Device Tax
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
Much has been written and said about the tax that the medical device manufactures are going to pay under the health care bill.
Most of what has been said and wrote is pure B.S. These manufactures know exactly why they are being assessed these taxes. The long and short of it is they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Approximately $2 to $2.5 billion worth, with over billing, over charging , kick backs, wining and dining both the doctors and the hospital administrations; which was all passed on to the end customer, the medical patient and the insurance provider.
These items were all made apparent from the joint congressional hearings. It was due to these hearings that these manufactures signed an agreement to the fact these taxes would not result in any employee layoffs, no reduction of pay or benefits for the production employees or those directly involved with the device manufacture. The manufactures also stated that these taxes would not hinder any future expansion of their facilities.
Am I the only person in this county who watched these congressional hearings on the health care industry? Am I the only one in this county who watched the congressional committees as they did the markup with regard to these hearings? Contrary to the neck deep B.S. that is being put out by the Republicans who are up for election making all their comments on this tax, they are all very much aware that these agreements exist! After all these hearings were not from the democrats it was all done by the so-called contract with America Republicans. Hearings conducted from 1995 to 1998!
The so-called health bill called Obamacare should be really called Republicare! During these hearings it was found out that there was massive corruption in all segments of the industry. Insurance companies using most of the insurance premium for top CEO wage and bonuses, hospital administration padding those with insurance the bills for those who had no insurance, Pharmaceutical over charging the citizens of this country for drugs, than what was being charge in other countries. Surgeries that in parts of the country that included doctor and hospital bill was less than $10,000 while this same surgery in California cost between $183,000 – $190,000.
This health care bill originally was scheduled for a vote, if my memory is right, was scheduled for the fall of 1993. But the Republicans postponed the vote till January 1994 and went home for the Thanksgiving - Christmas break. The democrats stayed in Washington.
Now Mr. Editor remember this was a Republican bill. A bill where they all were well aware of corruption in the health care industry and this bill was intended to start the cleanup of this industry.
Billions of dollars of insurance over charging graft was being charged to those who had insurance, in higher and higher premiums. The democrats wanted more done but they decided to vote for the bill anyway, it came time for the January vote; the republicans broadsided the democrats by voting almost 100 percent against their own bill!
The Republicans later said they were told if they voted for the bill they were going to pay for it in the next election! The winners were the crooks and the rest of us; well we got the royal shaft! As for the present health bill it is basically the same one the republicans had with a change; when the democrats were told a yes vote would mean seats in congress. They said so be it, we are here to represent the people not a crooked industry.
Marvin Gunter
Warsaw, via email
P.S. not all the device manufactures got a tax only those who got caught with hands in the cookie jar got taxed![[In-content Ad]]
Much has been written and said about the tax that the medical device manufactures are going to pay under the health care bill.
Most of what has been said and wrote is pure B.S. These manufactures know exactly why they are being assessed these taxes. The long and short of it is they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Approximately $2 to $2.5 billion worth, with over billing, over charging , kick backs, wining and dining both the doctors and the hospital administrations; which was all passed on to the end customer, the medical patient and the insurance provider.
These items were all made apparent from the joint congressional hearings. It was due to these hearings that these manufactures signed an agreement to the fact these taxes would not result in any employee layoffs, no reduction of pay or benefits for the production employees or those directly involved with the device manufacture. The manufactures also stated that these taxes would not hinder any future expansion of their facilities.
Am I the only person in this county who watched these congressional hearings on the health care industry? Am I the only one in this county who watched the congressional committees as they did the markup with regard to these hearings? Contrary to the neck deep B.S. that is being put out by the Republicans who are up for election making all their comments on this tax, they are all very much aware that these agreements exist! After all these hearings were not from the democrats it was all done by the so-called contract with America Republicans. Hearings conducted from 1995 to 1998!
The so-called health bill called Obamacare should be really called Republicare! During these hearings it was found out that there was massive corruption in all segments of the industry. Insurance companies using most of the insurance premium for top CEO wage and bonuses, hospital administration padding those with insurance the bills for those who had no insurance, Pharmaceutical over charging the citizens of this country for drugs, than what was being charge in other countries. Surgeries that in parts of the country that included doctor and hospital bill was less than $10,000 while this same surgery in California cost between $183,000 – $190,000.
This health care bill originally was scheduled for a vote, if my memory is right, was scheduled for the fall of 1993. But the Republicans postponed the vote till January 1994 and went home for the Thanksgiving - Christmas break. The democrats stayed in Washington.
Now Mr. Editor remember this was a Republican bill. A bill where they all were well aware of corruption in the health care industry and this bill was intended to start the cleanup of this industry.
Billions of dollars of insurance over charging graft was being charged to those who had insurance, in higher and higher premiums. The democrats wanted more done but they decided to vote for the bill anyway, it came time for the January vote; the republicans broadsided the democrats by voting almost 100 percent against their own bill!
The Republicans later said they were told if they voted for the bill they were going to pay for it in the next election! The winners were the crooks and the rest of us; well we got the royal shaft! As for the present health bill it is basically the same one the republicans had with a change; when the democrats were told a yes vote would mean seats in congress. They said so be it, we are here to represent the people not a crooked industry.
Marvin Gunter
Warsaw, via email
P.S. not all the device manufactures got a tax only those who got caught with hands in the cookie jar got taxed![[In-content Ad]]
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