Baucus "Moderate Dem" Plan Nothing to Get Excited About
As Americans try to figure out what President Obama's "detailed plan" actually means, Hot Air's Ed Morrissey reminds us that the "moderate" Democrat plan proposed by Sen. Max Baucus of Montana ain't nothing to be excited about:
Baucus has proposed that the federal government supply subsidies to needy individuals and families for the purchase of the now-mandated insurance. However, the definition of needy defies both math and common sense. The Baucus plan proposes those subsidies be available to households at up to 300% of the poverty level of income—or about $66,000 per year income.
If that sounds like a pretty good annual household income, you'd be right. In fact, the 2007 median household income in the US was $50,233. Roughly half of all households in America are above this income level, and half below it. It is a solidly middle-class income by definition.
How many people make $66,000 per year or less, and therefore would be eligible for federal health-insurance subsidies? According to the Census Bureau's 2007 survey, 72.1 million of the nation's 116.8 million households earned $65,000 or less. The Baucus plan would make 61.7% of American households dependent on government assistance, far more than half and well on the way to two-thirds.
Morrissey notes that the Baucus plan is tighter than the House plan, which proposes covering households at 400 percent of the poverty line.
