The New Insulin Pump Tax and Health Insurance "Reforms"
Pardon the rant, but I am simply incredulous that the health insurance "reform" bill pushed by Obama and passed by the Democrats adds taxes for the sick, disabled, poor and middle class - and of course, diabetics on insulin pumps and using CGMS systems. Some of you Obama fans may reflexively disagree and I'm sure I'll hear no end of it here, but color me outraged.
Flexible Spending Accounts are often used by people who make middle class money, as long as they make enough to pay any taxes at all and have medical needs to pay for. Reducing the amount of FSAs to less than half of the current limit means that the sick and disabled who rely on them the most will end up paying more taxes! Even sick and disabled people and families making lower middle class incomes! And on top of that, they added a brand spanking new tax to medical devices, which will of course be passed right through to the consumers of those devices - diabetics and other people who are sick and disabled! Poor and middle class included! I use my FSA to help pay for pumping and CGMS supplies, and am well under the income levels Obama said he would not support new taxes on, and I am apoplectic that I have become the target to pay for their so called reform.
In spite of his oft repeated promise not to increase taxes on people making under $250k, Obama and the Democrats are trying to do just that in this bill, and in fact reaching MUCH, MUCH lower, right below the belt. In fact, they are taxing those members of the lower and middle class who are the sickest and/or disabled in order to pay for this huge new new bureaucracy. And the readers of this board are right on the front lines - this tax will directly affect many of you, as the costs of pumping and CGM use will no doubt rise in at least direct proportion to the new tax on these systems, if not substantially more.
I think I'm going to be sick right now.
Flexible Spending Accounts are often used by people who make middle class money, as long as they make enough to pay any taxes at all and have medical needs to pay for. Reducing the amount of FSAs to less than half of the current limit means that the sick and disabled who rely on them the most will end up paying more taxes! Even sick and disabled people and families making lower middle class incomes! And on top of that, they added a brand spanking new tax to medical devices, which will of course be passed right through to the consumers of those devices - diabetics and other people who are sick and disabled! Poor and middle class included! I use my FSA to help pay for pumping and CGMS supplies, and am well under the income levels Obama said he would not support new taxes on, and I am apoplectic that I have become the target to pay for their so called reform.
In spite of his oft repeated promise not to increase taxes on people making under $250k, Obama and the Democrats are trying to do just that in this bill, and in fact reaching MUCH, MUCH lower, right below the belt. In fact, they are taxing those members of the lower and middle class who are the sickest and/or disabled in order to pay for this huge new new bureaucracy. And the readers of this board are right on the front lines - this tax will directly affect many of you, as the costs of pumping and CGM use will no doubt rise in at least direct proportion to the new tax on these systems, if not substantially more.
I think I'm going to be sick right now.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Shannon on -
Because Obama has made no secret of the fact that he's a strong proponent of a single payer, universal healthcare system. He once declared a commitment to accomplish that very thing by the end of his first term as President (although he'd probably now claim that his quote was taken "out of context"). He has extremely socialist ideals (as he described in his "spread the wealth around" blunder), which are not what this country was founded on. They don't represent what I want for the future. I see this current bill as just the beginning.
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Permalink Reply by Terry Keelan on -
If you think a single payer plan would provide lower coverage than your current plan, then by all means you should object. But why do you think it would? And would you object to it even if it provided the same or better coverage just because it's a 'single payer' plan?
Terry
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Permalink Reply by Patricia on -
Sounds like the Senate version...that has not been voted on yet. Please identify specifically were in the House bill passed last night that there are taxes on durable equipment and HSAs...thanks...want to educate myself on this as it moves forward:)
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Permalink Reply by Terry Keelan on
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Section 552 of the Bill, HR 3200.
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Permalink Reply by Patricia on
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Thanks Terry. Here is a link to the detailed summary of the tax implications of both this amended bill and the senate version yet to be voted on. Hope this helps clarify some things...and yes there is a 2.5% excise tax added at the time of the first taxable sale on "certain devices" (? what this means...does it definately mean pumps, CGMS, etc.?)...paid by the manufacturer. Interestingly, the senate version actually gives credits to manufacturers making devices for chronic illnesses...hopefully we will get something that encourages the manufacture, sale and safety of medical devices used by those of us w/ chronic illnesses...it would make sense given long term cost savings.
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Permalink Reply by Amy Logue on -
I am one of the people who is HAPPY with their current insurance coverage...I took a job at a hospital that I knew had good insurance....I hope that I don't lose my current insurance because I really couldn't ask for more...sigh. I think this new public healthcare system will be chaos...and downgrades.
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Permalink Reply by Laura S. on -
If you're self employed you are not happy with any of this plan.
I don't see how or why the ADA keeps telling us to encourage votes for it.
You think you have trouble getting things like CGMS paid for now.....
Just wait.
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Permalink Reply by TuDiabetes Administration on -
We have removed a couple of posts in this discussion that have nothing to do with the topic of health care reform and were strictly political in nature.
This is a very important issue to all people touched by diabetes who live in the US. Let's make an effort to keep the discussion on topic, away from politics and fact-based. It would be useful for the purposes of the discussion to link back directly to the contents of the bill if you can, as a way to not bend the discussion to the right or to the left.
Additionally, there are two groups that have been set up (one by members, one by the Administration of the site) to discuss these issues in a more openy if you find this discussion topic limiting in any way:
http://tudiabetes.com/group/ushealthcare
http://tudiabetes.com/group/diabeticsforuniversalhealthcare
This is important. Let's get involved and let's participate. But let's do it respectfully and sticking to facts.
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Permalink Reply by Dave _ on -
that explains why my post is missing. :) Don't you guys send a private message or email when deleting posts? (I got neither)
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Permalink Reply by Jon Clarke on -
I know we are focused on diabetes here, but what does it do for others who have other life threatening diseases. ie heart disease. Maybe your right about it possibly increasing costs to pump users, but how about people that can't even get test strips or insulin? How does it affect them?
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Permalink Reply by Jim Wright on -
Well, to begin with, it increases the costs of those things! Need a pacemaker? Or a prosthesis? Well, it just got more expensive thanks to special taxes, and you can't pay for as much of your portion with an FSA. And the number of people who can't get insulin or strips is minuscule - there are many, many aid programs that provide those things already in County hospitals, through pharma companies, through state programs like Medi-Cal, etc. I have worked in the public health care system and can tell you this first hand.
And secondly, you're clearly trying to distract from the point - they are paying for the bill by imposing taxes on the sick, disabled, poor and middle class, after promising repeatedly not to do so. (And if they lied about that, how can we believe anything else they say about the bill or their intent for the system? We can't of course. But that's not the point - whether you think that we need ten thousand more bureaucrats running our health care or not, taxing the poor and disabled to pay for it is outrageous, as would be punishing those of us who went out of our way to get jobs where we get decent coverage.)
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