Haha you just got taxed! Wait, we ALL just got taxed!

Thats called "wishful thinking" Willard Mitt Robme, trails in most polls, One must obtain at least 40% of the Hispanic vote to win, WIllard is at 22%. Hes down with women, and down with minorities as well. He's losing ground in the Swing States now, Florida, Ohio, and Penn. He had NO response to the policy on Imm, Reform what's so ever, He Rush Limbaugh called him out and said "He's not ready for Prime time.. Don't Willard Mitt Robme remind you of Judge Smails in the movie "CaddyShack"
Judge Smails: It's easy to grin / When your ship comes in / And you've got the stock market beat. / But the man worthwhile, / Is the man who can smile, / When his shorts are too tight in the seat.
[chuckles several times]
Judge Smails: Okay, Pookie. Do the honors

Good luck in your dream world.

eyes wide shut, From what I have been reading, Romney has pulled in 1/2 million in campaign funding since the ruling was released (~3 hours), so your user name might be apt indeed.

Check that. Romney has raised $1 million so far today.

"70% of the country is against it in some form or another." Really? Where do you get this number from? According to Forbes, just over 50% of Americans said they would vote for "Obamacare." Most other polls put the number at almost 50/50 for and against. You should probably check your sources.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/04/24/obamacare-unpopular-but-romney-still-needs-to-watch-his-step/

it's really sad.....most liberals don't pay attention to surveys or polls. They only show up in numbers at the election day. statistically if this was a fair poll the result would be the opposite.

Actually, the poll results here are remarkably similar to the results of the 'insta-poll' that Rep. Lance sent out this afternoon. (At least, they were when I responded to it.) Of course, I do not mean to insinuate that these informal polls are of any real use, since they disproportionately represent people who feel very passionately about a given topic. There are plenty of people who don't care to click on such an article, but who will vote at election time.

Sorry, but the 70% is dead wrong. Unfortunately, Romney and several pundits have been lying through their teeth.

70% Dead wrong? Guess it depends on what ones source of ones information is comes from. Let's even use a Liberal website like MSNBC, it's 32% for, 60% against and 8% undecided. Even the poll on this very page closely represents this, but in the end it does reflect the majority of people do not want it using these 2 random sources (1 benefiting the Liberal cause too).

Actually, that is not true. More people are for the Health Care bill now, than a year ago around this time. Obama is going to get re-elected and he has got his mo-jo back. Basically, I am tired of my hard earned money going to pay for people who don't have insurance, when they go to the emergency room care. We spend so much money on the uninsured, its ridiculous. I say "thank you", to the Supreme Court and President Obama for their great courage. The history books will also not forget the Democrats.

70% of the country is agrees with the holding in some form or another actually. That spells great success for Obama and many Democrats in November. Romney and the other far right republicans will loose and American prosperity will continue to grow beyond March 2013

You have to read farther into the poll, 25% like the Affordable care act and still disagreed with the decision, another 27% didn't think the ACA went far enough. There were a lot of reasons to dislike the "decision."

Dream on. Every poll shows that the same people who say they are against the healthcare law say they are in favor of all of its individual components once it's broken down for them. Who would be against guaranteeing that you can't be turned away for a pre-existing condition? Who would be against being able to keep your kid on your plan? Oh, right, someone who is brainwashed by Fox News, that's who.

Chris, from your mouth to God's ears. We can only hope and pray we get rid of this idiotic thief, who is only destroying our way of life as we knew it.

Your 'facts' are wrong. 68 percent of the Country want some form of national health care. That number changes when you label it 'Obamacare" but when asked about the individual pieces of the Act, the majority of those polled support it. They don't know what the Affordable Healthcare Act is, they have been lied to and assume they are against it. Ignorance and fear, a platform they do not make.

Social security runs a 1% overhead. medicare uses 3% overhead cost. Insurance companies need to pay shareholders and need to deny claims to increase their profit margin. With executive bonuses, labor shareholders etc. etc.. You're looking at , a bare minimum 30% overhead. Please,someone tell me, are you actually arguing that, rather than paying government bureaucrats 3% you would rather trust the insurance bureaucrat and pay 30%. Too much Koch!!! Money .. How dumb can we be? Why are insurance companies involved at all? Pharma money!!! Wake up !,,

This is another example of people using mis-leading statistics. The 70% you quote includes 30% of people who think the Act does not go far enough. The latest surveys are closer to 48% against and 42% for. The tax is for those people who don't carry health insurance and always less than the cost of the most affordable health care policies out there. It amounts to $96 in the first year of implementation. Those being taxed are those that actually cost all of us when they get sick. Their care has to be paid somehow and it is done by raising the rates of all those who do have a health insurance policy. It is not like people have a choice about whether they are going to be sick or not. They will and someone has to pay for their care.
So this is about making those who cost the rest of us get a health insurance plan, pure and simple.

Seniors will definitely get hit since they stole $500 Billion dollars out of Medicare and then said it is broke. Do you Wonder maybe why? This is our money we all pay in every payday. Then many seniors live on their dividends to pay bills; meds, housing, utility etc...now these will be ADDED into your regular INCOME and taxed accordingly on that scale where the NEW INCOME falls plus he wants to fully tax Social SEcurity which was originally set up NEVER to be taxed a penny but is now taxed at 85%. Which is our money we put in every payday.
I'd like to know why so many Canadians come here to be cared for esp. with big operations instead of using their Terrific Universal health care..that we are getting.
And what about the INDEPENDENT PAYMENT ADVISORY Board who is only appointed by the President and only answers to him and not made up of medical personnel?? Who will determine if you as a senior or a VETERAN are worthy enough to get the proper treatment needed.

Chris Antonelli says:

"70% of the country is against it in some form or another. This spells doom for Obama and many Democrats in November. With a Romney win and the Republicans taking the Senate and keeping the House, it will be repealed in its entirety by March 2013."

Indeedy. Just shut your eyes, click your heels, and say, "Oh, I wish, I wish, I wish that I were back in the 1950's again." And maybe, just maybe it'll come true!

Just because he never asks questions, is married to a very active conservative lobbyist and failed to report her income on a legally required disclosure form for several years (without penalty), and managed to belt out a whopping two-page dissent on the Affordable Care Act, doesn't mean you have to be against him.

Well, Roberts was right in that it was a tax though you have to be disgusted w/ the dishonesty of the people who voted for this tax when all along they claimed it wasn't a tax at all.

It is not a tax, it just acts like one. Just like having to pay late fees to a private bank, you can say said penalty is a tax imposed by a private person.

speaking of europe:
switzerland which is extremely liberal is doing great economically.
on the otherhand ireland which is extremely conservative is doing awful economically.

HA HA, most of Europe was taken over by Conservatives in the last 5 years..Hows that working out for them now????

Seriously? How do you compare two European countries such as those 2? One is in the Euro currency and the other isn't. Apples and oranges.

Have you ever been to Europe? Have you actually looked at how people live there as opposed to here? Working people in many European companies have far more protections than they do here and while they may not live in McMansions full of empty rooms, they have protections, generous vacation time, public transit that is clean and runs on time, and a higher life expectancy. If you think Willard Rmoney and Paul Ryan giving you a $1000 coupon to buy a $20,000 health insurance policy is going to better your life, you are in for a rude awakening. If I could relocate to Germany or Switzerland, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

@Europe
Switzerland is not exactly "liberal" compared to the rest of Europe. Compared to the US, sure. But in the area, they have relatively limited government. Of course, they have things like universal healthcare, but they also have a weak federal government, strong gun rights, aren't in the EU and only voted to join the UN recently, low taxes, and it's an ease to do business. Of course, I'm talking conservative in the more economic/libertarian sense of the word, not the raving religious lunatics we have in the US.

The PIIGS countries adopted conservative policies in RESPONSE to a debt crisis that brewed under liberal leadership. Of course, austerity is going to be painful, but if they had kept debt levels under control, it wouldn't have been necessary to undertake such massive cuts all at once.

In Europe the citizens have the basic right to health care services. This law gives one the right/mandate to buy insurance. That is NOT the same thing as health care services.

Have you spoken to a European lately? They think it's civilized not to let people suffer or die for lack of money. I do too.

Europe's healthcare puts ours to shame, I welcome our country learning from Europe about how healthcare should be administered. Insurance works very simply, the more people who are paying for it, the cheaper it gets. It is not a complicated concept. Insurance is not a "product". It is an arrangement to finance services. Geico shows commercials were there are boxes of insurance lined up and being sold by some crazy woman. What insurance have you bought that comes in a 7X7 foot box??? None. They are trying to brainwash people into thinking they are offering you something which only they can. Totally false. SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM WORKS!

