Why should your employer be responsible for your health care, facts101? Each person should be responsible for their own health as in a single payer system. For many of us, myself included, our health care has been subsidized by an employer. The result is that a large majority of those in the system don't have a CLUE as to the REAL cost of their care. The only way a business can continue to offer health insurance is to pass on some of the rate increases to their employees, cut other expenses, raise the price of their product or hope for a larger tax deduction for the costs of the insurance (which ultimately leads to tax increases for all). Health care reform was and is necessary but because of the complexity, it will take time to get it right.

PanamaRed Your argument might hold water about insurance companies. But my company screwed us two years ago by becoming self insured. If you really want to screw your employees you become self insured.

Really 916WI? Because wages are generally the largest expense on the books for any large corporation, like Harley for example. You complain about a factory worker earning $17 in starting pay while a CEO sits in an office doing...well I'm sure he is doing SOMETHING that's worth $9,735.62 an hour (assuming he works Saturdays). You think that CEO is sitting there thinking of ways he can save you money or is he trying to find ways of cutting expenses and raising rates to increase profitability to justify his hourly wage? For profit health care providers all have their hands in the pie but the insurance companies seem to end up with the biggest slice.

PanamaRed.......CEO compensation has absolutely nothing to do with rising medical costs. One could take the cumulative salaries of all of the executive officers of the largest insurers and it wouldn't even be the smallest blip on the radar when considering the money that flows through this market segment.......

Here's the clue classyone. Our Health Insurance provider raised our group rates by 20% a couple years ago forcing our employer to drop group coverage. Prior to that, annual increases were in the 11% to 18% range. According to Anthem, when they announced a 30+ percent increase earlier this year it was due to increased healthcare costs. Here is another reason for the price hike. Health Insurance Executives, like Aetna’s Ronald Williams, received $24,300,112 in 2008. That’s $467,309.85 per week. Check out the link for more info: http://www.healthreformwatch.com/2009/05...
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Of course not every CEO was paid as much as Mr. Williams but I think you get the idea. Naturally adding a child to your coverage will result in an increase, but a 30+% increase can't be justified. The fact is, Health Insurance Companies serve no useful service and are only an added expense to the health care system. They collect money then tell us, their customer, what they will cover and what they won't cover often after the event. If Republicans want to IMPROVE the existing health care reform bill with cost saving measures that don't reduce coverage, I'm all for it. If they think attorney's will allow them to include tort reform to the existing bill, good luck. Its too bad they were too short sighted to submit their ideas for reform when given the opportunity instead of acting like spoiled children by inventing "death panels" as a means to defeat the reform measures.

Panama, How can Insurance companies cover children up to 26 vyrs old, existing conditions ect without raising the rates. These were things that were mandated in Obama care. Did you think they were free. I hear many misinformed people who think it is free. Get a clue.

Wow, have none of you figured out that it's the insurance companies that are raising the rates only because they can? They are only using health care reform as an excuse to scam the consumer. If Congress could have passed a single payer system and eliminated the middle man (insurance companies) there wouldn't be any increase. But the Republicans felt the insurance companies were necessary. What medical service does the insurance company provide? NONE, but they sure get rich for doing nothing. So they increase their rates increase because an additional form must be filled out and it's all governments fault. Better yet, repeal health care reform then you can pay in your whole life then get rejected by the insurance company when you need it most. But then to Republicans, I guess that's normal along with bank bailouts, job losses and tax cuts for the wealthy.

frusion I agree there has to be a better way than to punish those of us who have insurance. But its the socialist way take from those who have and give to those who have not. And I think we now can call our plans sub par. Since we are now unable to afford the health care we once enjoyed. First Jimmy Carter and now this clown damn liberals make me want to puke. But then again I should not get sick since I cannot afford to see my doctor now. Thanks Barry and Nancy and Harry you sick B@$T@RD$. Hey Nancy maybe now since your going to have some time on your hands you could read the pile of crap.

