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Question of the Day | 06/21/2009 11:00 pm

Would you support a tax on those who receive "gold-plated" health insurance from their employer?

In order to finance President Obama’s health-care coverage of the uninsured, some are saying that part of the cost should be paid for by taxing those who receive "gold-plated" health insurance from their employer. Would you support such a tax? Join Joan Ganz Cooney and Liz Smith in the conversation … 
© iStock
Joan Ganz Cooney

Joan Ganz Cooney | 06/21/2009 11:00 pm

Joan Ganz Cooney on Taxing the Rich

We are in so much deficit trouble that I have to support higher taxes. Whether taxing health benefits is the best way to go, I don’t know. It worries me because it will hit so many people who are barely making it now, but sacrifice is going to be demanded of a lot of middle-income people unless we decide to go bankrupt. Just taxing the rich would not yield enough money to begin closing the deficit.
Liz Smith

Liz Smith | 06/23/2009 12:00 am

Liz Smith: Same Way We Solve Anything

Oh, leave me out of trying to second guess health care. Can’t we follow one of the successful programs already in effect by nations the world over? Whatever I think won’t change a damned thing. Politicians will get hold of it. How else do we solve anything? Paying my share of taxes.

302 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Lucinda Herbert
Those who receive "gold-plated" health insurance from their employer are very fortunate, but they should not be penalized for it!  That is insanity!  Good health benefits should be encouraged.  It is very wrong to even think about taxing those who are able to get preventive and primary care, just because they are able to.  And I can assure you I am not one of them, although once upon a time I was when I worked for a large corporation that offered great benefits. There has to be a better way.
By Lucinda Herbert on 06/22/2009 12:20 am
Marjorie C.

Lucinda:  Good health benefits should be encouraged. 

I agree with you 100%.  Taxing "gold-plated" health insurance is just a step away from taxing all private insurance plans.  Then all percs, like a company car or extended disability benefits or whatever.  Enough with the taxes, already !!!  Cut back on the spending — return the unused stimulus package back to the treasury.

By Marjorie C. on 06/22/2009 4:53 am
deber B
Marjorie C, our current administration is a good example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.   The obvious is right in front of them and they are ignoring it…."cut back on the spending and fix the medicare and welfare systems that are costing the most."    Abuse and fraud won’t go away unless we step up to clean it up.
By deber B on 06/22/2009 5:48 am
Marjorie C.

deber:  fix the medicare…

The reality is the current administration does not want to fix medicare…  they see single-payer systems as flawed.  They envision all taxpayers being covered by a single system of rewards to the medical system for keeping people well.  That works for the majority of folks who are born healthy and never age (die before chronic ailments set in). 

If you have a minute, go to americanthinker.com and read The Feetus and the Fly - A Fable.  It’s a quick read and is well-worth your time.  

By Marjorie C. on 06/22/2009 6:45 am
deber B
I just read it, Marjorie, and it is interesting!
By deber B on 06/22/2009 7:36 am
Christine Cline

Actually the Welfare and Medicare systems though very broken get a drop in the bucket compare to our military and star wars program. Millions go towards programs for the poor. Billions are poored into the military. As for fraud so very many of those charities that are for the ‘poor’ are frauds. They need to be investigated. Especially some of the best known. People need to start listening when we the poor say we have went to these so called charities, agencies and programs and were turned away. There is so much corruption when it comes to the poor. But we the poor are the ones being blamed. It is not my fault if someone says I called around for you here is where you go to get this. and I go and am told, "We don’t do that. Who ever told you that was wrong." That has happend to me so often I have found myself going in circles when calling for help. It would get to the point where I was told they couldn’t help and they would give me the number of another agencie and I would have to tell them that I just got off the phone with their recommended agency. Ou administration knows exactly what is going on. It is the public they have fooled. People need to stop blindly beleiveing what they are told and start taking a look around them. Use common sense.

By Christine Cline on 06/22/2009 10:31 am
Karen R

Under current tax law most "perks" such as a company car also available for personal use are taxable for the non-business use.

If there’s one other area that could use reform it is the tax code - preferably a uniform percentage income tax, on all income, above a livable base amount - say $15,000-$18,000 with absolutely no loopholes, deductions, or tax havens allowed.

By Karen R on 06/22/2009 12:20 pm
Kelly In Texas

Marjorie…did you see how annoyed Obama got when he was questioned about his smoking? He was not pleased at all….then he answered that he was 95% smoke free…what in the heck?

He can not even admit that he can’t quit smoking. I guess that is just an all to human fault for his highness…

I guess that means that only 3% of his lungs can get cancer? How funny…it really irritated him that something has control over him…he tries so hard to hide his smoking.

Will that make him ineligilble for some health care coverages? I mean…a smoker after all…

By Kelly In Texas on 06/24/2009 12:27 am
deber B
Kelly, he has a "superiority complex" and "dares" anyone to criticize him.   No, he’ll still have free health care coverage.
By deber B on 06/25/2009 8:11 am
Kelly In Texas

Deber…he will be a text book example of a narcissit gone wild, when his administration is said and done.

 It is so weird and creepy how annoyed he gets when someone disagrees with him, or dares to go off script and ask him a queation that challenges him.

The dudes a freak….

By Kelly In Texas on 06/27/2009 3:23 pm
deber B
Kelly, I posted on Krauthammer today on cap and trade thread.   Please read this brilliant man’s words.
By deber B on 06/27/2009 3:55 pm
Deniseann Taylor

Kelly, I’ve been smoke free for 48 hrs., no patch, no gum, lots of Ice Tea and popcorn though. I am not going the way of my mother or the dinasour.  I’ve had enough cancer to last anyones life time.

Look at poor Farrah and she never smoked, I’m not going like that, I’d kill myself first.

thanks for the encouragement, it helped alot, i’ll keep you informed.

By Deniseann Taylor on 06/25/2009 10:56 pm
Kelly In Texas

You will do it Deniseann…you will. Screw that cancer…screw those Tobacco companies and their plans to addict you for life! Keep it up!

Tea and pocorn…more tea and more popcorn…. ;]

By Kelly In Texas on 06/27/2009 2:59 pm
Deniseann Taylor
Thanks Kelly for the encouragement, my only support system is Church, this site, and talking to my kids in the middle of the nite when I want to smoke.  72 hrs and counting. :)
By Deniseann Taylor on 06/27/2009 11:05 pm
Kelly In Texas

Deniseann…Joel Osteen had a message this morning that reminded me of your struggle. He said to "live your faith with action"….

Sooooooo how about you thank God for helping you to quite smoking as if it is a foregone conclusion? Thank him for removing your desire and for replacing your addiction with a new motive…

Act on the faith that you will be healed of this…prayers of thanks for God’s intervention and success. Act as if it is done, pray as if it is done.

Best to you, as always ~

By Kelly In Texas on 06/28/2009 12:16 pm