YAHCT: How much will taxes rise in your state if obamacare becomes law

[rudder]

Tennessee has an insurance program for people with pre-existing conditions, who cannot afford insurance, and covers many children. This program has drained the states coffers. Tennessee still has roughly 13% of its population uninsured despite covering 1.2 million people. Tenncare consumes 1/4th of the states budget in 2010.

This fiscal year the budget was $1 billion in the red. The state has dipped in to it's rainy day fund in order to minimize cuts. We have a balanced budget amendment so cuts must come.

obamacare is expected to cost the state an additional $400,000,000 per year in increased medicare reimbursments over the next 5 years. If the economy does not improve, the state will be in a financial world of hurt.

Tax revenues in Tennessee are derived in large part by sales tax. A state income tax has been fiercely opposed. So far in 2010 projections have not matched revenue.

Tennessee senators are Republicans, the representatives . Two in my area voted yes (not sure about the rest). Bart Gordon voted yes because he is retiring, and was likely offered a high up position with the Obama administration for his vote. We did not get any sweet deals like Louisiana. Our reps did not get a ride on airforce one.

So this means a huge tax increase in the coming years for our state government.

How do you feel your state will fare if obamacare eventually becomes rule of the land?

 

[Zebo]

Got gold?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Wait, I thought Obama said there would be no tax increases. Am I missing something here?

(hint: tune your sarcasm meter before replying )

 

[IceBergSLiM]

wait couldn't you do away with tenncare now?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Wolf says that this won't cost the states anything. I'll be curious as to what he has to say.

 

[rudder]

wait couldn't you do away with tenncare now?

Frankly I do not see people who get tenncare and who pay little to nothing, chomping at the bit to buy their own insurance now. And if tenncare was no longer needed, there would be a revenue neutral effect on Tennessee taxpayers. These people's healthcare bills will have to be paid by someone any savings will be offset by federal tax increases.

tenncare is a sweet ride if you can get on it.

 

[DesiPower]

Wait, I thought Obama said there would be no tax increases. Am I missing something here?

(hint: tune your sarcasm meter before replying )

Darn, I forgot to connect through sarcasm surge protector... darn meter is busted now

 

[HannibalX]

I used to live in Tennessee and lots of folks are on Tenncare, mostly single working moms and retired folks. A large number of folks on it live in Memphis (no surprise, it's Tennessee's armpit).

Tenncare spending has increased with the crummy economy but as it recovers and people make more money they will come off it (because they won't qualify anymore).

We don't need nationalized healthcare, it should be handled at the state level like Tennessee and several other states have done. Progressives like to rag on the south but some of their states don't have similar programs, hypocrites.

 

[techs]

When Eisenhower said we should build the intersate highway system people screamed it would cost money, too.

FYI- Taxes are going up. Way up. Due to a number of things, mostly that we screwed ourselves by choosing to allow unfair trade with a totalitarian regime that is determined to use its slave labor and government policies to take away a decent living from the American worker, and take our industry.

If you want to fucking protest something, protest that.

 

[DesiPower]

When Eisenhower said we should build the intersate highway system people screamed it would cost money, too.

FYI- Taxes are going up. Way up. Due to a number of things, mostly that we screwed ourselves by choosing to allow unfair trade with a totalitarian regime that is determined to use its slave labor and government policies to take away a decent living from the American worker, and take our industry.

If you want to fucking protest something, protest that.

Totally agree with you, ppl have lost and and will loose job and never get back to work, tax collection will go down and to compensate, other's taxes will rise, nothing we can do... and to top that now we will have to pay for healthcare, you have to admit - not a smart decision

 

[boomerang]

Totally agree with you, ppl have lost and and will loose job and never get back to work, tax collection will go down and to compensate, other's taxes will rise, nothing we can do... and to top that now we will have to pay for healthcare, you have to admit - not a smart decision

Sometimes, to create what you want, you first have to tear down what you have.

 

[her209]

Sometimes, to create what you want, you first have to tear down what you have.