What do you think is going to happen to your insurance premiums when government adds new mandates? Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

facts... my insurance is doing the same thing. My employer overhauled the entire insurance plan and I will tell you it did not benefit the workers. Obama's health plan is basically being funded by hurting the people that were content with their plans. I know the premise of Obamacare is to provide insurance to people that don't work and to help those on sub-par plans but there has to be an alternative to spanking those that were doing ok.

Just a breakdown on Obamacare the new and improved health care. The one that was not supposed to cost us who have insurance anything. Well my insurance is going to cost me dearly. Weekly up to $80.00 from $52.00 deductibles doubled from last year $3000 to $6000. Went from 80/20 to 70/30. Estimated cost of Obamacare to my company $700,000. Tear this pile of garbage up and start over! This bill is a jobs killer thats for sure. Ever wonder how many jobs you can create for $700,000? Ever wonder if without this pile of crap bill how much cheaper insurance would still be. Thanks Barry heres a dollar (my last one) go play in traffic.

PanamaRed A couple of things drove this election one was jobs and jobs and more jobs. In order to create jobs you have to get the economy going again. The mistake the democrats made was putting all their energy into health care. You know the bill most never read before voting on it..yep that one. If the democrats would have gotten the economy moving again and created jobs first you would have heard no more than a whisper. Whats upset the voters is that with billions spent they still see no hope. People will wait if your throwing say a couple of hundred million at something.But when you start throwing billions of dollars they expect quick results.I think your going to see some businesses spend now. Yes because Republicans won they know they will not see surprises from the government on how they spend their money. With the majority gone in the house and tighter numbers in the senate. Business knows there are some protections in place where before there were none. Right now Obama needs people telling him he has to move to the center (Bill Clinton) if he expects to see a second term. If that fails and he continues to push his socialist agenda then he is doomed.The day after the elections Obama was clueless on the voters wishes. He is coming around but I still think his ego will get in the way. If he steps back and looks around he will see very few of those who supported him survived. And if he does not adjust accordingly he to will be out come 2012.

Gee, I don't know. For the past two years the Conservatives have said it's all about jobs. Every day they were asking, "Where are the jobs!" That was the reason the stimulus didn't work - it didn't create jobs. Now suddenly newly elected Conservatives say it's all about health care. The reforms must be repealed. No government sponsored health care for anyone, except for the members of Congress of course. You didn't think the Republican and Tea Party members of Congress would give up their taxpayer funded government sponsored health care did you? Its the Republicans and Tea Sippers that are clueless but at least they will be healthy.

Bill, I believe he really does know it was a rejection of his policies. I think his ego had been stroked so much since 2008 he just could not understand why, with such a magnanimous personality, people would not blindly follow him. It's just too tough deep down for him to accept. In the end the substance and details matter and the voters spoke. We'll see if he listens. From past history he is good at talking and explaining so the whole "communication" argument is stupid, but he appears to not be to good at listening.

The president does indeed seem to remain clueless. In an interview he's doing for tomorrow's 60 Minutes,( http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/11/05/o... ) President Obama was quoted in a preview article saying "Making an argument that people can understand, I think that we haven’t always been successful at that. And I take personal responsibility for that. And it’s something that I’ve got to examine carefully … as I go forward.” He still thinks the election rebuke he just got is due to a communication deficiency, that he can't seem to explain himself clearly enough to less than intelligent electorate. He is clueless to the fact that the electorate has rejected his agenda. This isn't the change they thought they were expecting when they voted for "Hope and Change". But in typical elitist style, he just assumes the little people are harder to explain things to than he originally thought. Oh yes, clueless.

Another typical ad hominem attack by nvgrf. Don't bother giving any factual repudiation, just spew more of your venom at Krauthammer. How, exactly, does he qualify as an idiot? Do you understand the difference between a blogger and a Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist? Clearly, some people seem to think he can write.

If he was unfortunate enough to read any of your usual rants, I'm sure he would say, "nvgrf, however, remains clueless."

"The president, however, remains clueless."
This idiot is no more than a highly paid blogger. Get over yourself Kraut! You never were a journalist, and you sure as hell cannot write!