overhaul the health-care system
July 20th, 2009
By Shirley S. Wang
All eyes will remain on the plan to overhaul the health-care system this week, notes the Washington Post, though the Obama administration’s goal to have both the House and Senate deliver a bill to the president by August has softened, according to the New York Times.
One of the issues highlighted in this morning’s health-reform coverage is the tax surcharge on wealthy Americans contained in the House bill. Currently, the bill proposes a tax increase on individuals making more than $280,000 and families making more than $350,000 a year.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Politico that she thinks the income threshold should be raised to individuals making $500,000 and families making $1 million annually “so it’s a millionaire’s tax.”
She also said that “much of health overhaul could be paid for by draining money from industry stakeholders like hospitals, drug makers and health insurers, though she’s not certain that they’re willing to cooperate and contribute more to the plan, notes Politico.”
The WSJ notes some House Democrats are concerned about the tax — which would ultimately raise the tax rate on top-earning Americans to 47% — because of their wealthy constituents.
Another “point of contention is over Medicare payments to doctors, according to the WSJ. A provision to end a program that would cut such payments to physicians by 21% next year is popular with the American Medical Association but it’s one of the most costly provisions in the House bill.”
