| US poverty rate swells to nearly 1 in 6 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 13 2011, 11:17 AM (241 Views) | |
| Baldo | Sep 13 2011, 11:17 AM Post #1 |
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Census: US poverty rate swells to nearly 1 in 6 WASHINGTON (AP) — The ranks of U.S. poor swelled to nearly 1 in 6 people last year, reaching a new high as long-term unemployment woes left millions of Americans struggling and out of work. The number of uninsured edged up to 49.9 million, the biggest in over two decades. The Census Bureau's annual report released Tuesday offers a snapshot of the economic well-being of U.S. households for 2010, when joblessness hovered above 9 percent for a second year. It comes at a politically sensitive time for President Barack Obama, who has acknowledged in the midst of his re-election fight that the unemployment rate could persist at high levels through next year. The overall poverty rate climbed to 15.1 percent, or 46.2 million, up from 14.3 percent in 2009. Reflecting the lingering impact of the recession, the U.S. poverty rate from 2007-2010 has now risen faster than any three-year period since the early 1980s, when a crippling energy crisis amid government cutbacks contributed to inflation, spiraling interest rates and unemployment. Measured by total numbers, the 46 million now living in poverty is the largest on record dating back to when the census began tracking poverty in 1959. Based on percentages, it tied the poverty level in 1993 and was the highest since 1983....sniupped http://news.yahoo.com/census-us-poverty-rate-swells-nearly-1-6-142639972.html Just doing what Marxist always do! Create Scarcity with their unworkable economic theory Can we finally send this ideology to the trash heap? |
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| LTC8K6 | Sep 13 2011, 11:19 AM Post #2 |
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Assistant to The Devil Himself
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How can the uninsured be rising? |
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| kbp | Sep 13 2011, 11:44 AM Post #3 |
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If that's a serious question, I'd assume it is because many of the unemployed are now without coverage. |
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| LTC8K6 | Sep 13 2011, 11:54 AM Post #4 |
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Assistant to The Devil Himself
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It was a crack at the health care bill, which has people getting kicked to the curb already due to the provisions already started, and the ones coming soon. Effective June 21, 2010 Adults with pre-existing conditions became eligible to join a temporary high-risk pool, which will be superseded by the health care exchange in 2014.[34][39] To qualify for coverage, applicants must have a pre-existing health condition and have been uninsured for at least the past six months.[40] There is no age requirement.[40] The new program sets premiums as if for a standard population and not for a population with a higher health risk. Allows premiums to vary by age (4:1), geographic area, and family composition. Limit out-of-pocket spending to $5,950 for individuals and $11,900 for families, excluding premiums.[40][41][42] Effective July 1, 2010 The President established, within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a council to be known as the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council to help begin to develop a National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. The Surgeon General shall serve as the Chairperson of the new Council.[43][44] A 10% tax on indoor tanning took effect. Effective September 23, 2010 Insurers are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, like hospital stays in new policies issued.[45] Dependents (children) will be permitted to remain on their parents' insurance plan until their 26th birthday,[46] and regulations implemented under the Act include dependents that no longer live with their parents, are not a dependent on a parent’s tax return, are no longer a student, or are married.[47][48] Insurers are prohibited from excluding pre-existing medical conditions (except in grandfathered individual health insurance plans) for children under the age of 19.[49][50] Insurers are prohibited from charging co-payments, co-insurance, or deductibles for Level A or Level B preventive care and medical screenings on all new insurance plans.[51] Individuals affected by the Medicare Part D coverage gap will receive a $250 rebate, and 50% of the gap will be eliminated in 2011.[52] The gap will be eliminated by 2020. Insurers' abilities to enforce annual spending caps will be restricted, and completely prohibited by 2014.[34] Insurers are prohibited from dropping policyholders when they get sick.[34] Insurers are required to reveal details about administrative and executive expenditures.[34] Insurers are required to implement an appeals process for coverage determination and claims on all new plans.[34] Enhanced methods of fraud detection are implemented.[34] Medicare is expanded to small, rural hospitals and facilities.[34] Medicare patients with chronic illnesses must be monitored/evaluated on a 3 month basis for coverage of the medications for treatment of such illnesses. Non-profit Blue Cross insurers are required to maintain a loss ratio (money spent on procedures over money incoming) of 85% or higher to take advantage of IRS tax benefits.[34] Companies which provide early retiree benefits for individuals aged 55–64 are eligible to participate in a temporary program which reduces premium costs.[34] A new website installed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services will provide consumer insurance information for individuals and small businesses in all states.[34] A temporary credit program is established to encourage private investment in new therapies for disease treatment and prevention.