt, as an attorney I'll see far fewer bankruptcy cases coming my way. (I'm sure work will pick up when the nation itself declares bankruptcy, though. )

On a positive sidenote......well sort of, I read that you do estate planning.....that is about 20% of my practice and will likely be 50% or more after 2010, thanks to the sunset of the Bush tax....more specifically the death tax!

[john doe]

What am I expecting? A lot less than is being promised, with a lot more tax to pay for it.

[Just_A_Guy]

Originally Posted by bytor2112

On a positive sidenote......well sort of, I read that you do estate planning.....that is about 20% of my practice and will likely be 50% or more after 2010, thanks to the sunset of the Bush tax....more specifically the death tax!

From what I've read, most of the estate planning bar seems to think Obama's going to revisit this issue in the next year or so. Things won't be as sweet as they were last year (let alone this year!), but it'll be better than it was before EGTRRA passed.

[bytor2112]

Originally Posted by Just_A_Guy

From what I've read, most of the estate planning bar seems to think Obama's going to revisit this issue in the next year or so. Things won't be as sweet as they were last year (let alone this year!), but it'll be better than it was before EGTRRA passed.

Seems like a hard sell....unless the Republicans take back the House. It will be interesting to see how much cash the government will miss out on during 2010.

[talisyn]

I expect nothing, because those opposing universal healthcare have discovered that a thousand tiny slices can do as much damage as one huge swipe to a bill. I give credit to President Obama, he said he was going to try to get universal healthcare during the campaign and kept his word. But we live in a mortal world with mortal concerns, and fortunately a mortal lifespan.

[boyando]

Originally Posted by Just_A_Guy

Oh, and since something like 65% of all consumer bankruptcies are caused by health-care debt, as an attorney I'll see far fewer bankruptcy cases coming my way. (I'm sure work will pick up when the nation itself declares bankruptcy, though. )

Cheer up Guy. If I could stereotype this latests plan, as I see it, it is very fair. It will increase bankruptcies, but it will increase bankruptcies for everyone. That's fair, isn't it?

[Misshalfway]

What am I expecting?

Congress to keep going round and round and round and round and round........