http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2013/03/04/insurance-premium-tax-could-net-state-20-million-per-year-under-private-option Comments On: Insurance premium tax could net state extra $20 million per year under "private option" by David Ramsey en-us Copyright 2013 Arkansas Times. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, Arkansas Times readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact Arkansas Times. robert@arktimes.com (Arkansas Times Webmaster) Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:01 -0500 Sat, 25 May 2013 20:15:00 -0500 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss

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Posted by John Pack]]> Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:02:46 -0500 Arkansas Times
What you're describing is just a natural consequence of any of the various convoluted private-public schemes out there and I'm not aware of any legal challenge. The way this will work in practice is the feds will give the state Medicaid program money, the state Medicaid program will use that money to pay premiums to private insurers on the exchange, the state will assess fee on the insurer for selling on exchange.

I'm not saying that's a smart or efficient way to go about providing public services but I don't see a legal issue, at least with this particular piece.
Posted by David Ramsey]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:44:02 -0600 Arkansas Times >The good news just keeps rolling in about BeebeCare.

That 2.5% tax they plan to levy on Medicaid premiums paid by the feds,not so fast:

One thing I learned in taxation is that one government entity is not allowed to tax
another. It should be ruled unconstitutional on its face. It will be another ticking time bomb the Repubs have created.
Posted by eLwood]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:34:56 -0600 Arkansas Times
Options to mass looting always get killed.

While You Were Sleeping, Fiscal Cliff Deal Whacked “Obamacare” Nonprofit Co-Ops

http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/policyso…

Time and time again this has always been about looting and ever rightward, cost/profit making.
Posted by Eureka Springs]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:26:31 -0600 Arkansas Times
If you think theft is good revenue stream for the state... then you think a criminal state is a good thing.

Just as pretending a tax within a tax and a tax to cover that tax... all on insurance is something that could possible be about health, care or lower costs. Good gawd man... it's called another neoliberal looting ponzi scheme.

As for dbi's negotiation of the "non profit" idea. In the USA non profit doesn't mean what you think it does. With the exception of the medicare (and tri-care V.A.) neoliberals are negotiating non profit away.
Posted by Eureka Springs]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:29:56 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by the outlier]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:53:44 -0600 Arkansas Times
there's no clawback, the fee is part of the deal on offer. agree that other states are going to be very upset if arkansas is the only one that gets this arrangement.
Posted by David Ramsey]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:48:58 -0600 Arkansas Times
"A new short-term budget bill introduced on Monday by House Republicans includes a bizarre provision banning federal funding to anti-poverty group ACORN, despite the fact that the group has already been stripped of federal funding -- and has been defunct for nearly three years."

Take that, ACORN! Maybe they fear ACORN is really a vampire and they have to drive another stake through its heart. There is no end to the monsters under conservative beds.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/a…
Posted by the outlier]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:12:20 -0600 Arkansas Times
"Washington state Rep. Ed Orcutt (R–Kalama), a ranking member of the State Transportation Committee, argues that bicycling is bad for the environment and says bike riders should have to pay a tax to help maintain the state's roads.

"In the message, Orcutt states bike riders pollute the environment because they produce more carbon dioxide than car drivers."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/04/e…

From the comments at the story:

"By that logic, we should hold GOP lawmakers directly responsible for polluting the environment by virtue of the hot air expended on much of their ridiculous proposed legislation."

This post should not be construed as an endorsement of the tax. Nor should it be construed as a criticism. An argument can be made that cyclists should help pay for bike lanes. On the other hand, most cyclists also drive cars and pay state gasoline taxes already. Also, too, they are likely healthier and cost us less in health care dollars.
Posted by the outlier]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:03:49 -0600 Arkansas Times
Now the "private insurance" companies have 30% overhead and 30% of $9000 is $2700 of the additional $3000. So we are just transferring most of the cost differnce to companies as more "business socialism" with the other $300 being the additional dollars that might rain down on the hospitals and doctors.

I am sure that the Republicans will just be overjoyed to reward companies who can delay and other slow down the system.
Posted by couldn't be better]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:48:40 -0600 Arkansas Times
Since the Feds have agreed to do it "our" way even though it costs more federal dollars, perhaps they might want to do a claw back of that twenty million to offset the extra money since other states will, again, be subsidizing this little ol' red state's hissy fit.
Posted by the outlier]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:47:21 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by UnHappiestOfAll]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:48:33 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by radical centrist]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:56:57 -0600 Arkansas Times
"Under the Affordable Care Act, at least one of the nationwide health insurance plans must be offered by a nonprofit entity. Insurance experts see an obvious candidate for that role: the Government Employees Health Association, a nonprofit group that covers more than 900,000 federal employees, retirees and dependents, making it the second-largest plan for federal workers, after the Blue Cross and Blue Shield program......Supporters of the national plans say they will increase competition in state health insurance markets, many of which are dominated by a handful of companies.

The national plans will compete directly with other private insurers and may have some significant advantages, including a federal seal of approval. Premiums and benefits for the multi-state insurance plans will be negotiated by the United States Office of Personnel Management, the agency that arranges health benefits for federal employees."

This is over my head but gives me a little hope that it is a back door way to eventually strangle For Profit health insurance companies on down the road. As I see it our only hope is for someone to dictate what hospitals and doctors can charge for their services because the bottom line is that going to the doctor and or the hospital cost so so so so much that no working person can afford it even if they have insurance. Doctoring costs too damn much, way way too much, ridiculously too much and keeps going up daily.

Our health insurance should work like Medicare which tells the medical world how much they'll be paid for anything they do. So what if doctors and hospitals don't like it. It's not like they're going to move to Canada or Mexico and show us!

It's totally possible to get rich getting paid Medicare rates. You just can't get island-buying rich in the first 5 years of practicing medicine.....tickles me pink.....look look I'm playing the world's smallest violin with my fingers.

In case you missed it here's the very long excellent read about why health care is killing us these days.

http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/20/bitt…
Posted by DeathbyInches]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:43:02 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Verla Sweere]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:06:34 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Sound Policy]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:38:16 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by radical centrist]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:51:48 -0600 Arkansas Times