Health Care. A Look at Some of the Real Cost?

Caterpillar said Obamacare will cost it an additional $100 million in the first year; Medtronic warned that the new tax on its products "could force it to lay off a thousand workers;" Verizon told its employees that it "will likely have to cut health benefits to offset the new costs;" and AT&T announced that it will record a $1 billion non-cash expense in the first quarter and "will be evaluating prospective changes to the active and retiree health care benefits offered by the company."

Target is what is called a self insurer and they are looking at how this is going to effect them. Rumor has it that they will drop coverage or lay off many full time employees. The cost of doing business just went up and  Target will not be the only one to raise prices to cover cost.  Wal-Mart has put out numbers saying it will cost them millions and will increase prices in the future.

Does anyone really think that a company such as Caterpillar can keep jobs in the US and absorb these unsustainable cost?  Look for Cat to start moving more of it’s business overseas.  

These announcements are but the tip of the iceberg; hundreds like them will follow as Obamacare becomes a reality. Congressional Democrats, evidently stung by the bad publicity, are trying to strike back.  Evidence of this was shown this week when Sen. Waxman of California called the CEO’s to appear before Congress and bring everything they have, including e-mails that prove what they are saying to be true.  All Waxman and his henchmen want to do is to get the CEO’s in one place to lecture, threaten, and humiliate them. You can be assured that the CEO’s will not be allowed to show their evidence but be assured that Waxman will call them liars and thief’s because they want to operate and make a profit. There's nothing new in Congressional Democrats hauling businesses before some committee or other to brow beat them and get face time on TV.
Black-letter financial accounting rules require that corporations immediately restate their earnings to reflect the present value of their long-term health liabilities, including a higher tax burden. Should these companies have played chicken with the Securities and Exchange Commission to avoid this politically inconvenient reality? Democrats don't like what their bill is doing in the real world, so they now want to intimidate CEOs into keeping quiet.
Apparently, in this brave new world created by Obamacare, having an opinion about its benefits that is at odds with the ruling party is not good for the health of one's company.

 As I wrote earlier Waxman wants all internal communications connected to the analysis of how this provision will impact companies, including private emails. Andy McCarthy of NRO got it right in summation of this demand:

“If we are now under a system where disclosure gets you a public whipping and other threats by the Powers That Be while nondisclosure promises the ruinous expenses of defending against criminal investigations and civil enforcement, this is no longer anything but a thugocracy.” 

But then we already knew that didn’t we. 

Democrats in Congress have been using thug tactics since 2006 but then no one paid attention especially the Lame Stream Media. Now that they have a “fearless leader” in the White House who was trained in such tactics the use becomes more common. Don’t look for a lot to change until the elections in November and even then the “thug” factor will continue to be there and played by Obama at every opportunity. His propensity for hitting the campaign trail to sell his snake oil when faced with reality and questions of his reality or lack thereof will take on an even more threatening tone when he no longer holds the majority in both houses of Congress.  Every opportunity will be used to paint the right as the wrong and showing his way to be the only way.  If current responses by the LSM are any indication to the future expect them to continue to cover him like a blanket with warmth and goo goo sounds. The blanket is wearing thin but the LSM doesn’t seem to realize this yet.

A larger question perhaps looms on the horizon in the form of just how strong will the Republicans stand on repeal of this fiasco.  If Senator Cornyn of Texas (I am ashamed to say) is any indication, then look for that stand to last about as long as Custer’s last stand and be just as bloody.  Cornyn recently stated that ‘there is non-controversial stuff here, like the pre-existing conditions exclusion and those sorts of things.' Surely this so called Senator has the sense that God gave a goose to understand that a provision in the bill will completely change the character of insurance companies from private business to public utilities and others will adversely effect major industries in this country as well. Surely there must be something in the water in DC or Cornyn is once again holding his finger in the wind to check which way it is blowing before totally caving.  It is a character flaw of his or so it seems.  There is no place and this is no time for the weak of heart, the complacent, the sycophants school yard bully victim syndrome, it is time to stop tolerating such nonsense. Either grow a spine and demand full repeal or prepare for a long trip home come election day. 

If the Republicans in power today fail, fold and run away thinking they can fight another day they are in for a surprise. They will not have another day and this country may not survive long enough to find those who will stand up to the culture of corruption that inhabits Washington from the White House to the halls of Congress. 

That's my opinion. What say you?