Michael R-4 asked:


The plan is NOT biased toward the poor or the working class.

The Obama administration’s push for health care “reform” has exposed the class realities that dominate American politics and the social interests which Obama defends.

Under Obama, the issue of health care reform has been shifted from providing decent medical care for all to slashing the cost of health care to businesses and the government, primarily by cutting costs for Medicare and fundamentally changing the nature of the Medicare program.

Depending on his audience, Obama at times seeks to conceal the reactionary essence of his proposal by presenting it as a plan to provide health insurance to the uninsured. But even if his plan were enacted in full, it would still leave an estimated 18 million Americans without any form of health coverage.

In a blitz of interviews Monday and Tuesday, Obama refused to endorse a provision of a House version of his health care plan that would impose a small tax surcharge on the rich. Under the House plan, individuals making more than $280,000 a year or families earning more than $350,000—about 1.2 percent of US households—would be required to pay the surtax. For a family making $500,000, the surtax would amount to about $1,500.

The tax surcharge provision was included in a bill passed by a House committee last week, and within days the head of the Congressional Budget Office issued a highly critical report declaring that Obama’s reforms would not slow the rise in health care costs and suggesting a tax on employee health benefits.

This sequence of events was not accidental. The media, speaking for the ruling class, has been overtly hostile to the tax surcharge, complaining that the provision would unduly penalize the rich.

For their part, the Republicans oppose any expansion of government-backed health insurance, and are calling for even more draconian cuts in existing programs.

There was a time when Social Security and Medicare were considered the “third rail” of American politics. “Third rail” refers to the electrified rail on subway train tracks, the implication being that if you proposed cuts in Social Security or Medicare, you were, politically speaking, a dead man.

More: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jul2009/pers-j22.shtml
Yes, he favors the rich, despite the rightwing claims that he’s a socialist. In fact, the latter provide cover for him as he hands trillions to the corporate oligarchy by calling him a socialist. If the rightwing media were not unconscious, I would venture to say it’s a deliberate conspiracy to cover up the real fact about Obama’s class bias–in favor of the rich.

Callie

Thelastninja asked:


but you will still have to pay for his health insurance plan through taxation as well. in effect if you want to keep your doctor or health insurance you will have to pay twice. this only benefits those who can afford it, meaning it is only benefiting the rich. i thought obama was supposed to help the poor first off, and why does he want to subject those who dont want his health care plan to paying for those that do? if his plan is so great, why doesnt he just allow those who wish to contribute to it to do so, to pool their money together and use it to pay for medicare care of those participating in the program? certainly forcing his one vision of what is best on 350 million americans is not the best plan for every individual.
Big daddy- yes you are right, and i am against all those things. I think all schools should be private. Im a libertarian.
Big daddy- I feel that if the federal government is prosecuting bernie madoff for a ponzii scam they should all be prosecuted for the biggest ponzii scam in history, social security.
joel- even if he did only increase income taxes on those making over 250,000 a year, a tax on any of us is a tax on all of us. If those individuals own businesses that sell things to consumers, they will increase the prices to make up for their increased taxes. If those people donated to charity ever year, their donations to the charity would likely be reduced by the amount that they were taxed. Not to mention that it is an increase in the size and scope of government, and even if Barack doesn’t tax the people you feel shouldnt be taxed, the next president is likely to, as it will need to paid for and the president will not always tax the people you think he should tax. there are always unintended consequences to government coercion.
deb m- two wrongs dont make a right, i do not support my tax payer money going to fund hospitals. so it helps poor people if they have to pay twice to keep the doctor of their choice? you have some strange ideas. i already addressed the issue of taxes before.
ash- we dont live in a free market capitalist society. the federal government created the federal reserve in 1913 which prints money backed by nothing, devaluing our dollar and causing untold economic turmoil. if the local state and federal government did not take close to 50% of our income everyone would better be able to afford schooling, health care, anything they want really. and the federal governments direct involvement in the health care system in america in the 1960s with medicare and the other entitlement programs that followed reduced the supply of doctors while increasing the demand for them, causing prices to go up. the governments intervention in our lives has caused many of th eproblems we are experiencing now. just because the news says it is free market doesnt mean its true. free market means no government involvement, not massive government involvement, and then saying they need more government to fix the problems government caused in the first place.
its important to remember ash that government cannot command resources that dont exist. anything a government can do, a private company or individual could also do, although they would have to do it without stealing peoples tax money, meaning there would need to be a demand for whatever it is they were doing.
ash- i believe far too many people get too much formal education. there are many ways to make money, to live, and enjoy life in this world without going to school.
ash- would i rather have a private protection service and have to pay for it… yes i would. and you act as if you dont have to pay for the government service, haha. i have to pay for the government service, whether i want to or not, they take it from me. at least a private agency would be motivated by profit, so if they did a poor job they would go out of business, government on the other hand can always confiscate more taxes. you never addressed my point about how government says this is an optional health care plan, yet you are forced to pay for it.
ash- i fail to see how you think its bad to give a private company some power to do voluntary transactions with individuals, but it is ok for one government to have all the power and force everyone under its system, whether they like it or not? the system we have now sounds a lot more like warlordism to me than having people pay private companies for protection. the best course of protection i can take is to lock my doors at night, keep a gun, have a dog, etc. its not to call the cops while im being robbed. by the time they get there i will be dead.
its seems to me ash, as if you like to blame the government for your problems and wait for them to change society so you can get ahead or alleviate your problems, while i instead look for direct alternatives and solutions to get what i want. its a heck of a lot easier for one person to find what they want then convincing 150 million people to agree with him.

