Hidden Tax Hikes in ObamaCare

The Washington Times has a good editorial today outlining the hidden tax increases in the main House version of the health care bill.

The bill does contain new taxes — plenty of them. Pages 167 and 168 impose an income tax of 2.5 percent on any individual who chooses not to buy government-approved health insurance. Pages 149-150 impose a tax of between 2 percent and 8 percent on the payrolls of all companies whose payrolls exceed $250,000. Pages 197 and 198 outline income tax surcharges to be imposed on individuals with incomes over $350,000, rising to a highest surcharge of 5.4 percent.

Meanwhile, as the bill specifically acknowledges imposing a tax without counting it as a tax, it also imposes all sorts of requirements that act as indirect taxes under names such as “mandates” and “requirements.” Page 146 requires employers to provide insurance even for part-time workers. Page 280 begins to outline a penalty for hospitals that are adjudged to have “excess readmissions.” Federal bureaucrats, of course, will determine which patient readmissions are reasonable and which are excessive. The bureaucrats will do this by following the simple rules for such determinations laid out on pages 281 and 282 … and 283 … and 284, 285, 286, and … oh, forget it; we got lost.

Hmmm…a 2.5% tax on people who don’t buy “government approved health insurance.” If the government is only adding an option to the health care market and not attempting to take it over, why must they: a.) have approved health insurance plans at all, and b.) tax people for not using a government approved plan?

Still think the government is just trying to add an option and not take over the entire industry? How about the new business tax, “2 percent and 8 percent on the payrolls of all companies whose payrolls exceed $250,000″

What does that even have to do with health care? It’s simple, the government will impose this tax on larger small businesses and corporations to make it more difficult for them to afford health insurance for their employees. When the employer can no longer afford health insurance the employees will run to the government “option.”

Here’s a better question. Why, if according to the left this is a deficit neutral bill, does the health care bill include tax increases at all? Obama has already said that he won’t sign a bill that adds to the deficit, yet inside the health care bill there’s provisions to increase tax revenues. Why does the government need to increase tax revenues if the bill is suppose to be deficit neutral?

For those of us who can see through Washington’s lies, we understand that any government run health care will not be deficit neutral. The Congressional Budget Office has published report after report proving current health care legislation will only add to the deficit.

But Obama and his communications department are crafty pitchmen. They will have a good amount of slobbering Obama zombies believing this legislation will not add to the deficit.

–jb