President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
"To build a future of quality health care, we must trust patients and doctors to make medical decisions and empower them with better information and better options. We share a common goal: making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. The best way to achieve that goal is by expanding consumer choice, not government control. So I have proposed ending the bias in the tax code against those who do not get their health insurance through their employer. This one reform would put private coverage within reach for millions, and I call on the Congress to pass it this year.
The Congress must also expand health savings accounts, create Association Health Plans for small businesses, promote health information technology, and confront the epidemic of junk medical lawsuits. With all these steps, we will help ensure that decisions about your medical care are made in the privacy of your doctor's office -- not in the halls of Congress."
-- President George W. Bush
January 28, 2008
Empowering Americans With Affordable Options For Health Care
President Bush Calls On Congress To Pass Standard Deduction For Health Insurance, Lays Out Key Elements Of Agenda To Empower Consumers And Make Basic Private Health Insurance More Affordable
On January 28, 2008, during his State of the Union address, President Bush called on Congress to eliminate the unfair bias in the tax code against those who do not get their health insurance from their employer. This would make basic private health insurance more affordable for millions and give patients more choices and control over their health care. Instead of favoring Americans who get health insurance through their jobs, the President has proposed reforming the tax code with a standard deduction for every American who buys health insurance, whether they get it through their jobs or on their own.
President Bush Has A Strong Agenda To Expand Access To Affordable Health Care And Empower Consumers To Receive Treatment That Best Meets Their Needs
The President believes the Federal government can help make health care more accessible and affordable, while leaving medical decisions in the hands of patients and the doctors that treat them. The President believes as many Americans as possible should have private health care coverage, which is better for consumers because it offers choice, flexibility, and increased quality of care through competition. His health care agenda will help more Americans receive the health care they need at a price they can afford, while empowering consumers to make their own decisions to best meet their health needs.
The President reformed Medicare to add a prescription drug benefit and give beneficiaries more private plan choices. These programs have been a great success for our Nation's Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicare prescription drug benefit is now in its third year of operation and more than 32 million beneficiaries, including nearly 10 million low-income beneficiaries, now have coverage in a standalone drug plan, through a Medicare Advantage drug plan, or through their employer retiree plans. Thirty-nine million, or close to 90 percent of eligible beneficiaries, now have creditable drug coverage through Part D or another source, and the estimated costs of this program to taxpayers have declined about 38 percent since enactment. Nearly nine million beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage and receive their comprehensive Medicare benefits through a private plan option.
The President has proposed expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). In 2003, President Bush signed into law HSAs to allow people to save money for health care tax-free, and to take these accounts with them as they move from job to job. These portable accounts are affordable for individuals and small businesses, and they offer consumers greater ownership and control over their health care decisions. In 2007, there were 4.5 million Americans enrolled in consumer-directed health plans with HSAs. The President has proposed policies that would expand the HSA option to more Americans.
The President has taken steps to increase the transparency of America's health care system and empower Americans to find better value and better care. He has directed Federal agencies to share information with beneficiaries about prices paid to health care providers for procedures and about the quality of services provided by doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers. Increased transparency about prices and quality will help bring more competition to health care and enable consumers to make better health care purchasing choices.
The President is working to improve the adoption of health information technology. Electronic health records show promise as a tool to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of medical treatment. In 2004, the President launched an initiative to make electronic health records available to most Americans within the next 10 years. Health IT systems can give citizens better access to their health information, resulting in informed decisions about their care and a better understanding of the quality of the care they are receiving. In 2006, the President directed Federal agencies to use improved health IT systems to facilitate the rapid exchange of health information.
The President has proposed strengthening the buying power of America's small businesses by forming Association Health Plans (AHPs). To help make the costs of providing health insurance more affordable, small businesses, as well as civic and community groups, should be allowed to band together in AHPs to get the same discounts big companies receive.
The President has proposed medical liability reforms to limit costly and frivolous lawsuits. These lawsuits are driving many health care providers out of communities and forcing doctors to practice overly defensive medicine. This reduces access to medically necessary services and raises the costs of health care for all Americans.
The President supports permitting the purchase of health insurance across State lines. Americans should be allowed to buy the best health insurance for themselves, based on their own circumstances, instead of being limited to only the policies available in their State.
I did not know if everybody watched this on television or not, I did and found it very powerful, if this could happen it may make things a little better for those who have and don't have health insurance.
