Here’s are your top stories:
- Democrats hail landmark US healthcare bill — Dems engage in hyperbole competition, from Obama talking about “the call of history” to Clyburn (who got his picture on the BBC site) saying “This is the Civil Rights Act of the 21st century.” Meanwhile, Republicans hold an equal and opposite contest to exaggerate how bad it is…
- Sidebar on political impact — Seriously, the political rhetoric has been wacky enough to take a separate look at that…
- And what does it mean to YOU — Hey, I still haven’t figured out what it means to ME, but my situation is weird. Maybe you can find out how it affects you from one of the various stories out there that attempt to accomplish that, such as this one, or this one or this one.
- Hillary Clinton warns Israel faces ‘difficult’ choices — The war of words continues.
- Ex-official: S.C. gas tax ‘inadequate’ — There’s nothing new about this, but since most South Carolinians, particularly those in the State House, live their lives as though they don’t know this, it’s worth putting this on the front. The state tax on gasoline isn’t high enough even to keep our roads in good repair, much less to achieve Energy Party goals.
- U-2 staging a big comeback — And no, we’re not talking about an Irish rock band. The spy plane that once carried Gary Powers into Soviet hands is still in active use over Afghanistan.
What does it mean to you – My comments are about this year, not 2014.
I am interested in what it means for you, Brad. I hope it helps. I think I have been most concerned about health care in America because those with pre-existing conditions are shut out. I think most of us could see that we ourselves or our children could end up in that situation. I am covered under the state-employee health plan, so it looks like no changes for me, at least until 2014. When my daughter finished college, I paid COBRA until she was able to get health insurance from her job. I like that the plan covers that situation although my daughter is now older than 25. I guess employee-children insurance rates will rise slightly for all employees with children, but this seems a good trade off because COBRA is expensive. My mother who is on Medicare may one day be helped by the additional $250 towards the cost of medicine for those in the doughnut hole. Right now, she takes little medication so the doughnut hole is not a problem. I am not at all concerned about taking money from Medicare Advantage. I know no one on that program. Most seniors do not want an HMO. The program costs the tax payers much more than traditional Medicare which seniors like better. I do know a few insurance agents who love it. Cuts there are a good place to save. An increase in Medicare taxes is inevitable with or without the new bill. Medical costs are rising, and many of the cost-saving measures were stripped from the bill. Fox news stirred up so much fear that the measures were dropped.
An unemployed letter writer in today’s paper wondered how she was going to pay for health insurance. She wouldn’t have to worry–there are % income caps on premiums–you get a subsidy (or Medicaid) if you have to pay more than 9%, and that’s only in the upper income limits. (We need to remember that everyone who is unemployed didn’t have zero income before they became unemployed.)
I thought the NYT articles they reprinted covered it all fairly well, as did NPR last night.