Ed has a great synopsis of this article featured in The Hill. The Democrats tripped and SCHIP slipped from the radar yesterday. Instead of talking about healthcare, they talked about war taxes and Rush!
Ed:
Obey blew their singular focus on SCHIP in any case. He reminded people that the Democrats have offered little on how to win in Iraq or on terror and have focused mainly on running away. He also embarrassed Pelosi and Reid by reminding voters that the first refuge of progressives are tax increases. They may not have minded the effort later in the session, but with their focus on using the “poor sick kids” meme, they don’t want to start reminding people of the costs they’re adding to the already-bankrupt entitlement structure of the federal government — nor of the startling regressive tax scheme that funds this expansion.
It doesn’t take a 12-year-old to understand that Democrats want to hide their tax increases, not broadcast them across the nation.
From the Baltimore Sun comes a bit of background on who the Democrats chose to put up as an example:
The Frost family has a combined annual income of about $45,000, said Bonnie Frost. She and her husband have priced private health insurance, but they say it would cost them more per month than their mortgage – about $1,200 a month. Neither parent has health insurance through work.
Got that?
“There should never be a moment when you have to ask, ‘Do you have health insurance?’” said Halsey Frost, who along with his wife is an advocate for a national health care plan that would cover everyone, no matter the age or income bracket
Actually, there is a time when you ask that Halsey…call me crazy, but I would make sure I had insurance to cover the birth of the four kids. I would make sure that I had insurance to cover their on-going medical needs. I would make sure that I had a comprehensive automobile insurance policy to cover any unforseen accidents!
more at memeorandum
I could give people a few hints on how to keep their health insurance costs to a minimum, but they won’t listen. Here’s a way to drastically decrease your health insurance expenses for the year.
1: figure out exactly how much you actually use your insurance. I hardly ever go to the doctor so my medical expenses are pretty low and limited to dental and optical care. Why would it make sense for me to buy a policy with a $250 deductible?
2: Find out how much the difference between your current deductible and a $2000 deductible policy would cost. If you have a $250 deductible policy, the difference is probably close to $3000. Those premiums are not money that you can use for anything if you don’t exceed your deductible and you’re still going to have to pay your deductible. There is a better way. Under federal law, you can set up what is called a Medical Flexible spending account out of pretax dollars and have it withheld from your pay the same as if you were paying premiums. As long as you use it for medical related expenses by the end of December, that money remains yours tax free. If you fail to use it, it goes to the government.
Let me explain the beauty of this plan.
If your current premium is $1000/ month with a $250 deductible, but it would be only $700/month with a $2000 deductible and an accident rider (Accident riders are REALLY CHEAP and cover your deductible and copay in case of an accident), you would save $300/month. If you place $200 of that $300 in a flexible spending account, you will have $2400 to pay towards your deductible, or enough to pay your deductible while still saving $1200/ year in premiums. IF you don’t use it all, whatever you have left you can use for any medical related expense during the month of December. Want to join a health club? Do it in December and submit the receipt for reimbursement. Need a new crown or a root canal? Submit the receipt for reimbursement. Want Lasik surgery your insurance doesn’t cover? Submit the receipt for reimbursement. As long as the expense is reasonably health related, the insurance company has to reimburse you because its YOUR MONEY! Some doctors will even handle submitting the Flexible spending account forms themselves so you won’t even have to pay up front. There are also flexible spending accounts available for child care and elder care. Flexible spending accounts allow people to set aside before tax dollars for expenses that would otherwise be deductible.
FAO, are you talking the Sect. 125 flex plans? I have one at work. This is the first year that I actually got through September with some money in the account.
Probably.
You might have only gotten to the end of September with money in the account, but you used the money to pay your deductibles and copays that would’ve come out of your after tax dollars otherwise. It saves you money all the way around.