@ eyes wide shut, those conservatives are the reason why the economy is tanking and Europe is certainly voting more liberals NOW to clean up the conservatives mess. PS France recently voted a socialist as president and the power seems to be swinging away from the conservatives who champion austerity in America and Europe. Why? Austerity doesn't work. Common sense and balance is being restored finally.

Larry what the American people NEED is to form a PAC and buy a few politicians doesn't matter what party.

@Larry. Umm think about this now.. SCOTUS does NOW receive some form of FREE Socialized meds.. 3 of the Justices are on Medicare/Medicaid. The OTHERS are ALL covered by Government Health care as are ALL of the Sen./Congressmen.. So your point is???

"This is th equivalent of someone who doesn't own a car being forced to buy car insurance because someday they might." Wrong, not the equivilent. You have a human body that gets is subject to various health conditions. Thus you already "own" the car. Everyone will eventually need health care services. Get over it.

@eyes. Umm think about this now. Your incoherence from one post to the next is hysterical. Your reply to Larry doesn't even address his points. The health care plan that congressmen enjoy has nothing to do with Obamacare. So your point is???

Most American's favor the law, 2/3s do not oppose it. Do not lie.

No Larry. It's no different than social security and disability insurance(tax) that we accept and pay all the time and have for over 50 years. For a country Thant landed a man on the moon in 1969 you would think we could devise a way for insurance companies to not be involved at all!! By the way, ask any doctor and they will tell you that we have a severe shortage of doctors. Have you ever heard of neo conservatives? Gullable brainwashed, ignorant..

Larry, you are so right. I think what this country is going to head to is a Revolution... Thats what we need to maybe straighten this country out, to get congress to finally shut up and start paying attention to what the american people want. We are getting sick and tired of the Gov. telling us what we can have or do whether we like it or not. Our fathers and brothers and husbands and grandfathers all fought for freedom and our stupid young people and latinos and african americans vote for someone only because of their color not because they can do the job, in return they are giving our freedoms away each day. This country is headed to something soon.

Go to your town council and voice your opinion. I go to so many meetings in a town of 15,000 people and only 7 people ever come. And we wonder why government is controlled by corporate officials. If the people do not take the responsibility to protect their rights nobody will. Democracy is rule by the people, if the people do not rule, individuals will take government for themselves.

I agree. If it were mandatory for the President and members of Congress to drop what they currently have and participate in this plan then I might change my stand on it. But we all know that it will never happen.

hey irish- take a look at whats happening to ireland that is being led by conservatives, the country is falling apart and the economy is horrible.
meanwhile the "liberals" in switzerland are doing great.

seriously though if you have any relatives in ireland give them a call and ask them how the conservative plan is working for them

@Europe

Just like Democrats excuse Obama's economic blunders by saying, "Bush created the mess", you could easily blame the PIIGS failure on those who began accumulating debt in the first place!

Most Americans do want the law. Read about the commerce clause and congresses taxation powers, they can certainly regulate insurance based on one interpretation or the other. 150 new agencies will determine if you live or die??? What about the 1,500 insurance companies who already decided they will not give insurance to millions of people and will let them die? If the insurance companies did their job, government wouldn't have to step in to make sure children and the elderly will have insurance and healthcare in order that they will not die. The devil is known, it is the greedy insurance company. Do not be afraid of change. Medicare doesn't decide who lives or dies and that is government run, be easy.

Yo Irish!! Reality check... Quit with the hysteria., take a deep breath and leave that fox channel. Might I suggest free speech tv . Everyone should have access to the truth. You, my friend are grossly misled and uninformed.

Wrong on so many counts. The "average person" will not pay higher taxes, only those without health care insurance will pay the penalty. As far as most people not wanting it, that is flatly false. According to the surveys 48% are against and that does not count as "most". Also no agencies to determine if you live or die. That is just absurd. Under the current system the insurance companies decide whether they will cover certain procedures or not. The agencies you talk about actually look at results around the country and promote those that actually work.

Suzanne, this bill will effect you as well as everyone else and we will all pay more in the long run. Jersey you are so wrong, most of the country does NOT want this stupid bill, thats why more than 28 states have opt-ed out of this thing and the state of Florida will NOT sell this to the citizens there as well as Texas and Iowa. These are some areas that your dim wit potus need to take and I don't think they are going to be that dumb to vote for this moron again. I personally know many people that said they will NOT make that mistake again. This insurance will cost us all more than you will ever know, not only in money but in our rights as well. I don't like having to pay taxes just so they can take my money and give it to illegal aliens like this moron. They don't want to become a citizen because then they would have to pay taxes and they get FREE healthcare as well. You want to live and work here then you pay just like the rest of us or GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul,

How did you determine that most of the country does not want "this?" The polls right now show it is 47% for and 47% against. I am just quoting the reputable polls. Not sure how else one would determine this question. As far as the 28 states opting out, this is not even possible. States can opt out of receiving the Medicaid money in order to expand coverage. But doing that is not yet possible. I'll bet you the majority if not 90% of the states will eventually opt to receive this money. Perhaps your 28 states figure comes from the number of states whose Attorney Generals joined the case against Obamacare for the Supreme Court arguments. That does not mean that most of the people in those states are against the law. Bottom line is that like it or not the Federal Government uses tax policy to influence behavior in many ways. Obamacare is just another case of that.

at least now your children can stay on your health plan until they are 26.

But your 3 children can stay on YOUR Ins now for a longer period, can't they?

What is it that you fear?

I have student loans and just graduated. I feel the older generation screwed us by thinking if they take out mortgages they can finance the rest of their lives and the future of America. The older generation is greedy and childish, fearful and ignorant of what is really going on politically. Our generation will have to clean up their mess.

Hey Mitt, you're not kidding about having to clean up the mess. But while you're flitting around here making idiotic comments with your head up your ass doesn't help the point of view you espouse.

We can't vote republican or democrat for sure. Third parties must rise and people have to stop voting based on TV ads. That way the PAC is just a waste of money.

No one is forced to buy health insurance, they are simply assessed a penalty because they cost all of us when they need medical attention. And the penalty is always less than it would cost to buy a health insurance plan.

For now. When 32 million Americans start paying that tax b/c they don't have health insurance, I think they might start voting for people who repeal this law. Tax hikes tend to annoy people.

AMEN

@redrider765 yes, once millions of people realize they have healthcare and won't die prematurely they will run to the ballots and vote for me, Mitt Friggin Romney, to take their healthcare away so I can continue to take $75,000 tax deductions on horse saddles while they are dying of disease which can be treated but cannot be afforded .

And laws created and passed by an ignorant House and Senate, most of whose members have admittedly not read the bill, let alone understand it, are destined to be repealed. The totally totally self-absorbed, unqualified man currently occupying the oval office needs to stop blaming everyone else for problems he has not been able to resolve or problems HE HAS CREATED........ and he then needs to be sent packing in November and get on the back of the long unemployment lines he has created. OH-BLAH-MA - go home......in 3 1/2 short years, you have turned this country into an OBLAHMA-NATION. Wake up people.......too many of you believe Obama is giving you free health care - nothing could be further from the truth.

It starts really low at 1% of income or $95 in 2014. By 2016 for an individual it is $695 or 2.5% of income, whichever is greater. Most of the people who pay the fine will be lower to middle class, many will be self employed, PT workers or do odd jobs. This tax doesn't hit the rich hardly at all.

$695 per person a year, omg that makes the $1,000 a month I am paying now look like pennies. I am totally voting for myself come november.

The comment that the tax is not assessed against the rich if they don't have health insurance is simply wrong. They will pay to and it will eventually amount up to the most affordable insurance plan out there.

Exactly. Let's cut to the chase here. A lot of hard working people aren't afforded the luxury of health insurance. The same hard working people simply can't afford to pay it on their own. So now let's impose a tax, which they probably can't afford, and we'll show 'em! I can't stand people that abuse the system at ll but there are people who legitimately need it and have paid their dues to utilize it when necessary.

Ya taxes were waaaayyyyyyyyyyyy down under Bush huh? How are his tax credits for the wealthy working for ya? Can't wait till Willard Mitt Robme has to disclose his returns...Lets talk then ok??

If you want to live long enough to die of natural causes, you should also vote DemocratIC.

If you like paying way WAY MORE for healthcare, keep voting Republican. Just do a cost benefit analysis and who ever saves you more money vote for them.

Like republicans never raise taxes.

Hmm, the choice is to pay for what you are receiving. For the past 10 years Americans have been undertaxed compared to what they are receiving. They got lower taxes and are going to simply pass the bill to their offspring.

The free-rider problem is a consequence of government policy in the first place for one. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requires hospitals that accept Medicare/Medicaid (i.e. 100% - Because more than half of health expenditures are made through Medicare/caid) to treat anyone, regardless of ability to pay, citizenship status, etc.

Also, the mandate requires you to purchase a comprehensive health plan, not just emergency coverage, so it vastly overshoots the problem.