Allison

Mark G asked:


I am unemployed and getting killed with my COBRA payments, where I can’t afford anything afterwards. I have been trying to find an alternate insurance plan, where I can still go to my doctors and save some money. I came across Family Health Resources, it sounds good, but I want to make sure they are legit.

Brandi

a n asked:


A friend of mine is being receiving bills from a collection agency for the past hospital visits because of his deactivated health insurance. Information on the circumstances which might arise is expected.

Jimena

Jessica V asked:


Ok so Im pregnant with no health insurance and I have already tried DHS and my husband and I make to much money to qualify for state aid..I have tried many individual plans and of course pregnancy is a pre-existing condition….can anybody help me! im seriosly thinking about quitting my job so that the state will help me! its awful i dont care if i have to pay a premium but i cant even find a plan that will let me do that! I live in Oklahoma by the way….anybody have any suggestions….please im so frustrated!

Mayra

John S asked:


We had a baby 3 months ago, but I am looking for health insurance that is good and affordable for my wife. Any suggestions?

Mercedes

wooper asked:


I know COBRA is available for many, but it is very expensive to keep up and runs only for a limited period. Questions like this have been asked before and those against governement supported health care just accused those who didn’t have health insurance as lazy losers. But with the economy crashing, the scenario has changed. If you aren’t employed anymore and have no income and little savings, what are you doing for health insurance?
TAT…I left my job and my COBRA payment was $1,200 a month for me and my family. When you are unemployed, that is a LOT of money and not “reasonable” as you describe it. Many don’t have enough money for rent and food, much less that kind of money.

Mckenna

Agila asked:


Hi, I am planning to bring my husb and kid on visit visa. I heard that the health insurance is mandatory for visit visa. Where (or how) to get (or how to apply) this health insurance for vist visa. Please advice. Thanks.

Tanya

Neo asked:


I am traveling to France soon and the Sheghen visa requires me to produce the follow: “A letter from your insurance company (+ 1 copy) stating that you will be covered for any medical expenses, hospitalization and repatriation for at least $45,000 during your stay in Europe.” The insurance available on the internet looks fake. Does anyone know any genuine website/ company to get a short stay health insurance from?
Thanks.

Chelsea