[34] Effective by January 1, 2011 Insurers will be required to spend 85% of large-group and 80% of small-group and individual plan premiums (with certain adjustments) on healthcare or to improve healthcare quality, or return the difference to the customer as a rebate.[53] The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is responsible for developing the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and overseeing the testing of innovative payment and delivery models.[54] Flexible spending accounts, Health reimbursement accounts and health savings accounts cannot be used to pay for over-the-counter drugs, purchased without a prescription, except insulin.[55] Effective by January 1, 2012 Employers must disclose the value of the benefits they provided beginning in 2012 for each employee's health insurance coverage on the employees' annual Form W-2's.[56] This requirement was originally to be effective January 1, 2011 but was postponed by IRS Notice 2010-69 on October 23, 2010.[57] New tax reporting changes were to come in effect to prevent tax evasion by corporations and individuals. However, in April 2011 President Barack Obama signed the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 repealing this provision, because it was burdensome to small businesses.[58][59] Under the repealed law, businesses would have been required to notify the IRS on form 1099 of certain payments to individuals for certain services or property over a reporting threshold of $600.[60][61] Reporting of payments to corporations and individuals would also be required.[62][63] Originally it was expected to raise $17 billion over 10 years.[64] The amendments made by Section 9006 of the Act were designed to apply to payments made by businesses after December 31, 2011, but will no longer apply because of the repeal of the section.[61][59] Effective by January 1, 2013 Income from self-employment and wages of single individuals in excess $200,000 annually will be subject to an additional tax of 0.9%. The threshold amount is $250,000 for a married couple filing jointly (threshold applies to joint compensation of the two spouses), or $125,000 for a married person filing separately.[65] In addition, an additional tax of 3.8% will apply to the lesser of net investment income or the amount by which adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 ($250,000 for a married couple filing jointly; $125,000 for a married person filing separately.)[66] Effective by January 1, 2014 Insurers are prohibited from discriminating against or charging higher rates for any individuals based on pre-existing medical conditions.[34][67] Impose an annual penalty of $95, or up to 1% of income, whichever is greater, on individuals who do not secure insurance; this will rise to $695, or 2.5% of income, by 2016. This is an individual limit; families have a limit of $2,085.[14][68] Exemptions to the fine in cases of financial hardship or religious beliefs are permitted.[14] Insurers are prohibited from establishing annual spending caps.[34] Expand Medicaid eligibility; all individuals with income up to 133% of the poverty line qualify for coverage, including adults without dependent children.[14][69] Two years of tax credits will be offered to qualified small businesses. In order to receive the full benefit of a 50% premium subsidy, the small business must have an average payroll per full time equivalent ("FTE") employee, excluding the owner of the business, of less than $25,000 and have fewer than 11 FTEs. The subsidy is reduced by 6.7% per additional employee and 4% per additional $1,000 of average compensation. As an example, a 16 FTE firm with a $35,000 average salary would be entitled to a 10% premium subsidy.[70] Impose a $2,000 per employee tax penalty on employers with more than 50 employees who do not offer health insurance to their full-time workers (as amended by the reconciliation bill).[71] Set a maximum of $2,000 annual deductible for a plan covering a single individual or $4,000 annual deductible for any other plan (see 111HR3590ENR, section 1302). These limits can be increased under rules set in section 1302. Under the CLASS Act provision, creates a new voluntary long-term care insurance program; enrollees who have paid premiums into the program and become eligible (due to disability or chronic illnesses) would receive benefits that help pay for assistance in the home or in a facility.[72] Pay for new spending, in part, through spending and coverage cuts in Medicare Advantage, slowing the growth of Medicare provider payments (in part through the creation of a new Independent Payment Advisory Board), reducing Medicare and Medicaid drug reimbursement rate, cutting other Medicare and Medicaid spending.[36][73] Revenue increases from a new $2,500 limit on tax-free contributions to flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which allow for payment of health costs.[74] Chain restaurants and food vendors with 20 or more locations are required to display the caloric content of their foods on menus, drive-through menus, and vending machines. Additional information, such as saturated fat, carbohydrate, and sodium content, must also be made available upon request.[75] Establish health insurance exchanges, and subsidization of insurance premiums for individuals with income up to 400% of the poverty line, as well as single adults.[69][76][77] Section 1401(36B) of PPACA explains that the subsidy will be provided as an advanceable, refundable tax credit[78] and gives a formula for its calculation.[79] Refundable tax credit is a way to provide government benefit to people even with no tax liability[80] (example: Earned Income Credit). The formula was changed in the amendments (HR 4872) passed March 23, 2010, in section 1001. According to White House and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates, in 2016 the income-based premium caps for a "silver" healthcare plan for family of four would be the following:[81][82] Edited by LTC8K6, Sep 13 2011, 11:55 AM.