The biggest problem is not uncompensated care, it's undercompensated care. Hospitals lose money treating Medicare/caid patients, and the costs are passed on to the rest.

As for car insurance:
1. That's run by NJ, not the federal government. As the tenth amendment says, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Some states do not have this policy, some states can expressly ban it in their state Constitution, and some do.

2. You only are required to have liability insurance, which covers damage you do to other people's cars.

3. You have to have this insurance to drive on roads operated by Trenton. You can own a car and drive on private land as much as you'd like without a license or insurance. How practical this is outside of rural areas is questionable, but it's a clear distinction. With this, you are forced to buy a product just for breathing.

you are not compelled to buy a car and drive. it is your choice. that is the difference.

Not everyone needs to drive during their lifetime, but everyone at some point will need healthcare

This is exactly what I don't understand about the conservative argument against Obamacare. The law says that IF you do not have insurance BUT you can afford insurane THAN you pay a tax. In other words, "no handouts." Republicans should be jumping for joy that the President is taking a 'CONSERVATIVE' position on this. It is obvious that the only reason they are against this bill is because it is a victory for Obama. Same attitude they have torward capturing and killing Binladen. Not a big deal right? If it was a Bush accomplishment it'd be a fedaral holiday in the US.

@ridgewoodresident

The free-rider problem is as follows: if you are dying and emergency room has to save your life. Are you saying people should be allowed to die of a fixable injury/disease because they do not have healthcare. If so, please move to a sub-saharan country, you will fit in with many dictators there. In America, we believe people looking after each other.

RIGHT1 One reason health insurance premiums are ever increasing is that WE AREsubsidzing Charity Care. Hospitals, by law, cannot turn away a potential patient!I"m a retiree whp pays a premuim for medical insurance, prescriptions, and Medicare. Tjhat's 3 different premiums for me!Glad that I have it and can afford it!

Well said Art!

I do not believe dependent coverage to age 27 is a good idea. In fact, it is crazy! A 27 year old is an adult and should be on his/her own unless mentally or physically challenged.

South Westfielder, I believe (I'm sure someone will jump right in if I am wrong) the law only says that you 'can' keep your adult children on your insurance until they are 26, not that you must. The parents would have to agree to keep them on and keep paying for their insurance.

I totally agree that they are full adults by that time, and unless they are temporarily unemployed, I would expect my adult child to repay the difference between employee/spouse and family coverage. Of course, that is up to the parent.

I did know people who were working in their adult jobs and even living in different states and their parents were still paying their car insurance for them (until one of them got into an accident), but it went on for years into their 20's!

@South Westfielder: Correct. It's sad to see how many people are reading things into this that do not exist. Relax, take a look at the actual law and then decide if it's right or wrong. BTW: Maybe a good idea to stay away from any right or left leading news outlets while you do that.

@south westfielder

You are dillusional. You do not live in the real world. It is not the 1950s. People like you take free money from banks to pay for homes you should not be buying and spending money you do not have. My generation is screwed because of your generation's greed and ignorance.

Just like all the Dems were calling this an activist Supreme Court because they thought the vote wasn't going to go their way. Really? Both sides hate the Supreme Court unless they vote their way

So we can agree that most politicians are scumbags?

I am more okay w/ the government not requiring hospitals to provide people w/ services who either don't have insurance, don't pay or are not enrolled in a government sponsored plan for the elderly or impoverished.

Redrider, do you have or are you planning to purchase insurance? If not, and you get sick, will you expect the hospital to make an exception for you because you're special?

Or are you on Medicare? If so, then Medicare IS "government health care" -- and it works splendidly.

Concerned about "death panels"? You already have one, it's called an insurance company. If there's a treatment that isn't covered, and you don't have the money on your own to pay for it, well, you'll just have to die.

I don't like the ACA because it keeps the middleman who adds no value but insists on making additional profits and drives up cost. If we had Medicare for All, the risk would be spread around and there would be no middleman between you and your doctor. Have you ever spent time on the phone with an insurance company trying to get a claim paid? They're in the business of denying payment, not making it, because they are for-profit, publicly-held companies.

I have been uninsured, paid out of pocket for insurance and been on an employer sponsored plan. I have never expected anyone to pay my bill, never defaulted on a bill or a debt and never asked for a handout in my life.

I'm more worried about undercompensation by Medicare/Medicaid than uncompensated (free-rider) care, since it is a more common problem.

In fact, it was the government that required hospitals to treat people like him by passing the EMTAL Act.

And the individual mandate not only requires people to pay for emergency care like that, but also to have a comprehensive health plan, so it's a bit overkill.

Hrhpp,
Do not fret, Mayor Bloomberg and others like him will be controlling our menus and the 300 lb man in your example will soon be eating salads and losing weight. To many the government is the answer we all need to limit our freedoms to their liking. I am not a libertarian but we need a sanity check and big changes in washington this November!

Concerned...You speak of "Freedoms". And I guess from your tone that you are a Conservative. What I will never get is how people like you want to have your freedoms no matter how much the rest of us have to pay for them. If you are obese and eating big macs while chugging big gulps, guess what? You are a welfare recipient. Thats right...when the freedom lovers incur extra ambulance pickups, hospital costs, costs related to childcare if they die early and we have to take care of the kids...that is welfare. It is no different than if you stuck your hand out and asked for a check. And you are ok with that?

My Dad died from serving our country. It took years for the Government and VA to own up to the health problems of Agent Orange and exposure to waves from Radar. The diseases killed every man in his company well before their time. They lived just long enough to have families but not long enough to enjoy them. For years we have gotten numerous bills for uncovered health costs. He was denied any decent insurance coverage because getting sick serving your country is a "preexisting condition". It saddens me that he was forced from care because insurance ran out. He was forced to go to a hospital because we were out of choices of places to seek care. Think about what you are saying when you want to close hospitals to those who are sick and not provide any alternative. My Dad was proud and employed his whole life - up to the end when he was sick. I guess we should have a government that will continue to let its people (including those who fought for it) to die because of the worry about profit.

Wayne Parent,
No i am not a conservative in a knee jerk manner. I am independent and voted for Obama last time. When a government takes away or limits personal freedoms it is a slippery slope. Yes obese people cost society $. You logic is alluring. That said an extreme but real example is The Peoples Republic of China which limits couples from having more than one child or they have to pay a large tax. When does the government intervene and infringe on individual rights?

Roger
May i thank you for your Father's service to our country. My sincere sorry for his suffering. My brother was in Vietnam and was with the 101st Airborne. He won a silver star and also suffered as many have from post traumatic stress. The VA is a wonderful agency but they do not recognize all disorders due to bugetary concerns. Well the VA is socialized medicine in its purest form. That said my Dad received excellant care from the the VA. I mean no malice towards the fine people who work at the VA.

Redrider: And if you or one of your children became seriously ill and needed expensive treatment. Do you have ready cash to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for such treatment out of pocket? Can you "pay your bills" if that happens?

Why would I be dumb enough to pay out of pocket when I already pay for insurance? B@B, get a life. Some of us don't expect society to wipe our asses, and pay our bills or subsidize us from the day we are born to the day we die. I happen to be one of those people. I am perfectly capable of paying my bills, arranging my affairs and going out and getting insurance on my own.

Are YOU including yourself when you use the word "trolls"..And i find most of US DO LIVE in the area..

What you need to understand about Patch is that many articles appear on ALL the state Patch sites. So while I come from the Westwood-Hillsdale Patch, because this is a "global" kind of post, it's going to appear on yours too. It's just the way Patch is set up. Go complain to Arianna Huffington if you don't like it, she's in charge.

Montclair Ghoul - If you don't like my fahhhbbbbuuuullluous site you are always free to take your eyeballs elsewhere.

Adding more mandates doesn't control costs. It increases costs. All Obama has done is forced more people to pay those costs.

Jim, Thanks for your viewpoint. It seems that the prevailing idea is that no one in the healthcare industry likes this law at all. It is nice to hear a different view from someone on the 'inside'. Of course, I would also like to hear the opposing viewpoint is from another healthcare professional, if there are any others on here. I keep hearing that doctors and healthcare providers do not like the law and that it will make their job harder/less efficient/genenrally bad, but when pressed to give an example of why this is so, I have not heard a substantive answer.

If we really want to get serious we can tax cigarettes at triple current rate, we can triple alcohol taxes, we can institute a treble tax on fast food and soda pop. There are those who are going to be unhealthy regardless---as they do not want to do that which is necessary to insure some form of health. BMI over 30 and you pay a penalty tax. No more booze or tobacco on Food Stamp Program. You hit your life expectancy and no more medicare quadruple bypasses, lets take a real approach, not some namby pamby Obamacare approach where everyone gets coddled. No sore throats and drippy noses at the E R, send them home.

