Wounded warriors taxed by ObamaCare for prosthetic, medical devices

Hmmmm.....looks like Obamacare isn't quite the golden ticket everyone wants to make it.

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www.examiner.com...



"You will not see your taxes increased a single dime." - President Barack Obama

"[W]e have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy." - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.


As the nation celebrates Independence Day with parades and barbecues, America's veterans face a new tax on prosthetic limbs and other vital medical devices.

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

"Did Americans forget President Obama promising that Americans making less than $250,000.00 per year would not see their taxes go up one cent? Once again a politician is caught lying to the voters," said political strategist Mike Baker.

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.

The medical device tax was one of over twenty new or higher taxes in President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul. This permanent new tax is already being collected by the federal government.

"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.

In addition to those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports the following number of veterans from America's wars:

World War II: 2,079,000
Korean War: 2,507,000
Vietnam War: 7,569,000
Desert Shield/Storm: 2,254,000

The following senators voted for the tax:

Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Mark Begich (D-AK)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Roland Burris (D-IL)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Edward Kaufman (D-DE)
John Kerry (D-MA)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Pat Leahy (D-VT)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Ben Nelson (D-FL)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Arlen Specter (D-PA)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Mark Udall (D-CO)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

reply to post by jerico65


This is immoral and beggars belief.

"OK, guys, go out there and defend your country. Your country is proud of you. By the way, if you are careless enough to get damaged, you're on your own."

This is beyond disgusting and Americans should protest.

This crap pisses me off! And what pisses me off more is all the injuries and diseases that plague the U.S. military personnel, past and present, for bullcrap reasons. Anddddddddddddd, what pisses me off even more than that is watching my fellow veterans, giving kisses and hugs to their kids now as they send them off to more crap wars. And I'm not done being pissed off. The millions and millions of innocent people whose lives have been disrupted, destroyed and the millions of innocents who die from all this crap.

Did I mention that I am pissed off?

Did I mention I am pissed off by the majority former veteran friends of mine who still wave the flag proudly and proclaim that I am just a malcontent because I happened to be unfortunate enough to have been wounded and sickened due to wars, and they escaped unscathed and I have lost my partiotism?

Maybe they are correct. They escaped unscathed, physically, and so I am the twisted thinking one.

Just want to mention, I don't want to get started on this, so I end my post while I am still in a good and happy mood. Now, where's them dang aliens and Atlantis?

Meh, what you would expect, really. I don't see how anyone could be surprised by any secrets contained in 2,500 pages of jargon. I wouldn't worry too much about it, once the population gets wind of it, they will force them to take it out. Hopefully.

reply to post by FrostForests


What surprised me is that the 2,500 page bill only gives general framework.
As the actual laws and rules are being built from this framework, tens of
thousands of pages are being written, affecting every corner medicine,
insurance and tax liabilities.

VP Joe Biden was not exaggerating when he whispered to the President
that his health/medical/tax bill was a "BIG FU**ING DEAL".

-cwm

reply to post by jerico65


You are surprised by this???

Why would the pollies care?

I'm sure somwhere in that 2500 pages its agreed that ALL pollies keep their TOP OF THE RANGE FREE HEALTHCARE...

Why would they care about the scum they sent to fight for their Corporate needs??

reply to post by jerico65

Obamacare's new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs.

HUH?

I don't understand.

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Obamacare actually take place in a few years?

Even so, would you rather have your insurance company deny your claim altogether or would you pay a bit of tax?

reply to post by The Sword


Veterans should pay NOTHING for medical aid to assist with injuries aquired while fighting for the US...

Actually, a friend of mine read deeper into this. The tax isn't on the individual, but on the maker of the limb, device, etc.

So, some Joe Blow, vet or not, isn't going to pay that tax, the manufacturer will be paying it.

And you all know in the light of fairness, the maker of the limb, device would NEVER think of passing this tax down onto the end user by raising the price of said limb, device.

Vets never had to pay for their stuff, and won't under Obamacare, but I'm willing to bet the family farm that the idea did cross their minds.