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| kbp | Sep 13 2011, 12:04 PM Post #5 |
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I suspected I was stepping into something when I posted a response!
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| LTC8K6 | Sep 13 2011, 12:19 PM Post #6 |
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Assistant to The Devil Himself
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I like the one where employers have to list the value of your benefits on your W-2... You have to wonder about the unions... And then you have to wonder why the IRS needs to know... |
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| kbp | Sep 13 2011, 02:05 PM Post #7 |
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So the theory has progressed from simply having a RIGHT to healthcare to taxing you for that RIGHT ...if your RIGHT is a over the line on being more equal than others and you're not a part of organized labor agreements ...which reduces the "equal" evidently. |
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| retiredLEO | Sep 13 2011, 02:07 PM Post #8 |
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IMHO, this is Obamas' goal, I said this before, it's staring us in the face, but our elected representives don't seem to see what is going on. Obama promised "hope and change" and we are now going though that change, destroy the economy and rebuild this country into a progressive, socialist, utopia. Just look at the people surrounding Obama, a bunch that thinks they know what's best for us. Obama is usurping Congress, everyday, by going to war with Libya, without a vote in Congress, not enforcing current laws, ie: defense of marriage act, immigration laws. God help the USA if this man gets re-elected. Just look at some of the recent headlines on the Drudge report, I got this as an e-mail. Obama succeeding in his number one goal... destroying America Click here: DRUDGE REPORT 2011® 46.2 million Americans are now poor... 22% of children in poverty... Dramatic drop in median income... Likely to worsen... |
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| kbp | Sep 13 2011, 02:27 PM Post #9 |
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More on it from a Drudge link. Seems like cost reduction should have been the target, not covering the high costs for more. |
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| mike in houston | Sep 13 2011, 03:36 PM Post #10 |
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Just a reminder of what poverty looks like in America The following are facts about persons defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau as taken from various government reports: 80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning. 92 percent of poor households have a microwave. Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks. Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite TV. Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70 percent have a VCR. Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers. More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation. 43 percent have Internet access. One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV. One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo. snip Although the mainstream media broadcast alarming stories about widespread and severe hunger in the nation, in reality, most of the poor do not experience hunger or food shortages. The U.S. Department of Agriculture collects data on these topics in its household food security survey. For 2009, the survey showed: 96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food. 83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat. 82 percent of poor adults reported never being hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food. Other government surveys show that the average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and is well above recommended norms in most cases. Television newscasts about poverty in America generally portray the poor as homeless people or as a destitute family living in an overcrowded, dilapidated trailer. In fact, however: Over the course of a year, 4 percent of poor persons become temporarily homeless. Only 9.5 percent of the poor live in mobile homes or trailers, 49.5 percent live in separate single-family houses or townhouses, and 40 percent live in apartments. 42 percent of poor households actually own their own homes. Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person. The average poor American has more living space than the typical non-poor person in Sweden, France, or the United Kingdom. The vast majority of the homes or apartments of the poor are in good repair. By their own reports, the average poor person had sufficient funds to meet all essential needs and to obtain medical care for family members throughout the year whenever needed. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/09/Understanding-Poverty-in-the-United-States-Surprising-Facts-About-Americas-Poor |
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| Mason | Sep 13 2011, 04:11 PM Post #11 |
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Parts unknown
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. The Unions got exemptions. Fat Benefits aren't going to hurt (most of) them. This Wealth Redistribution Flow Chart is Hell. . |
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| kbp | Sep 13 2011, 07:06 PM Post #12 |
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Loads of information there! |
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| LTC8K6 | Sep 13 2011, 07:44 PM Post #13 |
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Assistant to The Devil Himself
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Weren't we told that those were short term waivers? |
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| Deleted User | Sep 13 2011, 08:32 PM Post #14 |
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Deleted User
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Having kicked Bachman under the bus on another thread, we should remember that she is the ONLY candidate who has emphasized the imperative of defunding Obamacare now and defeating it if she is elected President. I don't hear an outcry from any of the other candidates and yet we are criticizing her for daring to call out his royal majesty, the Gov. of Texas for being in bed with Merck. |
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| kbp | Sep 13 2011, 09:42 PM Post #15 |
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IIRC, most have voiced that they want Obamacare gone. Bachman knows more about it than others. It's still too early to pick a winner yet, so I hope to see why some are losers in the near future ....narrow down the race if no others jump in. |
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