Well said. I am just amazed at how many people support Romney only to forget heimplemented the same thing in MA, and bark so loudly against this healthcare policy

Everybody dies, you determine largely for how long by your habits. Do you smoke, drink, engage in promiscuous sex, eat large portions of fatty salty meat food washed down with copious quantities of carbonated sugared beverages with double stuffed oreos for dessert , is your sole form of exercise pushing the button on the remote . If so you are a true American and we have health care for you.

That's the problem. Nobody knows that! The bill is so long that nobody has read the entire thing. We need more people to explain what other people have put into this monster.

Real nice Dan calling Supreme Court justices stooges. But god forbid we don't respect the office of the president.
let me be the first to answer the question. Do You Agree with Supreme Court Healthcare Ruling? yes i do. it is a tax!

Tomato, Tomahto I don't care what they call it and as far and the SCOTUS, Thomas should just be flat out impeached, Scalia is just an idealogue with a robe and I still remember Alito shaking his head at the President's condemnation of Citizens United while everything the President said has come to pass already. Alito gives NJ Lawyers a bad name.

Isn't that what almost every non-incumbant candidate for any office does?

Because he did this, MA's health care costs are skyrocketing. Nothing so far has addressed the out of control cost of health care. If we are forced to buy the insurance then the costs should be addressed. There is so much waste and corruption. People generally don't take of themselves and are fat and sick by the ago of 40. If you drink booze, smoke cigarettes or pot or use any illegal drugs, you should get no treatment at all.

Why didn't republicans help write this plan when they had the chance

It was not written by healthcare lobby and CEO influences as the Obama care law was. Mass healthcare law has more effective pricing leverage. Obamacare does not lower costs it just makes everyone buy insurance. This is a simplistic summary but its the center of the differences

you got that right

HRHPPG: On behalf of my fellow “boomers” I apologize for not having conveniently died off prior to retirement age. Just think, by the time you are at that age, (I assume you are not a “boomer”) we will all be gone and you will be free to suck others dry with your medical bills. You wouldn’t have this problem had our parents all been killed in WWII or Korea. We would not even be here and all you would have to concern yourself with would be how to keep out of trouble with the gestapo or KGB because that’s who would be in charge. Medicare has been running for a long time and, even with all the abuses we all know about, has been the only thing keeping many decent people out of poverty. Because of the poor way we care for our Vets, many of them have had to resort to disability and Medicare as well. Guess they too should have shown you consideration of dyeing off. Most of us never went out and bought big SUVs, couldn’t afford them, we were putting the future generation through college. Thanks anyhow for your kind words but remember, this aint “Soylent Green” yet.

When do the death panels start up? I am going to try and get on one to hold the libtards accountable when they most need it.

Who do you think absorbs the cost of those who use the emergency room as their personal physician? I bet you know somebody who buys a new car every 2 years, vacations twice a year, buys the latest cell phone whenever it comes out, gets that new laptop whenever a new model comes around but claims they can't afford health insurance. So they go to the emergency room for whatever ailment they have and tell the billing office they have no insurance and no money to pay the bill. We ALL pay for that visit.

Except now the equivalent is pay $2,000 tax to not have healthcare, pay for your basic stuff out of pocket and if you get really sick, sign up on your way to the hospital.

My family healthcare coverage costs me over $22,000 a year with a $6,000 deductive on top (self employed). So now, all I have to do is pay a small penalty (tax), I pay $6,000 out of pocket anyways and so I can save $14,000 a year. If one of us gets really sick, I can go back to paying $22,000 a year until they are better and then go back to scamming the system.

That was my initial reaction.

Then I remembered that the swing vote in this case was appointed by Bush, and the man the Republicans have nominated is the architect of Obamacare, who said he would be happy if the country adopted his plan.

Can we all imagine if our contributions to SS went into a personal account and the monies were used to buy Treasury Bills! We would all be much better off financially that is for sure! Instead our contributions are comingled with all taxes and we are doled out amounts that are penchants of what our contributions are worth.

Please, if you're going to make a comment like "nearly 50% of Americans dont (sic) pay taxes", at least qualify it properly. That number which is bandied about so freely reflects only Federal income tax, and yes, many Americans are so underpaid that they wind up not having an obligation on that tax. Is that a problem of the tax system or a problem of insufficient employment? Do those same people get to escape property taxes (whether on their own homes or as part of the rent bill)? Do they get to escape sales taxes? Gasoline taxes? FICA? Medicare? The simple fact is, there are vanishingly few people in this country who pay no taxes whatsoever, and there isn't a one of them with whom I'd trade my life.

The percentage who have no federal income tax obligation, by the way, skyrocketed a few years ago, when the economy collapsed around us all. Of course, it had already been pushed lower by the repeated decreases in tax rates. I'm all for paying lower taxes, but was that a brilliant idea when we run deficits year after painful year?

Yeah! Let's all screw America... For America!

Great racist comment

Right! That will fix things! Genius...

Typical liberal observation for a utopian society. Think about it, we need to give politicians the reins to everything, since they come up with the best solutions for ALL Americans. Sure, 2,700 pages for a healthcare law is in everyone’s best interest……….NOT! You liberals have so much faith in politicians….they REALLY know what’s best for ALL people.
Well, now you have your wish; and the Government now comes between you and your doctor. Need a hip replacement…? Not so fast, you need to check with a Government bureaucrat first. Need a heart transplant….approval from a unelected DC panel first!
Your Liberty is being taken away by this president and kooks on the left everyday, and you don’t even know it, nor do you understand the implications. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
No more of the “Greatest Generation” of US citizens; it’s now the dependent generation….this time forever, with more people on the doll than paying taxes.
We celebrate our Independence Day next week; today’s “holiday” is Dependence Day. Hopefully we get a new President and a conservation congress in November, or the USA will become Western Europe…..but then again, that’s what the Progressive Liberal want, because they think capitalism is evil

No not ALL americans, just the ones he wants votes from

@Will: Yeah, well it may not have come to ACA if our elected bozos had decided to actually do something about healthcare instead of just promoting the status quo and letting private business be the death panels and contuning to raise heath care costs purely in the name of profit. Ponder that.

@Will: Why can't the US be great by having compassion and having regulations to keep out of control capitalism in check? It sounds like you envision a return to the early 1900's where economic and educational opportunity were mostly limited to those born into it. This country had it's greatest period of prosperity after WWII when education was made available to all and businesses were offering fair wages to US citizens, not sending jobs overseas for pennies. Taxes are at their lowest point in recent history and companies are making record profits. Why are the job creators not creating jobs? What more will it take? The fact is, without regulation forcing them to do the right things, they will continue to refuse to feed back into the system that got them where they are. They are bleeding the country dry and sending the money overseas. You want to be indignant? Be indignant about that.

You must have been listening to speeches I didn't hear.

You're on to something there.

i'm with you on that one. if you eat your way to diabetes no amount of medical care will help you anyway. shoot your insulin then cram lard on a bun in your mouth everyday, wow what an insane way to live

Very well said

Woohoo! Comes out to $146.25 for me! :-)

And men should pay more then women. :P

And when Barack Obama says "Let's talk about something else now" you have to know you're being fleeced since if anyone ever came in with their own personal agenda, this is the president who's the best example of that ever.

In fact, this was the key difference between Obama and Clinton in the 2008 primaries:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FknJLMc84bo

What a liar.

yes. we should get fee fitness club memberships not this lousy obamacare

You expect the same government that gives billions of dollars in subsidies to the corn and beef industries to suddenly start caring about our health?

Nobody is denied healthcare coverage in this country because of lack of insurance. Just like nobody is denied residency because they are illegal aliens (oh sorry, "UNDOCUMENTED citizens" - I forgot that "illegal aliens" is now a politically incorrect phrase)

Just follow the money - Hospital stocks up 8-9%. Says enough to me.

@Lorri s I believe you are right . They will benefit from the mandate.

@cv: Yes, hospitals will benefit from the mandate. And insurance companies will suffer. I'd much rather see the actual caregiver benefit then the #@%! useless middleman.

I doubt that there is a single person against the concept of healthcare for all. I personally object to government run healthcare. The government has shown itself to be no less inefficient, corrupt, wasteful, unethical — I could go on — than any other entity. Now the government has the power to take your property and imprison you for not complying with this law. Is that civilized? It sounds like tyranny. I will be grateful if it does not come to that, but it seems to be the trend and more possible than ever.

No, quite the opposite, we're taking a giant step backwards to a nanny state, where citizens are more dependent on the Government to care for them and more government regulation. Our country is the envy of the world, due in part, to personal responsibility, rugged individualism and free market capitalism.