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 03:09 am Post Subject:
I watched it and found that the health insurance was a hot issue, the president expressed great concern about keeping government out of it, letting the healthcare happen between patient and doctor, they way it used to be.
With everything else, we will have to sit back and see what happens, hopefully they will come up with an affordable solution for everyone, we shall see.
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 02:38 pm Post Subject:
Funny...how quickly we forget! Here is the proposal from 2007.
The President's Plan Will Help More Americans Afford Health Insurance By Reforming The Tax Code With A Standard Deduction For Health Insurance – Like The Standard Deduction For Dependents. The President's primary goal is to make health insurance more affordable, allowing more Americans to purchase coverage. The President's proposal levels the playing field for Americans who purchase health insurance on their own rather than through their employers, providing a substantial tax benefit for all those who now have health insurance purchased on the individual market. It also lowers taxes for all currently uninsured Americans who decide to purchase health insurance – making insurance more affordable and providing a significant incentive to all working Americans to purchase coverage, thereby reducing the number of uninsured Americans.
Under The President's Proposal, Families With Health Insurance Will Not Pay Income Or Payroll Taxes On The First $15,000 In Compensation And Singles Will Not Pay Income Or Payroll Taxes On The First $7,500.
At the same time, health insurance would be considered taxable income. This is a change for those who now have health insurance through their jobs.
The President's proposal will result in lower taxes for about 80 percent of employer-provided policies.
Those with more generous policies (20 percent) will have the option to adjust their compensation to have lower premiums and higher wages to offset the tax change.
The President's Affordable Choices Initiative Will Help States Make Basic Private Health Insurance Available And Will Provide Additional Help To Americans Who Cannot Afford Insurance Or Who Have Persistently High Medical Expenses. For States that provide their citizens with access to basic, affordable private health insurance, the President's Affordable Choices Initiative will direct Federal funding to assist States in helping their poor and hard-to-insure citizens afford private insurance. By allocating current Federal health care funding more effectively, the President's plan accomplishes this goal without creating a new Federal entitlement or new Federal spending.
These Two Policies Will Work Together To Help More Americans Afford Basic Private Coverage. The President's proposed standard deduction for health insurance will help make basic private health insurance more affordable for families and individuals – whether they have insurance through their jobs or purchase insurance on their own. For those who remain unable to afford coverage, the President's Affordable Choices Initiative will help eligible States assist their poor and hard-to-insure citizens in purchasing private health insurance.
Unfair Subsidies In The Current Tax Code Are Making It Harder For Many Americans To Afford Health Insurance
The Tax Code Now Penalizes People Who Do Not Get Health Insurance Through Their Employers. Those who buy insurance on their own pay higher taxes for insurance than those who can get it through their job. The self-employed pay no income taxes on their premiums, but because they still owe payroll taxes, they are also disadvantaged compared to those who get health insurance from their employer. No one should have to pay higher taxes just because they do not work for an employer that provides health insurance. Under the current system, those without employer-provided health insurance – including the unemployed, retirees without retiree coverage, and workers at companies that do not offer health insurance (most of which are small businesses) – may have to pay substantially more for health insurance than those with employer-provided plans, a cost which many cannot afford.
The Tax Code Now Penalizes People Who Choose Basic, Affordable Insurance Policies Over More Expensive Plans. The more expensive the health insurance plan you receive through your employer, the more tax relief you get. This encourages many workers to choose lower wages and more expensive health insurance than they would choose if the tax code were not distorting their decision. One result is that insurance premiums rise, and many Americans cannot afford the coverage they need. Each family and worker should choose the balance of wages and health insurance that is right for them, without the tax code distorting their decisions.
Reforming The Tax Code With A Standard Deduction For Health Insurance To Make Private Health Insurance More Affordable
The President's Plan Will Reform The Tax Code To Help More Americans Afford Basic Private Health Insurance. The President proposes a standard tax deduction for health insurance (from income and payroll taxes) for every family and individual who has a private health insurance policy, regardless of the policy's cost or whether the policy was purchased individually or through an employer.
The President's Proposal Would Replace The Current Tax System, Which Favors The Most Expensive Employer-Provided Plans. All families covered by a private family health insurance policy, whether purchased on their own or through their employer, will pay no income or payroll taxes on their first $15,000 of compensation. All individuals covered by any single private health insurance policy will pay no income or payroll taxes on their first $7,500 of compensation.
