Thursday
Jul162009
Pelosi: Reducing Health Care Surcharge For Wealthy A Possibility
The 1-5.4% surcharge proposed by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for those making over $280,000 to help cover the costs of health care reform could be reduced, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during a press conference Wednesday.
The current version of health care reform that passed through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Tuesday is expected to draw half of it’s funding from revenue streams, notably the proposed surcharge, and the rest from surplus funds taken from other programs, such as $500 billion in savings from the Medicare program.
“I believe that all the costs of the health reform bill can come from squeezing more savings out of the system,” the Speaker said.
If successful in acquiring enough savings, Pelosi noted that reducing the surcharge was one possibility. Another would be maintaining the surcharge at the current cost and reallocating it towards paying off the U.S. deficit.
The current version of health care reform that passed through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Tuesday is expected to draw half of it’s funding from revenue streams, notably the proposed surcharge, and the rest from surplus funds taken from other programs, such as $500 billion in savings from the Medicare program.
“I believe that all the costs of the health reform bill can come from squeezing more savings out of the system,” the Speaker said.
If successful in acquiring enough savings, Pelosi noted that reducing the surcharge was one possibility. Another would be maintaining the surcharge at the current cost and reallocating it towards paying off the U.S. deficit.
tagged 
Health Care, health care reform, pelosi, rangel, surcharge, surtax in Congress, Frontpage 2, News/Commentary
Health Care, health care reform, pelosi, rangel, surcharge, surtax in Congress, Frontpage 2, News/Commentary
Reader Comments (1)
Basically, If ruling party changes, accordingly tax system also does, especially given the condition that the middle class is undergoing severe financial hardship as a consequence of the extremely high fuel price, mortgage rate, and insurance premium, which is a beauty and virtue of democracy as we know.
In case some people have enjoyed the benefit of exemptions, that might imply others have shouldered the equivalent of their share.
Now the time has come for the middle class and middle class-oriented party to take initiative.
In general, advanced states are characterized as a broad base of middle class, the recovery of which is what the last presidential election is for, too.
Alongside a tax on the richest, alcohol tax and 'ending subsidies for the private insurers' can be considered, I guess.