@Tom: Good point, and maybe it's far reaching (although not as much as you think) but what is the alternative when corporations only interest is more and more profit? If you think corporations are truly concerned about public health I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

Will...I honestly dont know if you believe what you are saying. The ACA is about personal responsibility. That is why the whole idea of the personal mandate was a conservative construct.

The saddest and funniest part of this debate is that the conservatives won. For my entire life, the conservatives were against freeloaders taking money out of the system. The Heritage Foundation pushed the individual mandate and a rising star in the GOP got it passed in a liberal state. You guys WON. And then...in your crazy Obamaphobia, you all changed the game. Now the GOP is out there looking out for the rights of the freeloader. Ronald Reagan would be embarrassed for todays GOP.

Your mom will still have to pay out of pocket for that doctor's visit b/c of her deductible.

Bravo! Your mother is exactly the type of person the Democrats should be showcasing in the upcoming election campaign.

That's interesting isn't it? The people who argue the hardest against the ACA already have health care, probably for their entire lives.

Bingo, the law is all about bringing more people into the system to pay the costs but does nothing to actually cut costs. Some windbag member of the house was on the news today saying how the ACA would even create more jobs in healthcare. Now how the hell does a law like the ACA create jobs, create more work for people to do and actually cut the cost of care? When you cut costs in a system like our very large health system, you don't create jobs, you in fact eliminate them.

BTW, the reason tort reform was never discussed is b/c trial attorneys have historically been one of the top sources of campaign funds for Democrats. They will never support any of the smart tort reforms like a loser pays the legal bill of the winner that Europe enacted decades ago.

Red, the law WILL create jobs ... government jobs. Isn't that lovely? How can the government simultaneously fight childhood obesity, for example, when it voraciously devours private property and expands itself every day?

Don't forget the lap band and gastric bypass. People can eat themselves to fatdom and get it fixed without diet or exercise.

No offense intended, but you obviously have no clue how gastric bypass or lap band procedures work. Such procedures are tools to assist in weight loss and management. Without changes in diet and exercise, the full benefit of such procedures is never reached. This is why you will often hear of folks losing some amount of weight soon after such procedures, but then their loss suddenly stops or (even worse) they put it right back on.

Fat, sick on welfare and foodstamps. I can get my lipo and lapband for free. I don't have to get up at 5am to go to work, because my check is electronically deposited in my account monthly. I have a discreet little plastic card for the supermarket, coupons are embarrasing. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Yet still, this isn't as big of a problem as undercompensated care, whose costs have multiplied eight-fold from 2000-2008.

@ Jonathan that was point I was trying to make. PREVENTION can save money . Maybe a nutritionist would better suit these people. Yes money is wasted when these surgeries are done and people relapse.

The reason that we have employer-provided health insurance in the first place is that, during WWII, regulators tried to cap wages. Maybe that's why it's so hard to have faith in the government.

Well said Elizabeth. I have never lived there, but work closely with employees in France, UK, Belgium and Itaty. Middle-class taxes are 50-60% of their income to pay for all the entitlements the government provides, and healthcare is substandard.

I've lived in 3 countries abroad. National healthcare is great if you have to go to the Dr. for a cold or a belly ache. They prescribe you some ridiculous holistic medicine and send you to the apothecary for some silly tribal juice. For that, you pay relatively little. God forbid you should need an MRI, knee replacement or cancer treatment. Just look at the statistics. Mortality rates in England and Germany, arguably other first world nations, are MUCH MUCH higher than in the U.S. for eminently curable diseases like Hodgkins and prostate cancer. You'll wait in line for years for a knee replacement and for other surgeries we consider a God-given right. Be really careful what you wish for. Socialized medicine is crap.

Punitive tax? So is the chunk of money that comes out of the premium I pay out of pocket to take care of people who can't afford to take care of themselves. At least it's something, the Republicans have offered this solution: "Keep things the way they are, and oppose anything Obama does, even if it was our idea first." and it's pissing me off.

@Elizabeth I like you understand Europe because I have family living there. Their healthcare is a NIGHTMARE. Yes there are clinics set up for sore throats and minor ailments but people in the United States don't know what happens when you need surgery or God forbid you get cancer. You will die waiting for treatment with the so called universal health care.

Funny that the residents of those "nightmarish" European countries all have better live expectancy than the U.S.! You can spin this as you want - univeral health care is working as it should: it allow people access to medical care, no matter what their income is, allowing them to live longer.

The U.S. is on par with CUBA as far as life expectancy.

But, if you break down the numbers by income classes, then the U.S. is fairing even worse.

The cost to society is enormous - and the U.S. will continue its decline if it doesn't start investing into its people and their health.

What is your definition of "affordable healthcare for everyone"?

The ACA is not universal healthcare last time I checked...

Stew - you are the guy that the politicians love. Nice, affable, fall into line with simple logic. It is quite the opposite - it is UNAFFORDABLE health care. As I outlined above, it is only affordable for those receiving it, because by and large the now uninsured aren't paying for their own health care. You and I are, in the form of a myriad of higher taxes designed to mask the fact that you are paying welfare for someone else. Two portions of your payroll taxes rise, which in effect takes another 2-3% of your paycheck out of your hands. Capital gains taxes, FSA and HSA limitations...all money out of your pocket to pay for someone else. Conceptually, I applaud the safety net that civilized nations have, but do I really have to pay for ALL of the welfare benefits now given out. I mean, most people in Wayne are in the top 10% of wage earners nationally. Did you know that the top 10% are already paying something like 90% of all taxes nationally, and that the bottom 50% pay NO FEDERAL TAX at all? Essentially, every working person, particularly those making above say $60,000 per year, is carrying your own burden as well as one other person's burden on your back. You are working almost entirely for someone else. Obamacare only adds to that exponentially. Please stop being so simplistic. This is what the power structure fees on - most of the public only understands soundbytes and trivial facts. Stew you've been hoodwinked.

The fact that Obama has a different opinion that than the Supreme Court does not make him a liar. Is everyone who disagrees with Roe v Wade a liar???

I'd like to point out that only one justice deemed it a tax, not the entire court. The other 8 justices judged the mandate under the commerce clause, predictably the 4 'liberal' justices saying OK and the 4 'conservative' justices saying no-go. The tie breaker (Roberts) is the only man who judged it to be a tax and wrote it into the opinion.

Right, largest tax increase in American history. It will cost taxpayers $1,500,000,000,000 ($1.5T) over the next 10 years (CBO).

Let me see, we were told by Obama and Nancy Pelosi that there's no tax increase (a lie), it's deficiet neutral (a lie) and you can keep your same insurance (a lie)

I didn't state it was a fact. Had I meant to do so, I would have prefaced my statement by saying it was a fact. It was and remains my opinion that Mitt "doesn't stand a chance when it comes to the EC. He is trailing in just about all of the swing states and has displayed nothing that leads me to beleive he will win enough of these swing states to get to 270. Recent polling clearly shows the President's "Bain" attacks are taking their toll on Mitt in the swing states. The Obama campaign is just beginning their assault. Mitt did great in the primary when none of his opponents could match his ad spending. Now that the playing field is even, he wont be able to stand the competition. Lastly, Mitt is as boring and uninspiring as any modern GOP presidential candidate.

Stewart,

Good point! Here is a fact (take note Hookerman) that proves what you noted above:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/romney-acknowledges-his-healthcare-plan-imposed-a-tax-in-08/

I suggest you take a hard look at the current Electoral College map. Mitt doesn't stand a chance.

If the election was being held next Tuesday, as opposed to the first Tuesday in November, I might be worried. But it isn't, so I'm not.

"I suggest you take a hard look at the current Electoral College map. Mitt doesn't stand a chance."

How do you figure that??? Current electoral maps have Obama solid with 217 electoral votes solid, while Romney has 191. The heavy hitter states up for grabs are OH, PA, VA, NC, and FL, which total 95 votes. Those states alone would put Romney over the top

Warms my heart when people make suggestions that mean nothing.

If Obama thought he could win with the current Electoral College, he wouldn't be trying every underhanded trick in his arsenal to garner the special interest vote.

OH, PA, VA, NC, and FL. Latest Quinnipiac poll has Obama up by 9 in Ohio. Latest Quinnipiac poll has Obama up by 6 in PA. Latest Quinnipiac poll has Obama up by 5 in VA. Latest NBC News/Marist Poll has Obama up by 2 in NC. Latest Quinnipiac poll has Obama up by 4 in FL. Until I see Mitt making a serious move in a combination of these states, I stand by my prediction.

Breaking News - Election is 4+ months away. Polls from the end of June are MEANINGLESS.

How can state polls be "MEANINGLESS", if the campaigns are currently using them to determine where to run ads vs where not to run ads?

Bottom line, I've stated by prediction. Last time around I predicted in November of 2007 Obama would be the next President. Looking at the EC map now, I am just as confident.