At the same time, health insurance would be considered taxable income. This is a change for those who now have health insurance through their jobs.
Under current law, companies deduct health insurance costs and wages as legitimate business expenses. The President's proposal would not change this.
Most Americans Who Purchase Health Insurance Through Their Employers Will See Their Tax Bills Go Down. The President's proposal will result in lower taxes for about 80 percent of employer-provided policies. More than 100 million Americans who now get health insurance through their job will see their tax bills go down, and their health insurance will therefore be more affordable. Those with more generous policies (20 percent) will have the option to adjust their compensation to have lower premiums and higher wages to offset the tax change.
The President's Proposal Will Lower Taxes For Millions Of Americans Who Now Purchase Health Insurance On Their Own, Making Their Insurance More Affordable. The President's proposal would level the playing field by giving all Americans the same standard deduction, whether they get health insurance through their job, or buy it on their own. The average tax bill will go down by more than $3,650 when the policy would be implemented in 2009 for those families who now purchase health insurance on their own. This will make health insurance dramatically more affordable for the millions of Americans who do not get health insurance through their job and instead buy it on their own.
The President's Proposal Will Lower Taxes For All Uninsured Americans Who Purchase Health Insurance, Helping Millions Of Uninsured Americans Afford Coverage. This proposal will lower the average tax bill of a family without health insurance by $3,350 in 2009 – effectively reducing the average cost of health insurance by more than half for uninsured families trying to buy insurance on their own.
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 03:16 pm Post Subject:
I think that if one proposal does not work that you should continue to work on it in an effort to eventually get it done one way or another. It is not just the president that has to play a role here, it is the huge insurance companies, the healthcare system and the individual. The president can not just say this is how it will be and it will be, other players have to come on board and contribute their part.
Pennsylvania offers a healthcare plan called chip, it offers a plan that individuals can pay for at little or no cost, my mother recently got on it after a wait on a list for over a year, she finally has full medical coverage, her employer can not afford it. This plan was made affordable by Highmark, they have provided this plan for a long time here in pennsylvania. If it was not for their contribution, there are a lot of pennsylvanians with out insurance as we speak. I applaud highmark for their efforts.
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 04:18 am Post Subject:
Pennsylvania offers a healthcare plan called chip, it offers a plan that individuals can pay for at little or no cost, my mother recently got on it after a wait on a list for over a year, she finally has full medical coverage, her employer can not afford it.
How did you mother get on CHIP when that plan is designed for teenagers and children? Are you sure you're not talking about BASIC http://www.ins.state.pa.us/ins/cwp/view.asp?a=1336&Q=543266&PM=1&insNav=|
or https://www.highmarkbcbs.com/socialmission/ABCWest/west/index.html
It sounds like you're talking about BASIC, but I wanted to make sure. It's a great program IF you can approved, but I could do without the waiting period and the fact that they "normally" require applicants to pay the FULL premium amount prior to being approved.
Links deactivated as per forum rules
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 05:01 am Post Subject:
I love Pa's Chip program. Of course, I have lost a lot of clients to them.
As for me...that's what I'm eating right now. So good...but so fattening.
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 01:48 pm Post Subject:
You are right it is adult basic, sorry about that.
we do have a good chips here ohio, Snyder's, Herr's and I think a few others.
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:36 am Post Subject:
It is adult basic but be prepared for a long waiting list. My mom had to wait a while to get on. I thought I heard the normal wait time is now like a year or something.
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 03:42 pm Post Subject: insurance
I live in PA. The list is 'long' as well, here, for Adult Basic. However...I make aboyt $100.00, too much per month to cover my son, with Access (GEEZ!!). Thank goodness, he is covered under his dad.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 03:38 pm Post Subject:
That is where I am from also SD. The list is definately a long one. Shouldn't your sons father have some responsibility in health coverage? In any case if he is covered under blue chips he should have some decent med. When my kids had it, it seemed really decent ins.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:56 pm Post Subject: insurance
Hey, FIREYONE. My son's dad has insurance coverage for him, through his employment. So, I'm not too worried in that 'aspect'. However....I'm looking for good Life Insurance for my son. yep...the waiting list, for Adult Basic is MIGHTY long!!
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