Recent Reports suggest that soon, a Family of Four will be paying $ 25.000,00 for Health Insurance annually and that, with less Coverage and higher Deductibles.
While the Affordable Care Act (so called Obamacare) is a Step in the Right Direction, it is, some suggest, not nearly enough to bring under Control Medical Costs.
Various Statistics reveal the following:
§ Medical Costs in the United States are the highest in the World. The Second Runner Up is at less than half.
§ Doctors in the United States earn the highest Incomes of any Doctors anywhere, so much so that Doctors from less affluent Countries who have a Medical Education in English (it is considerably more difficult to pass the Boards with a non English Medical Education) are clamoring to get a Foothold in the United States and practice, yes, practice Medicine, of course.
§ Despite all this, Life Expectancy in the United States is just about Neck in Neck with Life Expectancy in, of all Places, some place like Cuba. There are a Multitude of Reasons for this, of course, including Dietary Factors but, still, one would expect more, given the Costs of Health Insurance and Health Care.
§ A Common Medical Procedure, known as an MRI costs, on Average, according to some Statistics, $ 2.500,00 in the United States. It can be performed at some Outpatient Clinics for as low as $ 600,00 and one Reporter recently found a Hospital in Boston which charges in Excess of $ 7.000,00 for this exact same Procedure. Health Insurance Companies have Contracts under which they pay less (why should people who pay for Medical Care out of their own Pocket have to pay more is a Question which deserves being raised and be examined on its own Merits). The more interesting Thing, though, is that the same exact Procedure, an MRI costs approximately $ 160,00 in Germany, France and Italy. In Japan, a Country not exactly known for low Costs, it costs $ 60,00. They all use the same exact Equipment, manufactured by either Siemens or GE and, at least two of the four Countries above, Germany and Japan, are not exactly known for low Wages.
What is going to be compromised between Mr. Obama and Mr. Boehner with regard to the ,,Fiscal Cliff,'' whatever that means, is yet to be revealed and it is probably not known by either of them at this Moment.
However, one Item which has come up is the new Medicare Taxes which will be going into Effect 1 January 2013, as a Result of Legislation passed by Congress and signed by Mr. Obama. This Legislation provides, no, it does not provide for new Taxes, it establishes the Provision that Medicare Taxes should continue on Wages in Excess of $200.000,00 (for Single Taxpayers) and $ 250.000,00 (for Married Taxpayers).
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/11/15846903-democrats-seek-delay-in-one-obamacare-tax-increase?lite
Suddenly, this Provision has now come under Scrutiny and may be sacrificed as part of the Negotiations to avoid the so called ,,Fiscal Cliff.'' We do not understand this Point.
The Congress and the President of the United States can decide what the Obligations (including the financial Obligations) of the Federal Government will be on a Year to Year Basis. Some of these Obligations are inescapable, they are either dictated by Law or by Contracts (such as Debt Interest, for Example). How are Wage Earners who make more than $ 200.000,00 or $ 250.000,00 ,,hurting'' the Economy by paying 1,45% of their Wages for Medicare Tax on Income above that Amount?
Paranthetically, another Tax which is equally regressive is the Social Security Tax, currently at 4,2% for Employees, but only on the First $110.000,00 of their Wages. Translated, that means, of course, that People who get huge Salaries, sometimes $ 500.000,00, sometimes $ 5.000.000,00 or even more, simply pay that $ 4.000,00 or so in Social Security Tax and then are 4,2% ahead for every Dollar they earn from $110.000,00 forward.
One Thing is apparent. With this Kind of Manœvering, if it comes into Play, very little is going to get accomplished. And the Can will be kicked forward.
While the Affordable Care Act (so called Obamacare) is a Step in the Right Direction, it is, some suggest, not nearly enough to bring under Control Medical Costs.
Various Statistics reveal the following:
§ Medical Costs in the United States are the highest in the World. The Second Runner Up is at less than half.
§ Doctors in the United States earn the highest Incomes of any Doctors anywhere, so much so that Doctors from less affluent Countries who have a Medical Education in English (it is considerably more difficult to pass the Boards with a non English Medical Education) are clamoring to get a Foothold in the United States and practice, yes, practice Medicine, of course.
§ Despite all this, Life Expectancy in the United States is just about Neck in Neck with Life Expectancy in, of all Places, some place like Cuba. There are a Multitude of Reasons for this, of course, including Dietary Factors but, still, one would expect more, given the Costs of Health Insurance and Health Care.
§ A Common Medical Procedure, known as an MRI costs, on Average, according to some Statistics, $ 2.500,00 in the United States. It can be performed at some Outpatient Clinics for as low as $ 600,00 and one Reporter recently found a Hospital in Boston which charges in Excess of $ 7.000,00 for this exact same Procedure. Health Insurance Companies have Contracts under which they pay less (why should people who pay for Medical Care out of their own Pocket have to pay more is a Question which deserves being raised and be examined on its own Merits). The more interesting Thing, though, is that the same exact Procedure, an MRI costs approximately $ 160,00 in Germany, France and Italy. In Japan, a Country not exactly known for low Costs, it costs $ 60,00. They all use the same exact Equipment, manufactured by either Siemens or GE and, at least two of the four Countries above, Germany and Japan, are not exactly known for low Wages.
What is going to be compromised between Mr. Obama and Mr. Boehner with regard to the ,,Fiscal Cliff,'' whatever that means, is yet to be revealed and it is probably not known by either of them at this Moment.
However, one Item which has come up is the new Medicare Taxes which will be going into Effect 1 January 2013, as a Result of Legislation passed by Congress and signed by Mr. Obama. This Legislation provides, no, it does not provide for new Taxes, it establishes the Provision that Medicare Taxes should continue on Wages in Excess of $200.000,00 (for Single Taxpayers) and $ 250.000,00 (for Married Taxpayers).
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/11/15846903-democrats-seek-delay-in-one-obamacare-tax-increase?lite
Suddenly, this Provision has now come under Scrutiny and may be sacrificed as part of the Negotiations to avoid the so called ,,Fiscal Cliff.'' We do not understand this Point.
The Congress and the President of the United States can decide what the Obligations (including the financial Obligations) of the Federal Government will be on a Year to Year Basis. Some of these Obligations are inescapable, they are either dictated by Law or by Contracts (such as Debt Interest, for Example). How are Wage Earners who make more than $ 200.000,00 or $ 250.000,00 ,,hurting'' the Economy by paying 1,45% of their Wages for Medicare Tax on Income above that Amount?
Paranthetically, another Tax which is equally regressive is the Social Security Tax, currently at 4,2% for Employees, but only on the First $110.000,00 of their Wages. Translated, that means, of course, that People who get huge Salaries, sometimes $ 500.000,00, sometimes $ 5.000.000,00 or even more, simply pay that $ 4.000,00 or so in Social Security Tax and then are 4,2% ahead for every Dollar they earn from $110.000,00 forward.
One Thing is apparent. With this Kind of Manœvering, if it comes into Play, very little is going to get accomplished. And the Can will be kicked forward.