Can't wait for Obama to get re-elected! Nice job SCOTUS and Mr. President! Kepp up the good fight KMN, don't let these people get to you.

These "people" never get to me. They are entitled to their opinions...as I am to mine.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, but you didn't state it was an opinion (or a prediction), you stated it as a fact... "Mitt doesn't stand a chance", as in "it's an electoral impossibility for Mitt to win". This, or course, is not true. Single digit leads by one poll doesn't mean much. At this point in the election, it is still either man's game.

You wouldn't be referring to Willard (Mittens) Robme who wears SuperMan underwear would you?

When it was thought that Jimmy Carter was the worst possible, unqualified president we've ever seen, the ignorant masses elect Obama who will now replace Carter as the worst president ever elected. I did not vote for Obama 4 years ago and will not vote for him this time. Romney will get my vote.

The poor will always go to the same place they've always gone to when they need medical attention. The ER.

You do realize, I hope, that you're doing exactly what the corporations and billionaires want -- pointing your fingers at those down the economic ladder while your own financial future disappears at their hands -- so that you don't notice how those same billionaires are trying to snag the last few bucks out of your back pocket while you aren't paying attention, in an attempt to fill the black holes in their souls.

CV, So you claim you pay $800.00 per month ($9600.00 per year) and your employer pays more? Your plan costs over $20,000.00 per year? You don't think healthcare insurance is out of control? What is wrong with you? You really want to leave this system the way it is and let people fend for themselves? The President has given us a chance and you want the Republicans to take it away.

REALLY? At the top of the list? Government = Politicians and that = Politics

These are the same people that are running the country $16 Trillion in Debt. ($5T on Obama's watch). This is certainly NOT in the country's "best interest".
Our Govt. owes trilions more in unfunded mandates (entitlements). We'll end up like Greece. You are exactly the type of voter Obama loves - one who believes that the Govt. has a place in every part of our lives.

Dan, we don't want you people to choose for us, we can do that ourselves we are all not stupid like the democraps think.

"working hard" ? When he's not flying between NY and Hollywood fundraising, he's playing golf....over 100 times since in office! Honestly, it's almost better that he's NOT working and NOT proposing more Keynesian economics (pushing his tax hikes and spending initiatives). The failures of $750B stimulus bill and Solyndra come to mind. So, i shouldn't judge his performance? I think not, and I don't think the country should him for 4 more years of this. What do we get, another 100 rounds of golf!

Will: Were you this outraged when George W. Bush ignored the now-infamous August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing because he was on vacation -- one of his 879 vacation days in eight years. Do you get over 100 days of vacation a year?

Why would you wish that harm on so many Americans. Oh that's right , you are a Republican.

I love the progressive liberal logic here...."i don't understand why people don't want heath insurance for everyone" .....who exactly do you think pays for this and what are impacts of socialized medicine in a free society.
This is the same logic that got us in trouble in 2007 "everyone needs to be a home owner", and the Government compelled banks to lend to people that had no job, no assets or no credit history. And we hear it now, "everyone needs a govt. loan to go to college".

You make it seem like people are dying in the streets with out heathcare insurance. They most certainly are not. This is a very compasionate country, no one is turned away. We admit anyone in to the ER....EVEN ILLEGAL ALIENS! We dont' have a healthcare problem, we have a healthcost problem, and there are many ways to address this prior to creating this monster. (...like allowing Insurance companies to compete across state lines).

Because we have 30 million Americans that are uninsured, less than 10% of our population, and most of them by their own choice, we are creating a massive Govt. entitlement program that will cost this country $1.5T over 10 years; hurt the private sector and small businesses in particular. We are going down the path of a single payer system, and that spells trouble (a'la Greece)
The Govt. has proven itself incapable of running any entitlement program efficiently to budget (Social Security; Medicare; Fannie Mae; Freddie Mac; Dept of Education...etc.)

Dan, why don't you grow up and stop being an idiot, one of you in this country is enough.

What "government healthcare" do you mean, exactly? Aside from Medicare and Medicaid, we haven't got government healthcare and the ACA does not change that. The government's role in this matter consists primarily of making you purchase a healthcare insurance policy from one of the "free market" providers. If the states don't step up to do the job, they may also go ahead and set up exchanges in an effort to make reasonably affordable policies available.

oh!! - unlike states rights fanatics - keep the states rights facists at bay, give me uncle sam anytime (uncle sam = voter rights, civil rights, medicare, social security, education transportation, roads, etc etc, etc.....) pleeease !!!

But the law imposes crippling regulations and taxes on what products and services may be provided and what fees may be charged for them. There is nothing "free market" about this law. It would be naive to think that the deals struck in 2009 to get buy in with insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, etc. will remain as they are. It's the tort industry that should be hamstrung, not healthcare.

yeah, isn't socialized medicine great (aruba=socialized medicine) - wish we had it here

I don't want socialized medicine but we have to figure out how to control costs here. We pay high premiums in my household and we aren't on any medication or sick so who the hell am I paying for . I go to a doctor once a year that justifies 9600.00 per year. I do understand I need it in case I get sick but thats a lot of money for a maybe.

you don't want socialized medicine - but you liked it in aruba (as it is in the rest of the industrialized world) - high insurance costs got you down, embrace ACA and go spend the savings on higher educations (if you can afford that)

if history proves right - they will all be swinging from the lamp posts with all their buddies.

@Perry I just want to stop being robbed by Blue Cross. We live in a country where people sue for every little thing and I do understand doctors have to pay very high malpractice insurance but where does it all end.
@Lorri S you are right on with the inmates and the free health care they commit crimes and get taken care of better than 30 million other law aging Americans.

it ends here and now - ACA brings us in line with the rest of the industrialized world. one small step for you one giant leap for the usa

If that were the case, I would whole heartedly agree with you. The problem is that half the country can't pay the premiums, they will have to pay the tax. Since they would be able to pay thetas, Obamacare has provisions for tax credits! So, not only do you pay your $16K premium, your taxes go to pay everybody else's premiums, too! And to pay for those premiums, your taxes will go up, as well. Still happy about Obamacare?

I just had a marvelous idea to save money. Nobody will be sentenced to a prison term if they have pre-existing conditions.

i agree, your mis-representations are dangerous. if we follow your logic we will continue this dod eat dog path we were on and this county will be left to the dogs. let the koch brothers and the oligarchs pay for the damages they have inflicted and will continue to inflict - democracy now - freedom forever - only path to this is to get rid of the oligarchs not obamacare

If you can't afford the premiums, the government will now subsidize those premiums in the form of tax credits. This is great for the 51% of AMericans who pay mo federal income taxes. For the rest of us, that means I get to pay my premiums, and yours!

i make over $300,000 a year and i pay my taxes with pride. the freedom and access to happiness we enjoyed for many years is worth every penny - let those poor spirited unpatriotic billionaires share with pride instead of buying up our freedoms and happiness and turning us into russia and china

sorry, "100s of millions of dollars we have spent on wars that we not funded" should be "100s of billions of dollars we have spent on wars that we not funded" and add the unfunded tax breaks for corporations, billionaires and the oligarchs

Jim
I hope you are correct, but i have never seen a government program pay for its self. If this Act reduces the cost of healthcare as a percentage of GDP it will be great. I am skeptical at best.

just got off the phone with Bush - he said "boy i screwed you guys" LESS FREEDOM !!! LESS FREEDOM !!!! -
I'LL TAKE MO MONEY - TILL WE FIX WHAT BUSH AND HIS NEOCONS HAVE WROUGHT

You're kidding yourself if you think that right now you have access to the same care as a "high level executive" does here.

"Concerned" - there is no such thing as "in Europe". Each country has a distinct system each one designed differently than the next. Just for THAT reason, your statement "In europe high level executives receive a wonderful benefit..." is outright false.

Per example, in Germany your health insurance is a payroll deduction (as it should be) based on your salarly. However, high-income earners (NO, NOT just executives - I reached that limit at age 24) have the CHOICE to pay a private insurer and opt out of the single payer system.

Of course, the private insurer will base his rates on experience, age, etc - and you can customize your plan in various facets (such as semi-private or private hospital rooms, etc.) Also, you can buy a policy that pays Dr.s higher rates - which often buys you preferential scheduling.

But, as VERY MANY have learned about the tech bubble and the recent unemployment crisis - there comes a point where the private insurance is no longer affordable -- and now former "high income" people are unable to opt back in! So switching to a private insurer is a double-sided sword. Saves tons of money for young people because its not salary based - but as live goes wrong, you can find yourself in deep trouble in later years when you WISHED you could pay based on income!

