The new health care act also slashes funding for MEDICARE, not just Obamacare.

[pnwmom]

Last edited Tue Mar 7, 2017, 01:50 PM - Edit history (1)

The new bill is so deeply flawed that they're going to try to ram it through without sending it first to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis on the cost to the budget and the millions of recipients who will now be denied coverage.

But among its features is ending its Medicare taxes on high-income people -- taxes specifically put in place to help Medicare remain solvent.

So now they'll all be pointing to a crisis in Medicare and that will be the next program on the chopping block.

Tell every senior or near senior you know so they can start phoning their reps!

http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2017/03/07/examining-the-house-republican-aca-repeal-and-replace-legislation/

Taxes to be ended:

The Medicare tax imposed on unearned income on taxpayers earning more than $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers);
The “Cadillac” plan tax (which reappears in 2025, apparently to satisfy Senate prohibitions on reconciliation provisions that increase out-year deficits);
The prohibition against paying for over-the-counter medications with tax subsidized funds from health savings accounts (HSAs), Archer MSAs, or flexible spending or health reimbursement arrangements;
The ACA’s increase in the penalty for the use of HSA and Archer MSA funds for non-medical purposes (reducing the penalty from 20 to 10 percent for HSAs and 20 to 15 percent for MSAs);
The $2500 limit on contributions to flexible spending accounts;
The medical device excise tax;
The requirement that employers reduce their deduction for expenses allowable for retiree drug costs without reducing the deduction by the amount of retiree drug subsidy;
The increase in the level of medical expenses that must be incurred to claim a tax deduction, reducing the level back from 10 percent to 7.5 percent;
The repeal of the ACA’s Medicare .9 percent tax surcharge on taxpayers with incomes exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers).

[uponit7771]

1. This is what Dems should run on.... 45 broken promises

[Ms. Toad]

2. Wrong direction. They should be eliminating the SS exemption for higher income individuals -

not adding one for Medicare.

(Although I don't now - I used to outrun the SS tax, and always thought it was bizarre that after a certain point I no longer had to pay into social security.)

[pnwmom]

3. I agree. n/t

[subterranean]

4. The GOP plan would also restore the Medicare "donut hole."

The ACA is reducing the prescription drug "donut hole" and would eliminate it entirely by 2020. Repeal of the ACA will increase costs for seniors by restoring the donut hole.

[pnwmom]

5. Yup. One more effort to weaken Medicare. nt