THE FACTS ABOUT HEALTHCARE REFORM

It is amazing how many of the people who are opposed to the new health care reform law have no idea what is in it.

THESE ARE THE FACTS:

The new law, being national in scope, mainly provides for reform in the individual insurance marketplace. If you are covered under an employer sponsored group plan in NY State you already have most of the protections provided under the new law such as no pre existing conditions etc. The law extends those protections to all American's be they covered under an individual policy or an employer based group policy.

SPECIFICALLY THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE:

• An End To The Exclusion Of Pre-Existing Conditions From Coverage
• Small Business Tax Credits - businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums. 
• Seniors Will Get A Phased In 'Donut Hole' Rebate 
• More Young Adults Covered On Parents' Plans 
• No Lifetime Caps
• New Insurance Plans Must Include Preventative Care 
• The End Of 'Recissions' 

THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE

All coverage will be provided by private insurance companies. Round up the ususal suspects. To be clear, nothing about this plan is government run health care.

HOW IT IS PAID FOR

The current Medicare payroll tax would be applied to investment income, beginning in 2013. A new 3.8 percent tax would be imposed on interest, dividends, capital gains and other investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000.

The new law increases the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9 percentage point to 2.35 percent on wages above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly.

In 2018 a tax would apply to those plans whose annual premiums exceed $10,200 a year for individuals and $27,500 for families.

To sum it up, if you make under $200,000., as an individual or under $250,000. as a family you will not pay one dime extra in taxes for this plan.

The fact that 32 million more people, many of whom are young and healthy, will be required to purchase health insurance thereby greatly spreading the risk, means that over time this plan should slow, not stop, but slow the rate of increase to health insurance premiums.

Furthermore, the independent, non partisan, Congressional Budget Office says that this plan will lower our deficit Click here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/cbo_health-care_reform_bill_cu.html Ezra Klein - CBO: Health-care reform bill cuts deficit by $1.3 trillion over 20 years, covers 95% of Americans.