I question why you blame the government and not the mercenary company. I just spoke with a surgeon friend in Australia. He calls our system third world. I asked how much does health insurance cost there. He said that a comprehensive plan for an adult not in a group pays about $1400. I asked per month? He said no, per year. There are lower cost plans for people that cannot afford that, but any emergency is treated just as quickly. The budget for my town states they pay $40K per year per person, and pay nearly $11K per year for just a prescription drug plan for one councilperson. The reason why costs are so high here is because we let them. They've convinced us to blame the government instead of their greed and that those that already have a lot deserve more and the rest don't even deserve what we already have.

Bellair
Ask your Australian surgeon when was the last time an Australian Pharmaceutical company discovered a new drug that helped man kind? Answer never. Then find a Canadian physician and ask them the same question....answer never. Then ask all the US and European Pharma companies what market are they focused upon to recoup their R&D costs, as we all know it takes 12 years to bring one drug to market and it costs billions to do so, because of safety concerns and the FDA processes. The answeris the USA because we do not have price controls as many other countries have. Also after a drug is dicovered its patent is for 17 years so pharma companies have 5 years to make a profit before the drug is off patent and goes generic. The patent begins at date of discovery not when approved. So lets lower the cost of healthcare like so many countries have done. If we do we risk losing healthcare innovation. Our pharmacuetical companies based in the USA are responsible for most of the world's innovation. USA citizens effectively pay for the world's R&D.

Concerned, do you seriously think there are no inventions or breakthroughs in medicine any place other than the USA? Even giving you that, you think it is alright for us to fund the rest of the world? Do you seriously think those companies will just stop producing because their profits are cut a little? They have you brainwashed into thinking of you take anything away from the rich it will make them lazy, but if you take things from the poor and middle class it makes them work harder. How do you know they wouldn't be spurred to create more if their profits were less because they wanted to make more? Do you now not think that "No matter what the government does. A company will implement a new strategy"?

It may be difficult for you to believe but people in other countries become doctors to help people. Exorbitant profit is not the motivating factor. In your earlier post you said government regulations will make those companies move elsewhere, Then you said that other countries have price controls.......so.....where are these companies going?

Bellair
Thank you for your thoughtful response. No i am not brainwashed, i have deep understanding of the pharma industry due to my livelihood. That said yes all drugs developed flow theubthe USA and the FDA. The FDA inspects all phama plants in every country to ensure they meet GMP standards. So yes companies move operations and they have and will. Ther are no R&D centers in so many socialized healthcare countries. Their profits come for selling to the USA. Now the game changer will be China. Stay tuned!

Well Concerned, I guess you have a vested interest in keeping Americans paying 28.5 times as much as an Australian for their health insurance.

Bellair
I am a year from retirement so i have no vested interest in the pharma industry. I find it sad that countries like Australia are held up as models of low cost healthcare when they contribute zero to finding medicines that prevent and or treat disease. We in the USA are paying for that innovation and the rest of the world are benefiting from the innovation. Its an imbalance that has to be fixed without destroying innovation and new cures for disease.

Susan,

Name a company that built the Interstate Highway System? Name a company that educated millions of vets via the GI Bill? Name a company that took out OBL? Name a company that put a man on the moon and brought him home safely? Name a company that eliminated blatant discrimination in the South? Name a company lifts many seniors and disabled out of poverty?

Really? I wasn't aware astronauts weren't government employees? I didn't know the Special OPS guys who killed OBL weren't government employees? I didn't know social security wasn't run by government employees. I guess I wasn't a government employee when I attended a service academy, nor was I a government employees when my unit and I enforced our drug laws in the Caribbean during my first tour of duty. What was I thinking!

KMN
Government employees are the best. And other than a lack of budgetary focus they engage companies that make drones, rockets, space shuttles and on an on. The private sector enables the government to acheive its stated objectives.

Would the private sector have provided the impetus to pursue the aforementioned objectives on its own? I think not. I seem to recall it was JFK who challenged the nation to put a man on the moon by the end of the 60's decade.

It is more like 70% of households in Montclair don't have children in the schools.

Every time you use a doctor, dentist, mechanic, draftsman, designer or any other professional ask them if they went to public school. That's what you're paying for. A better educated population to serve you. If you have a problem with public education what are you doing to improve it? It's clearly in your own interest.

Someone paid for your education and yet you didn't seem to have a problem with it until you had to pitch in.

Read the SCOTUS decision.

If people don't want to have heathcare and can afford it than they ought to wear a medical alert saying " If you find me sick or injured than leave me where I lay." This law is doing the same thing that Romney signed into law in Mass. It requires personal responsibility at an affordable cost.

Paul,

I don't need to listen to Dems to know the GOP is full of it. I only have to listen to the GOP itself.

Oh, Dan you're so wrong again. I have medicare and I sit and watch my insurance costs go up each year to the point that soon I can no longer afford it. I get about 900. to live on and I have a mortgage to pay yet to, how do you suppose I do that when you people want to continue raising taxes each time one of you farts. Its a known fact, if you want tax breaks hire a Repub, if you want to increase your taxes and costs put a democrap in office. If you want your freedoms and rights taken away, elect a democrap. All this bill is going to do is cost us more and make the insurance companies more money, thats why AARP backed this bill [that and because they were paid over a million dollars for doing so] When people are on fixed incomes they cannot afford higher costs on anything, or maybe you feel like some that we should just DIE then, tell that to your Mom when she gets old. I know you'll be hitting that old age to soon. Just think about it, what bills do we pay and which ones do we say no I'm not going to pay them because I don't have the money. Money only goes so far, you can only pay so much with what you have.

Paul,

I graduated from a military academy and served as a commissioned officer. Your writing skills clearly show you did not. But by all means please continue to entertain us with your profound ignorance.

K, it clearly shows your not worth talking to, a dumb college boy. We used to eat little boys like you for breakfast. Not much better than a shake and bake school, of course you have no idea what that is, so ask a real soldier from VietNam little boy.

I'm sure you use to do a lot of stuff. It's 2012, get a clue!

Romney is against his own health care system now because the forces he is currently pandering to want him to be against it. This is a great indicator of how he will govern if he is president: he will simply do whatever his "base" (the people / corporations giving him the most money) tells him to do. If you want a government of the money, by the money, and for the money then he is your man.

It kills me how the GOP strategy in recent elections has been to paint the Democratic nominee as a "flip-flopper", and now they have chosen to support the biggest flip-flopper we've ever seen. Unbelievable!

What confuses me more is that supporters of this law do not seem to undertsand the difference between the limits of state and federal authority. Whether or not Romney instituted a version of this law in Massachusetts is a nonsequitur. What an individual state chooses to do has almost nothing to do with what the federal government imposes on the individual states, particularly from a Constitutional perspective. The innate problem is that most people have almost no awareness of Constitutional limits on federal power and obtain all of their information from their chosen talking head on MSNBC, most of whom specifically distort information to suit their fanatical views. The Supreme Court just told us that this law exceeded federal power under the Commerce Clause and only upheld it as an indirect tax under the Congressional taxing power. In that the State of Massachusetts has no authority outside it's borders, what Romney did there has absolutely no bearing on this debate.

Sorry Carlos but you're wrong. Yes, if constitutionality and state v federal authority were the only issue you would have a point. However, the repugnicans are crying "socialism", and complaining about the mandate. To these complaints and others, your argument doesn't hold water.

Ahh, Will I so agree with you pal, we are heading down the wrong financial track for the last 4 years with this idiot. They think if we keep spending or increase our spending we will eventually get out of debt. We both know that will never happen, you want to get out of debt you cut back on your expences. If this moron gets re-elected we are in for the biggest financial downfall this country has ever seen since the great depretion, it will change this country for the worse as we have been slowly giving away our rights each day. Whe it is not politically correct to be proud of being an American or you can't sing patriotic songs on the 4th of July because we don't want to affend some people, something is wrong in this country. I fought for FREEDOM along with my brothers in arms and would do so again and I'm DAMN PROUD to be and AMERICAN and don't give a damn who knows it.

Paul, Thanks for your service.
We cannot continue to run +$1 trillion deficits ever year. In addition to the huge debt, we have trillions in unfunded liabilities. If fully implemented, the ACA will bankrupt the country for certain.

Paul struggles with the English language. Paul has typo's ( like we ALL do ) in his posts, but his spelling is HORRIBLE. Content is poor as well. God bless the retired !

Prentiss, the problem is the democraps have so much other stuff tied to this bill, to raise taxes here and there and donate money to some Arizona democrap. How this bill is also tied in with costing employers more money, thats why many employers are dropping healthcare coverage to their employees, they are just giving them a little extra money and telling them to get insurance on your own, this is not right. If you can't afford the insurance or choose not to puchase any you will be fined. With this bill you basically gave away your rights as an American to choose for yourself. With this idiot many people are giving away your rights each and everyday. Thats not what we fought for, it was freedom, now each day we have less and less, where does it stop?