What are "we" creating?

 

[shiner]

What are "we" creating?

A shit sandwich the size of Greenland

 

[GuitarDaddy]

One billion percent! Pay up biatches

 

[cubeless]

it sure seems to me that states and employers will find a way to get out of the hc business asap and leave it up to people/employees to deal with their hci... if all the evils of getting insurance are going to disappear, and you can get gov't subsidy to buy if u r poor, why would states/employers need to be involved?

 

[her209]

it sure seems to me that states and employers will find a way to get out of the hc business asap and leave it up to people/employees to deal with their hci... if all the evils of getting insurance are going to disappear, and you can get gov't subsidy to buy if u r poor, why would states/employers need to be involved?

I don't see a problem there. It means employees will get to keep their current health care coverage and keep their current doctor when they switch jobs.

 

[cubeless]

I don't see a problem there. It means employees will get to keep their current health care coverage and keep their current doctor when they switch jobs.

maybe... once they switch over to some other plan... if you leave one employer who subsidizes your healthcare ins costs you may still be able to get ins, but the cost may be higher if you want to stay with the same insurer and plan...

 

[IndyColtsFan]

One billion percent! Pay up biatches

Wait, does this mean President Obama was lying when he said there would be no tax increases to pay for this?

 

[her209]

maybe... once they switch over to some other plan... if you leave one employer who subsidizes your healthcare ins costs you may still be able to get ins, but the cost may be higher if you want to stay with the same insurer and plan...

Also a good thing. The employee will see the true monthly costs of insurance monthly premiums and will either demand more bang for their buck.

 

[cubeless]

Also a good thing. The employee will see the true monthly costs of insurance monthly premiums and will either demand more bang for their buck.

ok... so now let's say they "can't afford" their previous level of coverage... because they have a pre-existing condition (and cannot just get catastrophic coverage) their premium is "high", even though they can get insurance they cannot afford it even with a new job that makes $60k a year... do they get a subsidy?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

When Eisenhower said we should build the intersate highway system people screamed it would cost money, too.

FYI- Taxes are going up. Way up. Due to a number of things, mostly that we screwed ourselves by choosing to allow unfair trade with a totalitarian regime that is determined to use its slave labor and government policies to take away a decent living from the American worker, and take our industry.

If you want to fucking protest something, protest that.

For once, I completely agree with something you said.

 

[Modelworks]

It is all being paid for with Obama money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDlfWTaEvBo&feature=related

 

[rudder]

it sure seems to me that states and employers will find a way to get out of the hc business asap and leave it up to people/employees to deal with their hci... if all the evils of getting insurance are going to disappear, and you can get gov't subsidy to buy if u r poor, why would states/employers need to be involved?

Because, lets say the state of california says it is okay to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. Now each motorcycle accident there involving people without helmets will cost 20X what it would be if they were in a state that has helmet laws. How can I make those people wear helmets?

What if california bans a carcinogen and my state does not. What rights does california have in dealing with all the people here who get cancer from said substance. California will be paying for it... you would think they would want a say.

I think because we have Tenncare in Tennessee... it will be worse. Many of the ones who cannot afford medical insurance sued the state through proxies when controls were attempted to reduce exorbitant costs. What if these people's quality of life suffers because Federal insurance is rationed and they do not get the same care they once did? Likely the state will be sued once again and forced to provide the difference.

I hope I am proven wrong. However, I am not confident that in a decades time we will have the level of health care we have today. This thread will be archived so we will see.

 

[StageLeft]

New York, so what do you think, I'm sure they'll raise anyway.

 

[her209]

ok... so now let's say they "can't afford" their previous level of coverage... because they have a pre-existing condition (and cannot just get catastrophic coverage) their premium is "high", even though they can get insurance they cannot afford it even with a new job that makes $60k a year... do they get a subsidy?

Ok... you keep changing the assumptions/hypotheticals so you're clearly fishing for something. Why don't you just come out and say it?