Democrats vote to tax veterans for medical devices
Orin Hatch tried to exempt veterans from a planned tax on prosthetic devices in the Senate according to The Examiner.
The health care overhaul passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama earlier this year contains a new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, and wheelchairs. This tax, which its proponents claim will raise $20 billion over the next ten years, contains no exemption for the nation’s 22 million veterans. In fact, Senate Democrats specifically refused to exempt veterans from the tax., according to officials from the non-partisan, public interest group Americans for Tax Reform
On March 24 2010, Senate Democrats rejected an amendment offered by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to the healthcare bill. This amendment (SA 3644) would have prevented the medical device tax from hitting veterans covered by the Veterans Healthcare Program or TRICARE for Life.
This amendment was rejected by a vote of 44-54. All but five Democrat senators voted in favor of retaining the tax for veterans.
“On March 24, Senate Democrats had the opportunity to exempt our veterans from Obamacare’s new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs. But 54 Democrats voted against the measure. They chose to side with the tax-and-spend crowd in Washington over our wounded warriors,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.
“This is one of the many reasons Harry Reid and the Democrats did not want Americans to read the 2,500 page health care bill before it was passed,” Norquist added.
So I wonder why this is the first we’re hearing of this – of course I mean the “regular guys” we. Like I’ve said, this administration is going to try and balance the budget on the backs of retirees and veterans – the same people who don’t get increases in their income yet end up paying more so Democrats can buy patronage from the itinerant.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Veteran Health Care
This can’t be true, Jonn, because I have heard all the democrats railing that the repubs were against Veterans in their funding vote. That’s what they tell us; that dems care more about Vets than anyone else. I mean, it’s not like Bobo wanted to cut some VA funding and require wounded Vets to pay for private insurance or nothing; right? Oh, wait, my bad, they DID float that idea until the backlash grew too big.
Fricken scumbags; every last one of them that voted against the Vets in this amendment. Someone should post the list of which way each senator voted, so we know who the enemy is. Maybe if the senators would choose to take a pay cut, or cut funding to a study of the weiner size of the blue gilled gerbil fish, by some liberal university, maybe they wouldn’t have to raise a taxes on Vets that have given more than any of these senators, that voted against this, ever had?
I’m waiting for the VSOs to jump on this story. There BETTER be a major shitstorm over this.
Sparky; if there’s not, maybe the milblogs can seed the shitstorm clouds? I’ll even take one for the team and eat at Taco Bell and White Castle in order to get the proper seeding chemicals lined up.
Nh Sparky-
Still trying to verify. This isn’t the DC Examiner…
Frankly, I think this story is bullshit. If a veteran hgas to pay 10% tax on a free service and free hardware, it’s still $0.
One thing to bear in mind is that this wouldn’t apply to Service Connected Conditions.
Still trying to verify.
I remember the issue being discussed at that time in the blogs…
“If a veteran hgas to pay 10% tax on a free service and free hardware, it’s still $0.”
Unless they decide to tax it based upon the “value” of the service and hardware. And given what the government pays in contract prices, that could be a helluva lot…
Re; The VA and service contracts.
I know for a fact, as I’m sitting in one, that the VA contract pays much less for a wheelchair than “normal” insurance and medicaid/medicare do. Take for instance the Johnson & Johnson iBot wheelchair (the one that can climb stairs). It was available to the VA at a substantial discount compared to buying it outright. Of course it would have been free (to me) since I’m 100% service connected, but still the VA has to buy it first.
The same applies to most name brand wheelchairs, like the Permobil Street (yes, that’s the name of the wheelchair) that I personally use.
Now, of course, arguing and fighting with the VA to get what I need is something that goes without saying. But so far I’ve won every round.
V5
I put up a post explaining it all Country Singer. I believe that the way this is portrayed is horribly inaccurate.
The level of rating is also going to make a difference. If the vet is rated at 100% disability ( I refer here to service-connected disability), the prosthetic would be paid for 100% if supplied by the VA. If the vet is rated below 100%, a co-pay for a services can apply, just like with other insurances. If prosthetics are taxed, that tax would most likely be passed on to the consumer. Since the government is the “consumer” in this situation, one of two things would happen: either the government would pass the tax on to the tax-payer to cover, or the veteran would pay a higher co-pay (assuming the vet was not rated at 100%).
And of course, as with everything, there would be exceptions to both of these scenarios, probably depending on the prosthetic involved.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John Sykes and others. John Sykes said: Were Wasserman-Schultz and Klein 2 of the #dems votes to tax #veterans for medical devices? ? http://ow.ly/27QpN #military […]
TSO – It might be “free,” but VA care is sucks, and that’s if you’re willing to make the drive.
will check on this through a supplier. if it’s true, people raising enough ruckus will get it fixed
It is disgusting that our inglorious leader would even consider doing this!! He is a traitor to the American people, and the American way of life!! May the fleas of a thousand camels infest crotch!!!
Would like to know where to obtain the list of Democrats who voted down the Hatch amendment SA3644 – Thanks