I think there is actually more choice with this bill, the exchanges will provide that. As a survivor of COBRA ($1300 a month, 7 years ago) i would have loved to have more choices. Now if you loose your job your health care doesn't go with it, everyone coming up for retirement should be thrilled, now they don't need that "long term care" add-on. It's built in to the bill.

I'm not bothered by the "It's a tax!" part. I think the advantage here is that there is a plan to pay for this. I just wish congress would have to pass a "War Tax" every time the Marines went in.

One of the selling points for the mandate/tax/penalty was that it would end free riders. But if half the country is exempt from paying federal income tax due to lack of means, how will the federal government charge these people? Doesn't the mandate/tax/penalty especially target young, healthy people who are trying to save to purchase a house or otherwise invest for the future? (But of course, the law also allows children to remain under their parent's coverage to age 26. 26! Hey! Does the law allow the grandchildren to be covered, too? I mean, a lot of 26 year olds have children of their own.) I just don't see how the law ends free ridership or decreases dependency.

@Paul Brown: You are correct....assuming the rants that pass for news for the mouth-breathers and knuckle-draggers from the likes of FAUX news and Redstate are correct. The facts are, though, that undocumented immigrants will NOT be eligible for insurance subsidies and Medicaid, as is the case now. Immigrants LAWFULLY present in the USA are subject to the health insurance mandate and are generally eligible to participate in the high-risk pools and the exchanges.

THINK about it for a moment. Imagine you're an undocumented/illegal immigrant. You don't want to get caught and deported. So what kinds of activities will you avoid? Getting arrested for something is one. Attempting to register to vote is another. And now with Obamacare, one needs to provide citizenship documentation. Of course you don't believe me - click the link below and go to page 273.

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/authorities/title/i-quality-affordable-health-care.pdf

If half the country is exempt from paying federal income tax due to lack of means, how are these people supposed to cough up money for healthcare? Or will the federal government increase their "tax credit" in the amount of the Healthcare tax, er, penalty and call it even?

There are thousands already excused when the bill went thru. the Poor don't have to get insurance, several religions don't have to get insurance. And some will just pay the fine.

If you voted for Kerry you would have access to the same insurance that the Senators and Congressmen do. What I find extremely concerning are all those Senators and Congressmen that are fighting to repeal Obamacare yet are taking advantage of it right now by keeping their adult children insured under their plans. Hypocrites, much?

It's the "holding accountable" part that's the problem. The politicians get elected and vote as they're told to by their party and corporate sponsors.

I don't agree with how Paul presents himself but I find that is almost becoming the norm starting from the Bush era. People are finding it to easy to spew their venium from behind a keyboard and screen and the lack of respect for the highest position one person can hold in this wonderful nation deserves respect. Whether you agree or disagree with the President, he deserves the highest level of respect. Respect is what society is lacking these days.

I agree, TomW. While I did not care for Bush or his policies, I always respected the office of the Presidency. When someone threw a shoe at him, I was ANGRY...as all Americans should have been. I doubt that President Obama would garner that same level of respect.

I could not agree more. Paul's comments are over the top and disrespectful.

While Paul's prose speaks for itself, at least he is man enough to post his name (unlike blog weasels on another local site that stays "anonymous", way to go Paul!). I'm not a fan of the President either but as President the diatribes against him are worse than dubya had to endure. And by the way, most of Obamacare mirrors the Republican counterproposal to Hillary-care almost 2 decades back.

TomW.......I fully agree with your last sentence and that we all should respect the office of the President of the United States. Respect is something that must be earned though. The current president has done nothing to earn my respect. Although I certainly do respect the office, I do not respect the man in this case.

Blah, blah, blah...shut up!

Paul, is it the awful pain you're enduring that makes you post in such a disgraceful manner? I'm really quite embarrassed for you.

Well plenty of employers cut prescription drug benefits for their retirees when Medicare part D came out and we never saw their workers revolt when they realized their retirement benefits were slashed. And this law already has some employers like the AARP cutting health benefits back for all of their employees ahead of that Cadillac Tax on high cost insurance plans. You are incredibly naive if you don't think employers won't cut or eliminate benefits b/c they have done it and they will continue to do it in the future.

Private companies should be allowed to make business decisions in their best interests without coersion from anyone but the free market. If it's legal and cheaper to have employees get government healthcare, why should anyone be called stupid for taking the cheaper option?

JD, all I can say is You poor thing, you should be embarrassed for voting for an imposter, this jerk doesn't belong in wash. anymore than someone like you. He is a disgrace to the human race, and if he gets in again I feel sorry for this country and our rights and freedoms, because this pig has no use for the American flag just like you, or the rights that your father fought for, unless he was a coward like Km. Who is afraid to use his real name.

Paul, you make a lot of assumptions about those with whom you choose to argue, assumptions which are unsupported by anything which has been written here. Then you take it a step further, and instead of arguing the points you begin slinging insults. Is this what your Vietnam experience taught you? Is this what you fought for? Is this something you'll be proud to have your descendants remember you for?

I reiterate: Your posts are disgraceful, insulting, and unbecoming of a man, an American, and particularly a veteran. I find discussions with you unproductive and pointless, so this post marks an end to it for me. I only hope you are in reality a freaky liberal who is doing a really good job of painting conservatives in an ugly, ugly light by posing as one and posting absolute garbage.

The ER will not provide diabetes management. They triage the problem. If it's not serious *and* acute, the person is sent home, to a clinic, etc.

I believe this (universal health care) is a national security issue. The biggest problem if we go single payer ("Medicare for All") is that thousands will be laid off by insurance companies...after their senior management take platinum parachutes, of course. The overhead/administrative cost for private insurance to process things is something like 10 to 15 times that of something like Medicare or the Canadian system of single payer.

The real problem is LV, is with this so called insurance plan, and the tax is going to pay for all these illegal aliens that you talk about. I don't like having to pay for them anymore than anyone else does. When are you going to wake up or are you as blind as the rest of these morons.

@Mike, i know people who never go to the clinic.. wait till it out of control and see the ER...unfortunately its often minorities... i've been in the ER with my daughter and heard a parent in with their kid trying to get a flu shot and checkup... claiming the kid was sick, even though dr. said no it still took time and admin to deal with it.

AHH, you poor thing, this is my name and I don't need someone with the like of idiots to feel sorry for me. Show me someone who is worth my respect and I'll give it to him. This illegal alien pig isn't worth it. He has no respect for this country and it seems you don't either.

LIKE

Wise up little boy, war is hell and if you want to have these people come here and push their rule of law on you then be a coward and sit back and do nothing like you have been. I will not live under any Islamic rule of law in my country, at least I am willing to stand up for what I believe, unlike you cowards. I went through war and saw 7 year old kids blow up our troups first hand. So go ahead and be cowards and wait for them to come or wait for this idiot to turn this country into an islamic country.

How can you say you served this country, when you were just a weekend worrior or sea going belhop. What an idiot, I served this country with 2 tours in Viet Nam, a real war, not a weekend thing. What I went through and what we saw, you haven't got the guts for you baby. You sit here and knock other real veterans who actually fought in a real war. You are a disgrace and not worth talking to anymore. Go back to your little tug boats in the tub.

The problem is, the damage is now done, we can't go back and do it again, I voted for the HERO not the Zero. This jerk was just one big mistake and even if we get rid of him we have alot of work to do now to clean up his messes and I think at a later date the truth about his eligibility will come out and people will find out that we were all right and there was a fraud pulled on this country by the dems, but in the mean time we all have to sufer because of the people who fell for the bull this jerk has been throwing around. I knew from the begining he could not do the job. Many people were dupped by this idiot and voted for him because of a party or because of his color, not a good reason to vote for anyone.

That liberal rag, The Wall Street Journal, analyzed Mittens' tax plan:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/08/01/study-romneys-tax-plan-hits-middle-class/

The Tea Party™ Congress will never, ever negotiate from their positions, whether it's Romney or Obama at 1600.

(The study) "was done by scholars working with the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, including a former Obama administration economist."
Stop making it up as you go along to suit your agenda. The WSJ didn't do the study the blog is just reporting their findings. If an obama administration economist was involved, I challenge their "opinion" since their track record is horrendous and finding fault in Romney would be self serving.

Check the ownership....If Rupert is a what??????......

Sorry lady but I already did, been there done that, thank you. Maybe more people need to stand up and get a pair and be more like the GI Joe you call me, and stop being a bunch of stupid wimps. I have never seen so many COWARDS in this country as I do NOW. Years ago we stood up for what we believed in, I'm sorry but I still DO. I knew that Dumbo/Osama was not going to be able to do the job, but you people thought he was going to be a breath of fresh air, and you got nothing but polution and stupidity coming out of his yap! It seems we are still getting it from you dems. You should go back and crawl into that hole you came from, and stop talking about good law abiding people that want nothing but the best for OUR once great COUNTRY.