Do you like Kerry's new plan to help small business with health care expense?

[Peter T Davis]

See Kerry Says Bush Ignoring Plight of Small Business.

Kerry is saying that the federal government should give a tax credit of up to 50% for health insurance for low to medium wage employees of small businesses. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea. I'd be concerned though, that it will end up helping huge corporations, and won't make a difference to really small businesses.


A point of disclosure, I don't plan on voting for Kerry, but that doesn't mean that I can't like some of his ideas. Here's a hint to Bush, you want to cut him off at the knees on this one, implement the idea before the election.

[johnsje]

I am curious, how would this plan be paid for. Small business makes up probably 90% of business in the country. Maybe it would be paid for buy taxing away the tax cuts that have already be put into place. I don't think they would be able to pull it off.

I do like the idea that was put out a while ago that would allow small business to work together as a group to get better insurance rates, the same as a large company would get. That to me seems like a better solution. I of course would love to have free healthcare, I just don't think that will ever happen. As of right now, my coverage is not to expensive so I am not going to complain.

[Sparkie]

I want the same kind of insurance that Congress gets! Free lifetime coverage courtesy of the taxpayer dollar.

[TGH]

The problem as I see it with this kind of proposal is that it doesn't really define anything. For instance how does Mr. Kerry define "small business". This is critical because at some point a business will reach a size where the credit is no longer available. Whoever is just above the cutoff point is going to declare loudly to all that they are really a small business and should be included, or, if not then no one should get the credit. Will the system be designed with a sliding scale of credits? How will the monies be made up for in the federal budget?
As much as I hate to say it, I am afraid that some kind of socialized medicine is going to be necessary. Prescription drugs being the most current example.....
many countries have controls on the pricing of prescription drugs so the drug companies cannot make as much profit (roi) in those places. They make up for it by overcharging where they can. (such as in the U.S.) Since it is unlikely that we can persuade other countries to remove their price controls so the price burden gets spread around, the U.S. will be forced into implementing price controls. (just my ramblings)

I really would like to see a comprehensive plan to fix this problem that wouldn't get so watered down that it becomes worthless.

james

[johnsje]

The only problem that I see with socialized medicine is that drug companies will not put as much of their resources toward new drug research and will probably try and get the government to pay for alot of the R&D. If this happend it will take twice as long for any new drug to get on the market. It is already a really long time.

I think that maybe heath insurace should be setup like taxes. You have to pay a certian amount do to your income. The more you make the more expensive it is. That may not seem fair, but it seems to work for taxes. I think it could work for this. Now the insurance companies will bitch that they will not make any money, but I think that if it affordable more people would be on it, and there for insurance companies would still make there money of the sick and dying.

[ulnu]

Emigrate to CANADA.

An online internet business works just as well there as from the good ole USA

a Canadian snowbird in Florida told me.

Originally Posted by Sparkie

I want the same kind of insurance that Congress gets! Free lifetime coverage courtesy of the taxpayer dollar.

[philipwhite]

I can't really agree with anything Kerry says. Not that I'm a big GWB fan but Kerry's voting record is plain disturbing. A tax credit is not the way to go because then HMOs will just up the price.

johnsje, you already pay medicare so in a way you do. Medicare is like social security in a way. If your young your getting screwed because you wont see either before you die.

[lucky]

Money has to come from SOMEWHERE. Whenever governments offer free money they:

1) Take money from other areas (ie. healthcare)
2) Rise taxes or stick more taxes onto products/services

Unless the government is run by an entrepreneur, they can only understand money in terms of "taxes" and "what cool new plan we're gonna spend it on to impress the voters".


What do you think of the libertarians in terms of their benefits for small businesses and entrepreneurs? Even though I've yet to learn much about them, I've found some of their ideas quite interesting (the non-extreme and practical ideas).